Would you enjoy this wedding?

[toastand]

DP & I have decided to get married and we’ve spent the past week pricing up different days. DP is keen on a larger wedding, ceremony & reception all weekend type do. Manor House/Barn type thing. I was happy to marry just us and the kids in a nice registry office. I’d rather not get into debt and marry sooner.

3:30pm - Ceremony in London town hall
4:00pm - Photos & confetti throw
4:30pm - Chilled Prosecco & Beers on hired out bus.
5:00pm - Arrive at reception, welcome drinks and canapés. Singer or saxophonist.
6:00pm - 3 course sit down meal, plenty of wine & beer.
8:00pm - DJ
9:00ish: Evening Food
12:00am: Home

The reception is a lovely restaurant, exclusive hire, meal upstairs then into basement for party. We’d be spending at least 6 thousand on catering & venue, I’m wincing at this but it’s one of the cheaper options I’ve found.

All rough timings for now but would you attend this? My parents, siblings and nieces/nephews alone is 22. Both mine and DP’s family and friends are in London, he has a few family members who’d be travelling from Wales & up North.

Weve managed to compromise on about 60 guests for the entire day. I’m of course doing most the leg work in researching and enquiring, and to be honest I’m not sure he understood what weddings cost until I sat him down today and ran through the quotes.

Does this sound okay or do I need to go back to the drawing board?

Sounds perfect!

Oo amazing thank you. DP is coming round to it now but I wasn’t sure if it was a big ask to have people travel for a London registry office & then fancy meal?

Is the bus taking everyone to the reception?

will it be taking them back to the original venue it willl it be easy enough fir them to get home:to accommodation from the restaurant?

As a guest it sounds good.

however, it sounds nothing like what either of you wanted. So are you both happy with the compromise?

I'd love it

Would make no difference to me where you've chosen to say your vows xx

Sounds really lovely!

From my point of view, I don’t like the saxophone 😬 but other than that, it sounds lovely and I’ll be there! 😉

Are you both actually with happy with it? You both wanted something different to each other, but are now having something which is not close to what either of you wanted.

Bus seats up to 72 so plenty of room for everyone. The restaurant is only 6 minutes away, the bus does a detour around central London for the sights. We’ll have use of the venue from 5pm so also kills a bit of time!

Theres a travel lodge & premier inn within ten mins of the reception. We’re hoping to be able to put up the guests travelling from afar.

DP says he’s happy with this type of day. I wasn’t keen on the idea of a barn/marquee, some wanted upwards of 20k too, for what is essentially a tent in a field I just wanted sense checking, I’ve been to lots of weddings where you spend hours waiting about starving in the cold whilst the family are off taking photos for what feels like hours.

It sounds good. My only issue would be that it's good to have something to drink/canapes while the photos are being done, otherwise it's quite boring for those not in every one. Perhaps the bus could turn up straight after the ceremony and wait while people have photos, but that obviously depends on the parking situation.

Also for those travelling will they be ok with the cost of a London hotel/ accommodation on a weekend night?

Hope he's paying for it!

I wish all weddings I’m invited to were this uncomplicated. Please say you aren’t going to impose a dress code/ ban children/ have a high end gift registry?

We’ve decided on Marylebone Town Hall and they seem to have a ceremony every 30 minutes at the weekend so you only have about 20 minutes for the photos. We’d be doing candid/documentary style rather than posed but definitely something to think about, thank you.

We’ve got two lots of guests from outside of London & think we’ll offer to arrange a hotel for the wedding night. I’m not sure how they’ll feel about travelling down on the day though? DP thinks it’s too much to ask for them to travel down on the day. It’s about 3 hours for each.

You’re doubling up a bit with the drinks on the bus and then another hour of drinks before dinner.

I won’t be contributing a penny🤣I’d have put my foot down otherwise!

I wasn’t completely against a big wedding, I’d have just preferred to have prioritised having more food & drink and a naice venue.

DP wouldn’t have minded a hotel conference room reception, cocktail sausage and paid bar type thing. I’m also not keen on putting it off for 5 years to allow us to save up.

Thank you - noted on the saxophone!

Sounds lovely. Tbh maybe I'm being mean but I wouldn't be sorting accomodation for those guests that are traveling from outside London unless they're either sets of parents or possibly grandparents. If they want to be there they'll be there, and as the bride you already have enough to organise - they can organise themselves!

It sounds exactly like my favourite kind of wedding.

Will everyone be pissed The canapés seem quite substantial. I do love the idea of sipping on some Prosecco and a few tunes on the old bus.

When are you supposed to serve canapés? I feel it’d be strange to go straight into the sit down meal. Unless we had one small welcome drink and then cordials? Venue isn’t booked yet, this is just the one we like the look of so I could speak to them about timings.

I don’t like the idea of people waiting around hungry, especially those who’ve been travelling all morning so may not have fit in lunch. Unless I move the ceremony back to 4ish?

If you’re having 3 courses at 6pm a lot of the food at 9pm might get wasted.

But other than that, sounds amazing!

Will everyone be expecting evening food if the dinner is at 6-7pm? The venue has a minimum spend but I could use the remainder for drinks instead of food?

I don’t think you need evening food, the dinner is too close timewise.

@toastand

"DP thinks it’s too much to ask for them to travel down on the day. It’s about 3 hours for each"

Your ceremony doesn't start until 3.30pm, plenty of time for people to travel the morning of, if, they don't want the expense of accommodation the previous evening.

Wrt evening food, are your guests more foodies than drinkers?

All sounds lovely @toastand, have a fabulous time.

I really hope you have a lovely day OP.

I think most of it sounds lovely.

I’d personally really not want the “booze bus” but if that’s something you like and you know your guests would like, then go for it.

I’d also be concerned about the evening food being wasted if your sit down meal isn’t until 6. Perhaps have more casual food (pizza, bacon butty) at about 11 before everyone heads off?

Sounds great, I would personally cut out the canapes and the evening buffet. (plus singer and saxaphonist tbh) You are only getting going at 3.30pm (most people will have sorted themselves out with lunch), and serving a substantial meal at 6 ish. The 9pm food will be completely wasted. Good to hear that there are hotel options 10 mins away, and it is worth nailing your choices to the mast so that you can either book these in advance cancellable for your further afield guests or give them a list. Every time I go to a wedding these days, I realise how much effort and cost has gone in and whereas it is lovely (photo booths, sweet stalls, magicians, entertainment, cocktails and canapes, favours, personalised stationery and place-cards, signing books, fireworks etc) the main thing is being able to celebrate with the family and have a "do" that suits most, and is fairly relaxed. Just my view, sometimes less is more, Congrats and happy planning xx