To think its near on impossible to have a cheap wedding?

[DownUnderBound]

In our many years and dc together we have actually booked and cancelled two weddings packages! Each time turned into a circus, with everyone else thinking it was all about them, and taking over, moaning & making us feel guilty over small guestlists etc.(not inviting second cousins we literally dont even know) I have a feeling of its now or never, not getting any younger! But a googling session tonight has confirmed that it cannot be done! Am I wrong? Any tips?

Registry with close friends and family, back to house or pub for food/buffet and buzz off on holiday for a week.
Cheap as chips

12 grand for one sodding day is just bloody bonkers imo

OP we did that with the booze- each week we brought a bottle of something fizzy- Proscecco, cava, whatever- and a spirit and mixer. Each weekly shop for about 8 months. If there was a special offer (ie Christmas fizzy stuff goes on offer) we brought a bit more. Worked really well, we hardly noticed the cost of the booze.

I would recommend the Waitrose buffet service. We used them and they threw in free glass hire.

Our wedding cost £1500 total- including dress, suit, registry office, dinner for 50 guests in a nice restaurant, buffet and booze at home and a mini moon afterwards to a spa for a couple of nights.

My DH and I got married and set a budget of £1100 and we spent a total of £950.
I had the white wedding dress 2 bridesmaids and reception afterwards we had a wedding car and photographer (my best friend who does photography as a hobby) we did the catering ourselves and the only major expense was the disco. everyone still says our wedding was one of the best they had attended! And we did it all in 10 weeks.
It can be done if you set your mind to it!!

£2k on a dress Our whole wedding cost less than that!

Good point about kids activities - I raided charity shops for kids books, and bought off eBay some paper windmills and a box of those polystyrene aeroplanes you get in stockings or party bags. Those went down well with the grown ups too....

Pick flowers urself.put in jam jars on tables in garden with gazebo.big rugs? Candles dotted all bout.then huge picnic,big batch pasta bakes,BBQ,sandwhiches,lasagnes.in laws help with this?burn own wedding cd.
Diy photo booth with print out masks etc for funny ones.
Put digi camera on table fr anyone to pick and shoot throughout day.buy big notebook fr all to sign,write message doodle in fr u.
Fairy lights.old sheets over chairs.

I don't know much about English weddings, I do know it can be done as nothing is impossible.

I've seen really basic/cheap weddings on TV (don't know how realistic they are?) But a lovely ceremony on the beach like in Home and Away? Sounds delightful. But obviously in the UK it's not like that -_-

I have a friend who did everything really cheap, yet it was so sophisticated, as she only did handmade vintage stuff herself, like dress, jewellery, etc.

I think it depends mostly on the guest list and food tbh?

Good Luck!

I think going slightly vintage is a great idea Butterflies - back to the days before weddings became so over complicated and expensive.
For example in the 20's my DGranny had a simple wedding in the church over the road and a summer garden party back at their house.
I think I'd try to replicate something like that if you or anyone in the family has a suitable garden?
Providing your own venue - or say hiring a village hall - and the food and drink, means you can't get ripped off in the same way.