To be upset about my wedding venue?

[IfIDontKnowAndYouDontKnow]

Name changed
Basically have a tiny budget. We were going to cut our guest list but we don't want to. We love everyone on it.
Have been offered The British Legion as a venue for free. Best man works evenings there.
We have decided to take it so we can afford to give everyone a nice time. Its bloody ugly inside. Has lovely big field though/n pretty outside etc.
I know I chose this, and I am not wanting to save up for few years as I just want to marry dp and have all our friends and family there. And would be stupid to not accept such a generous offer.
Just venting I guess... and wondering what to do about the fading carpet, chipped paint, arcade machine...

Op we had our wedding in an old rotary club venue. Here's what we did: scrubbed the kitchen clean (my dad catered the event), took out all the plastic chairs and put them in he basement, ditto the heavy old curtains. Arranged the existing tables nicely then added tablecloths, crockery, cutlery and beautiful chairs all from the same hire company. We draped white voile (ordered from a discount fabric warehouse) all around the room and lit it with IKEA's cheapest uplighters (think they are around 4.99 each and we bought 6, u can always ebay them afterwards too). Flowers were wild honeysuckle which my dh gathered the day before. It looked fantastic, we had an absolutely wonderful day and wouldn't do it any differently if we went back in time with unlimited funds. Your wedding sounds great, time to quit worrying and look forward to your day. Your budget sounds fine to me, traditionally people married with much less and noone expected ridiculous £££££ weddings in the past!

Ps look out after Xmas for fruit cakes which should keep till the wedding, way cheaper than wedding cake. If u manage to find 3 different sizes all u need to do is stack em up and stick some flowers on top. Voila!

Also do any of your guests have aspirations as musicians or djs? Could be a good way to save.

Ditto with photos although u might want to ask more than 1person just in case - then u have a few different ones to choose from!

I don't know if this has been suggested but would you consider contacting your local college/uni to see if any event management students would fancy doing your wedding as a project? Even just coming up with ideas for you, sourcing best value for money in your budget etc. Would be great for their portfolio and you get some good ideas!

I haven't read your whole thread, but just wanted to add that we had our wedding breakfast in a village hall with a cricket green outside. So many of our family have said it's the best wedding they've ever been to (and I have a big family). We did most of the catering ourself, friends did the table decorations, we did most the stuff as cheaply as we could. People really don't notice the venue unless it's really marvellous imo.

Please don't worry about the venue, it really is about the people you invite and making them feel welcome, which I'm sure you will do. We also got married in July - it's the best month! One of the best photos we have is of the two small bridesmaids climbing on the climbing frame next to the village hall in their lovely bridesmaids dresses.

Cheap drinks and a band! Paaaaaaaaaarty time!

We made all the invitations for our wedding by getting a sheet of A4 card, folding it in 3 and putting all the info on printed sheets inside & tied it with a ribbon. I made the corners of the card pretty by using a shaped cutter to round them off and put a "wedding invitation" sticker on the bottom left hand corner

I have loads of the card left, and will happily make you some outer sleeves (or just send you the blank card) if you want.

where are you roughly? maybe we can enlist some helpers?!

the things that make a wedding crap are NOT the carpet
IMe its too long hanging around without food, crap food( spend on that imo) and the whole day being too long

mate of mine had a village hall and on the tables had pretty vintage style vases with wild flowers on, homemade shortbread with lavender sugar ( WAS TO DIE FOR) made by the mIL for favours and fair lights everywhere - oh and those huge paper pom poms

( dont do fish and chips - unless very fresh will just be hot stodge)

Went to a wedding with pea shooters (polystyrene balls and cardboard tubes bought cheaply online) and those long balloons you blow up and let go to wizz around the room. Got the guests from different tables/groups interacting from the get go. don't let them start till after the soup

monkeymamma I don't know any one musically talented..

SecondStarToTheRight That's lovely! Am going to pm you

PervCat I am getting married in Surrey, very near Kent border. You think not a chippy dinner?

shewhowines

Think all the suggests of students are a great idea by the way. Am going to look into that

Any of the schools or colleges in the area who might have students able to play music or sing?

I think a chippy dinner is a great idea - although Perv has got a point re timings.

SecondStarToTheRight For some reason, I can't pm you.. It's not letting me click on you to do so..? In fact not letting me on any posters?

Are you clicking on 'message poster' on the right hand side?

SirChenjin No. I am not

Have done it now. Thank you

So chip supper/ no chip supper? What to do!!?
The chip shop is 2 roads away. (4mins roughly) Perhaps the first batch they make up will be to stodgy by the time they get to the last? maybe. I don't know.

I worked it out roughly.. As most expensive ie everyone ordering cod and chips (which they wont) Its about £450. Though children's meals a lot cheaper and some might have sausage etc
Thought we could do a stand with large jars of pickles (gherkins, onions eggs) and condiments . As well as plenty of crusty buttered rolls. Plus napkins and cutlery.

As=at

I went to a brilliant wedding (in a boring hall) almost 30 yrs ago where they asked for no presents but everyone who lived locally to bring food to share (fantastic variety of food!) and people who came from a distance to just bring themselves or something like a giant pack of crisps for kids.

There was tons of food, lots of conversation "who made the xxx? it's gorgeous - have you tried that salad?" and so on. all they had to do was supply the paper plates and napkins etc. It worked really well and meant they could invite everyone they wanted. Our friends still talk about it as one of the best weddings we ever went to.

Is £450 stretching your food budget? If so, what about the hog roast option, or a buffet with loads of cold meats, salads, breads, chutneys etc? Costco would be a good place for buffet type food, I'm sure. Catsrus's suggestion of asking for guests to bring a dish is a good one.

£450 is ok for my food budget.