To not want a 'traditional' wedding?

[Scheherezade]

.... DP thinks I'm mad.

But I really don't want the wedding-by-numbers formula. Our village church is absolutely beautiful, so I'm happy to get married in the church, but it's the whole drive to reception with flowers and favours and white tables. Eat/Drink/Dance go home. I'm not explaining myself very well....

Plus we can't bloody afford a big wedding. But I don't really know what I do want. Something a bit different, intimate, countryside. Or just bugger off abroad.

Does anyone have any idea what I'm talking about, and any experiences/inspirational ideas?

Have a look at
rockmywedding.co.uk
rocknrollbride.com
thenaturalweddingcompany.co.uk

Then have a nose round The Offbeat Bride and A Practical Wedding

Buy yourself a copy of Unique Bride

You'll soon start to feel that Your Day Your Way isn't something weird that you have to tie yourself in knots to explain to others. I've been absorbing these inspiration sources so long, that to me, traditional, conventional weddings are actually starting to look offbeat and quirky themselves. There was a super-trad square tiered royal-iced wedding cake with columns on a blog today and I actually found myself thinking 'Oooh, how unusual'

We're hiring a barn and a field for our wedding. I'm walking down the aisle to Feist. We're going to drink homebrew made by my BiL-to-be and my bridesmen's Nana Ida. We shall eat a BBQ of local food and there will be a salad buffet made by all my pals. I'm making the cake myself. Lemon and white chocolate ganache. We'll dance the night away to our ipod playlist of funk soul disco and 00's House music. Evening reception? Pft. It's an all-night rave. We'll watch the sun come up while toasting marshmallows on the firepit.

Its your wedding, OP, do whatever you want! Arm yourself with the options and gently begin to enthuse your DP with how wonderful it could be.

Milkshake don't know if you're still checking this thread, but that is exactly what me and DP are doing next month :)

I posted a thread - 'AIBU to elope?' - a few months back and it helped to decide me!

On the morning, we will walk to our local registry office with 2 friends. We'll say the plainest vows they allow, exchange v plain rings (titanium, about £70 each!) and then wander off to the train station and get a train to the nearest seaside town for a day long 'honeymoon' involving fish and chips!

We will wear hiking boots because that's what we were wearing when we first met.

Our families don't know. We will ring them that evening. I don't know how they'll take it, but I hope well!

And it really is about you and your marriage. I'm also wearing a plain brown fitted T as my 'wedding dress' because that is what I was wearing the first time I met DP and he always says it brings out my cleavage eyes. That is romantic, doing stuff that matters to you!

Also, no offence to anyone here, but I couldn't even begin to contemplate spending £1k on a wedding! That is 1/5th of our current house deposit. I want a marriage, with our own home! We'll have parties when we're old and rich.

My brother and his wife hired a couple of big cottages in the lakes and had their ceremony on a boat on Ulswater (did the legal bit with a couple of witnesses at registry office the day before). Then we all (mostly family and a few friends) went back to the cottages and had food made by bride's family and then had a big quiz. It was really personal and great fun.

I got married Italy instead, including me and DH there were 25 of us and it was brilliant!

All the guests treated it as a holiday and we gave them enough notice (I think!) to save up. We did save alot of money as the food, flowers, photographer etc were much cheaper than the UK.

We did go on a separate honeymoon after though to make sure we had one, as I didn't want to share my honeymoon with 23 people :o

RP I Missed your thread - Congrats that sounds v. romantic :)

You can do what you like - although don't make your guests stand in a field in the rain in the name of being alternative.

RP, that is very romantic - congratulations!

OP, I got married a few months back - last-minute lunchtime cancellation at the rather beautiful local registry office, wearing a maternity dress, biker boots and a flower in my hair, no one there but my partner and two friends as witnesses, and we all went for tapas and champagne afterwards. It was absolutely lovely.

The last friends' wedding we went to had a bride in a yellow sundress and sandals, a rural church decorated by a bunch of us beforehand with wild flowers picked in the field next door, and a picnic and dancing in a riverside pub garden afterwards.

Www.rockmywedding.co.uk
Www.rockandrollbride.com
Just a few inspirational ur day ur way blogs.
Make u and the boy happy, the rest will follow!
Good luck!

Have a legal Pagan marriage in Scotland or Ireland? You can marry anywhere you like and the ceremony is written for the couple - as long as the form of legal words is included

www.scottishpf.org/celebrants.html

Try again www.scottishpf.org/celebrants.html

im def for different weddings, unless they are unusual they do blend into one another....the best ones i have been too are abroad or doing something out of the norm...

i cant count how many times we have pulled up to a beautful old hotel, to then be kept in a room in the " modern" bit like a school sports hall listening to crap music.

YANBU, but this is something you both need to agree on.

I had an off-beat sort of wedding last year. We hired a beautiful assembly rooms in Dedham, Essex, and had our humanist ceremony and reception in the same place. Village halls etc are v affordable. We had an 8 course Chinese banquet which me and friends prepped the day before. I got a friend who cooks to oversee put it together on the day, bunged friends daughters and their pals £80 to waiter. Big sharing plates on the table saves so much fuss. Mates dj'ed afterwards. It was a brilliant intimate and FUN day for everyone. Main thing to remember is that you're supposed to enjoy it, so do whatever makes you happy.

Thanks everyone (esp vivipru for the links!), some lovely ideas to look at.

Dress and cake are sorted, so budget is £500-1000!

Had to share this website, v inspiring:

www.weddingfestivals.co.uk

www.weddingfestivals.co.uk