To think that the best weddings take place at local register office or church and are

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are followed by a meal or buffet for close family, close friends and their offspring. Then guests are released to enjoy their evening wherever they choose and newly wed couple start their honeymoon.

Simple, relatively hassle free for couple and guests

It was what we did 23 years ago. A bit sad that it seems that people found it dull, they didnt say that to us at the time but perhaps they were just being polite.

Sounds dull to me, but if that's what the B and G want then that's what they should have. I like a big bash :)

YAstillBU.

I have quite a big family, I can't possibly be very close to all of them, but I do love them all. One of the best things about my wedding was having all the family there who only ever see each other all at the same time for weddings or funerals, and having them around for a bit longer as they'd had to travel to be there.

I also don't think having only close friends makes you a particularly good host, because some friends might prefer to bring a plus one who the couple might not be close to but who will help them enjoy the wedding as much as possible.

I find it a bit odd that you are determined that there has to be one type of 'best' wedding.

I've been to a couple of very small weddings and they've both felt a bit awkward and full of small talk for the guests, despite being lovely for the couple.

It's exactly what we did. Church, Church Hall, bugger off to age appropriate evening entertainment or home.

But it was almost 25 years ago, we were students. Our guests were a real mishmash of old rural school friends, undergrads, very geeky mostly male postgrads and university staff from DHs research lab and elderly parents and grandparents.

At a £15000 hotel wedding with a dance floor and lots of lounge and bar areas to split off into it might have worked.

A band in the hall, which was all our budget stretched too it wouldn't have worked. Both sets of parents would have hated it, although watching DHs 'big bang' colleagues dance might have been fun.

In any case we got married in a beautiful tourist area with restaurants and nice pubs galore.

NorwaySpruce I'd like to meet someone in a suit of amour. Please tell me about them.

Hhhmmm. I think the best weddings are those which show some of the B&G's personality.

I'm confused by the local thing though. Which local church/register office should we have chosen? One where I grew up (and my family are based), one where DH grew up (but only his parents are based), or one where we live now. Not everyone lives "locally" to their friends and family.

I agree with WooWoo.

We are having a wedding breakfast after our vows around 2pm and then a bit of time to relax. A nice bouncy castle for the kids. Then a buffet for the evening and a disco.

We want our guests to enjoy themselves but mostly it'll never happen again so I want it to be special and personal to us.

Couple of work friends, couple of close friends/friends of the family but 80% will be family.

I can't wait :)

We used DH's because his family go to church, mine don't.

Had I used our local poky registry office I would have had to throw a disco for the whole of my small town. DHs small family would have been swamped and my lovely rural peer group would have been utterly by our academic geeky DFs.

This was long long before large numbers of people went to university. The guests really would have been from two utterly different worlds.

The best wedding is held in the garden of a sprawling Cape Cod cottage, overlooking the sea, with food and unlimited booze to follow.

No contest.

And it would have been my undergraduate friends and some of DHs postgrad DFs who felt uncomfortable (and my non drinking DDad).

By greeting married 5hrs away we got a beautiful church and a balanced guest list whith reasonably even numbers from my family and friends and DHs family friends and research mates-I used to spend a lot of time lurking in their lab too and got on with them very well.

M00n that's exactly what we did. Twas fab.

dashoflime, that sounds like our wedding

I just think planning a wedding should be fun. It's not always though.

My Pinterest wedding is amazing. been married 4 years

We went local as to where we live now. Much better!

Lots of my friends went local by going back to b or g hometown which felt slightly irrelevant to be honest.

Im agree with moon and adorabelle. I love abroad weddings and have never been to a uk one that is as good imo even though they are usually 10 x more expensive.

Yabu, there is no one best way of doing things

I've had a good time at all the weddings I've been to, especially if there's dancing.

I love all kinds - big, small, local, long haul. Am at a far away wedding now and met loads of lovely folk.

Just been to a wonderful wedding, my DD3. Lovely local register office, Beautiful sit down meal in local rowing club function room with a balcony with wonderful river views.

This was family and very close friends and then in the same lovely setting an evening reception with traditional buffet and disco. People danced the night away and had a brilliant time. The B&G had a wonderful time surrounded by people who they love.

The evening reception was a lovey part of a wonderful day and every had a great time.

Totally agree with you OP. Nice and simple and the focus on the marriage not on throwing some huge big expensive three day long bash that costs more than the deposit on a house.

Each to their own I suppose but in my opinion weddings nowadays are often just too long drawn out, way too expensive for the guests and ultimately boring. I would love to be invited to a wedding where I just had to attend a nice ceremony, a short reception and be back home or sitting in a nice restaurant with a couple of friends by 7pm. I think that's what weddings used to be like years ago, and I would definitely welcome a return to them

The best wedding is held in the garden of a sprawling Cape Cod cottage, overlooking the sea

Only if it's Martha's Vineyard. And one of you is American. And people haven't had to travel miles.

Just out of interest; how old are those of you who speak of "boogying"?

Local to who Cate? Bride or groom? Or bride or grooms family? Or bride or grooms friends?

Local meaning where people live now, or where they were born?

Too many variables.

Wasn't it traditional to get married in the Bride's home town at one time?

What's "local" though? Most of us have moved around and have friends all over the place. We had ours at our local registry but most of my closest friends had to fly to get here.