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?

This sounds fun

Depending on ages of the guests, I'd consider finishing at 11pm rather than midnight. In that case, I wouldn't bother with food at 9pm, so soon after a big meal

Sounds fab, I’ll come.

Of course, sounds like a perfectly lovely wedding

I like the bus part but I would add some form of food.

Not sure if you need then the drinks and canapees as well. And a singer/musician for 1 hour can be costly. Maybe just offer the guests the time to relax, freshen up and do some informal photos with your guests, do just one drink.

If you have a 3 course meal and no additional evening guests skip the late food. I would use the money for paying for more drinks.

Nothing wrong with Lewisham registry office!
DS1 got married there two years ago, following the big bash/unofficial ceremony in Kosovo, where the bride’s family are from. The building was nice enough, inside and out, and more importantly the staff were lovely, friendly and kind, and keen to give us the best possible experience.

OP, that sounds like a very nice wedding to me. Good luck, I hope you have a fantastic day.

The bus is a critical part, do they have a good reputation for turning up on time? Make sure they know it's very important to be on time and put it in the contract.

My family member had that exact wedding, however they got married at Chelsea town hall. It was fabulous and very relaxed and fun.

Absolutely, any wedding I’ve been to has had canapés/drinks reception, the meal an hour or so later and an evening buffet eg pizza/bacon rolls. The food always gets eaten.

Mind you I’m in Scotland, weddings are eating/drinking/dancing affairs and under catering is considered very poor form.

Your day sounds lovely @toastand I hope you have a fabulous day.

I'd cut down on the food - from 4pm, you are feeding them canapés, a 3 course meal and then evening food. I'd do canapés and a sit down OR canapés and a big buffet about 7pm. I wouldn't want to eat again at 9pm after a 3 course meal finishing at 7.30-8pm.

No they don't, this is just mumsnet where people will post a contrary opinion to make themselves seem superior to everyone else

A 3 course dinner at 6pm does not then require "evening food". Just put your budget towards better quality.

Sounds lovely. Ditch the saxophonist though. No need for 9pm food

It sounds lovely and not dissimilar to my city wedding a few years ago. I would also get rid of the evening buffet and serve the wedding cake in the evening and maybe also a ‘cheese cake’ (with biscuits etc). I’d also be tempted to omit the dessert course from the wedding breakfast in favour of a fabulous cake later on.

I’m another saxophone hater. Which is awkward as someone I love very much is a professional saxophonist 😂 But apart from that, all sounds lovely.

I agree with this post. I went to 3 weddings in 4 months and each time I paid for accomodatation for 1/2 nights which I didn’t mind at all.

I don't think you need to sort anyone's accommodation for them beyond providing info on what hotels are close by. It all sounds fab by the way, and refreshing change from the barn wedding vibes!

I would not personally like it but sounds oriiginal but not sure its ticking all the boxes for you both
my daughter had her ceremony at a local lovely house which was massive. the bride got ready there with her bridesmaids a fun time with wine and lots of photos then the wedding ceremony which was nice and relaxed. then nibbles and wine which photos were taken followed by a three course meal with a fantastic evening party with music. it was superb as there were lots of quieter places for people to sit and chat things like nibbles and sweets for the kids all the time it was I was told £4000 but well worth it. i am assuming London would be dearer unless just out of the capital?

I was also coming on to suggest bacon sandwiches for the late food.

I think it sounds fab.

I love the bus idea-was wracking my brain to think how to add a bit of food here.
Is there a bar on the bus/how are the drinks being served?
Could you have something on each seat?
Crisps not exactly right but maybe popcorn in old fashioned holders or something?

Overall sounds a really nice day and I would like to come!

The professional vintage routemaster bus companies specialise in weddings - they put white ribbons on the bus like you would with a car, change the “destination” to the couple’s names or some other custom message, and mine handed out custom little vintage paper tickets with our names and the wedding date on as the guests come on board. They also dress professionally. They are really very good and absolutely arrive early to ensure that everything goes smoothly! I always love seeing a wedding bus when in town on a Saturday. The tourists always take pictures as they go by they look SO smart. Weddings are a big part of their business, they will show up on time!

It sounds ideal, but remember this is not about guests enjoying it, it is about the two of you.

Sounds lovely, and from the pov of what people now spend on weddings, a good, sound choice. Make sure you all take notice of the important, legal bit at 3.30 and then have a lovely time. I love the bus.

We had our wedding in 2001 and most London venues in the non-central parts were already £10k for the venue hire and a 3 course meal then.
I dread to think what it will cost 25 years later.

Perhaps something like a huge cheese board for nibbles for evening food. I don’t think people will want meal like food, even though the venues love to try and sell you that.

We had the wedding cake as the dessert. The restaurant prepared the plates with fresh fruit and decoration in line with the cake's flavour and design and it went down so well, we hardly had anything left to take home.

It is about guests enjoying it. The OP’s DP is paying for them! Why have something no one enjoys?

@toastand You need to factor in when guests can actually check in at hotels. This might not be until 3. Where will
they get changed and dump bags? As a matter of urgency, check any check-in times! If guests need to come the day before, it adds a lot of cost to them.

Not sure how great the food will be for the price. Also after Crans Montana, basement bars are not a good look. Getting guests to pay for booze in the evening looks cheap so consider what you want. A glass of bubbly on the bus followed by another glass and canapés at the venue works.

I frequently see weddings at Marylebone Town hall. Seems to have a big through-put. My DD wants a chapel wedding in London so I’m interested in the bus idea after!