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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder what people's weddings were like

143 replies

meantosay · 27/01/2011 15:31

One of the current wedding threads just got me wondering? There's a lot of talk about people having weddings they can't afford etc and was just wondering how many of you had small simple affairs.

I had a small church wedding and buffet lunch at our new house for about 40 people.

OP posts:
SecretNutellaFix · 27/01/2011 15:32

We had a small church wedding, and di the reception for 60 down at the local nice hotel as people were staying due to distances travelled.

It suited us as there was a nice mix of friends and family.

Cribbage · 27/01/2011 15:33

Err YANBU?

dickcheeseandthecrackers · 27/01/2011 15:34

We had an evening do with no sit down meal. Lots of champagne and trays of lovely yummy nibbles. At 11pm we had boxes of fish & chips for everyone.

scurryfunge · 27/01/2011 15:35

I had a registry office wedding with 29 people and a further 100 plus in the evening at a local hotel. This was 20 years ago and cost £6000 then.

jaffacake79 · 27/01/2011 15:35

We had a registry office wedding for 50, and a garden party in a huge marquee in my friends garden. She had masses of room, the garden was secure for all the kids to run about and play. The kids were happy as there was a huge trampoline and other things to play with so the parents relaxed. My fil (chef) and I sorted out all the food, my best friend (who's house it was) made the cake and I made all the cake decorations.
It was perfect for us, we got to spend time with our favourite people and not spend time worrying about something we couldn't afford.

Original poster
meantosay · 27/01/2011 15:35

Sorry Cribbage, maybe this should be in chat.

OP posts:
LisamumtoJake · 27/01/2011 15:37

We had civil ceremony at cute little village registry with 16 guests and then those guests and us had a lovely sit down meal at a very chic hotel/restaurant overlooking the Forth rail bridge :) that was all we had, and i loved it!!

TrillianAstra · 27/01/2011 15:37

I agree with Cribbage, YANBU to wonder :)

bubblewrapped · 27/01/2011 15:38

I had a small wedding.. registry office mid afternoon, then everyone back to local social club for a buffet (about 40 people), more people arrived at night and we had another buffet then. Probably about 100 people in total at the evening part.

No wedding cars, no formal photographer (that is my one regret actually), although plenty of photos that guests took.

Honeymoon was our normal summer holiday to the Med, nothing exotic.

nannynobnobs · 27/01/2011 15:38

I've mentioned mine roughly a bazillion times :o In and out the registry office, then to a local pub with a huge enclosed beer garden full of wooden play equipment- all friends, family and kids welcome. Big buffet and also people brought food if they wanted to (my auntie brought Shetland salmon, my gay uncles brought hundreds of little handmade biscuits :)) Fancy dress was encouraged. I have a delightful video clip of three tipsy fully grown pirates on a wooden seesaw. My friends have a truly talented band and they played, and brought the house down. (Even my grandparents bought a CD which they still listen to very loudly. When they are famous I will go on This Morning saying they played at my wedding...)

waitwhat · 27/01/2011 15:39

Country house, 12 people and a big party in my sisters garden after.

Pennies · 27/01/2011 15:40

We had a by-the-book English country wedding. Hugely unoriginal but we had a fab day anyway!

Clytaemnestra · 27/01/2011 15:45

I had a great big wedding in a castle with 120 guests. It was great :)

crumbletastic · 27/01/2011 15:46

As small as I could possibly get away with without grumbles from dh! Parents, 4 brothers and sisters, 2 of them with their spouses and 5 friends. We had a registry office do in the morning and then all went to the zoo in the afternoon for a fun day out.

I wanted even smaller with just parents and a nice meal afterwards, dh wanted bigger with lots of friends invited, this was our compromise. I've always wanted to be married but hate the idea of weddings and how much stress people put themselves through to get achieve the perfect day. I also hated the idea of being centre of attention so it was a day everyone could enjoy and we just happened to get married also!

Original poster
meantosay · 27/01/2011 15:47

Thanks for all the replies to my nosiness.

My mum and I did the food for the buffet (vol au vents, sausages, salads and my sister's husband made loads of chips with his deep fat fryer) and my friend made a huge chocolate cake. We had a glass of champagne for everyone and then wine after that. It was a gorgeous day so people were sitting around the garden and on canvas chairs in the house (we hadn't moved in yet). My sister is a musician and provided lovely background music and then played the piano with the french windows open so everyone could join in the sing song.
There were no limos or chocolate fountains or fancy flowers or hordes of bridesmaids and I don't regret it one single little bit. We were broke at the time and my parents paid for the champagne and PILs lent us their house in Cornwall for our honeymoon. It never occurred to us to borrow a fortune for a big fancy day.

OP posts:
Suncottage · 27/01/2011 15:50

Nine at the registry office - seven for lunch afterwards, bought my outfit the day before, no cake, very simple. In the evening we had a party where guests bought the food and a band we knew played for free.

£150 was the approx cost.

ethelina · 27/01/2011 15:52

We got married in his parents garden, with 34 people present. Had an afternoon/evening party and my brother's band played a set. It was lovely.

fatlazymummy · 27/01/2011 15:58

Married in 1987, we had a registry office do with 32 [ish ]guests. Went back to our flat for drinks and buffet [catered by me].Then guests went home. We also had a party that evening in a social club with self catered buffet. Cost around £1100, we paid for everything, including the bar in the evening.

UnquietDad · 27/01/2011 15:58

Ours was biggish (150+ guests) with all family and friends we could think of. Reception at a country hotel near DW's family. We paid for it ourselves through savings.

Having said that, we kept a lot of things simple and cut corners. DW made her dress, a neighbour drive us to the church (he had a white Merc!), a friend did the videoing, etc.

And also - this was 12 years ago before anybody we knew had children apart from one colleague of DW's, my brother and DW's brother. Along with the small bridesmaids, that made literally only 7 children at the whole thing. If we were doing it now, the number of children who would need to come would almost double the numbers and the cost!

KarmaDevil · 27/01/2011 16:03

We had a very small wedding. Got married in the registry office with just me and DH (obviously), my mum, dad, sister, DSD, BIL and his first wife, and BIL's son. We then went for a meal at our favourite restaurant. (Where we still go quite frequently because we love it Grin).

mrsSOAK · 27/01/2011 16:04

We got married in SA, only his family and their friends attended. We used the chapel in the grounds for ceremony and then had a meal in the restuarant. Total number of people 50 (couldn't get more in the church)
His family paid for and organised the whole thing, all I had to do was get the dress, get the rings and turn up (my parents paid for my flight)
However, we then had a blessing and a party for my family in the UK. There were about 40 odd people at the ceremony and masses of people at the party. I originally asked for a casual/relaxed bbq which got turned into a big decorated catered event instead. Still it wasn't really for my benefit but for my family!

AbsDuCroissant · 27/01/2011 16:07

UQD got married in a church Shock

MotherOfSuburbia · 27/01/2011 16:10

Pretty by the book by us. Approx 150 guests but a lot of things were done by people we know - photography, cake, dress etc. We were very lucky to get a fabulous venue for the day for only £500 which brought the cost down to £4000ish. I was a student at uni so only had my overdraft to contribute!! but my parents kindly gave us the money they would have been contributing for my next year at university and dh managed to save the rest.
We had a fabulous day - 150 sounds like a lot of people now but it felt like all our nearest and dearest were there and actually was quite intimate.
Can't believe it was 10 years ago though!

bruffin · 27/01/2011 16:11

Wedding at local church followed by sit down meal for about 50 at small local hotel, then an evening buffet with a barn dance for about 80. It wasn't very expensive and we could easily afford it at the time.

I made the bridemaids dresses and my mum did all the flowers. We were sitting making button holes in the morning while drinking bucksfizz and eating smoked salmon and scramble egg.
The only thing I regret is not having a horse and carriage as DH used to ride and love horses, but as soon as I announced wedding friend said I know someone with who does cars and I sort of got pushed into hiring their cars.
It was followed by a 3 week honeymoon in the Maldives and Sri Lanka, which was heavenly.

rosie39forever · 27/01/2011 16:11

Married at 7.30pm at the Little Chapel Of The west In las Vegas unbelievably tacky stretch limo down the strip to a lovely very expensive sea food place, we had 4 guests(parents and in laws). Then next morning flew over the grand canyon, loved it. Chapel, flowers, photos, video,limo, hair and make up $250 bargain!!