To want a small wedding, cheap and cheerful. But meaningful

[Ihaterapmusic]

So been engaged some time now.
Each time we talk a setting a date it comes Down to expenses..
However the more I think about it, the more I feel like we'd just be paying for everyone else's entertainment so to speak.

I personally am fairly 'plain' don't like fuss etc. ( the thought of a posh dress trashes me lol).
Originally dp and I said church. Big do after with a singer then disco for about 200 guests

Since that and the more I think of it the amount of guests in that to be honest I feel are ' users' or just mates rather than Friends.
So my thinking Is to make it more low key

I personally would be happy with a registry office, and a small do. Can still do the singer then disco. Which would involve purely close family and friends rather than extended family, mates from over the years etc

So tempted to suggest this to dp.

Wonder what kind of budget it could be done on bearing in mind. I know a cake maker, a dj, a photographer who will all do good rates for us. What expenses that would be large would there be left.?

I got married 2 weeks ago. 12 of us in an intimate church ceremony, nice restaurant after and it was fabulous!
About £1000 all in (restaurant was Michelin star), so special and personal.
I highly recommend it!

Aww congratulations 🎊 sounds perfect xx

Sounds perfect to me! My daughter and SIL married 5 years ago, and that was a very low key affair, much the along the same lines as you described. They wanted to 'be' married, rather than 'get' married which I thought was a nice distinction. Enjoy your day!

Small weddings used to be the norm. Mine, most of my friends (20+ years ago) were modest sized but lots of fun. I remember shopping with a friend for her wedding dress, finding it on a sale rack for a tenner - it looked fab.
Invite your ACTUAL friends & immediate family & choose a low key spot for after the wedding, which still can be in a church ( tho then there tend to be flowers, which can cost.) If you are not religious, skip church -focus on a fun reception, not a show-off one.

I’m eloping in April. Google Crear wee weddings

One of the best weddings I have ever been to involved the bride, groom, best man, bridesmaid (me!) my DC and DM, who was looking after DC. We went to a restaurant at a hotel afterwards and it was fabulous.

There were 5 of us when we were married my mum and dad and his mum, a meal after then a walk around the park. We even took our own photos. Best wedding I've ever been to

I think a few grand would cover that?

We had a registry office/village hall wedding and it cost about 1.5, which included food (cake, sandwiches and hog roast) and drink (lots of bottles for a free bar) we provided but that didn't include dj (we used iTunes and bought our own lights), professional cake or photographer.

I got married seven weeks ago today! 20 of us, only parents, siblings and their children.
Lovely sit down meal, followed by a party with only friends we have seen in the last year. Did my flowers myself too.
Had a perfect day. I enjoyed planning a small wedding (had a big one first time round) much more special. X

Ours was about £1000, most of which was church and food with a it to cover the singer friend’s expenses. Drink, flowers, cake, invitations were all gifts from friends and family. We walked (so no cars), made our clothes.

Basically cut out the fluff and kept it cheap, simple and perfect for us.

We got married in Cuba! We didn't expect any one to come but actually quite a few did and they paid for them selfs. Wedding was £500 on top of holiday cost

For about 2k we're having a small wedding. The ceremony is registry office , our photographer is booked for 3 hrs only and we've only booked a car for ourselves. We're then off to a restaurant for an early dinner of various Italian foods and cheesecake for dessert. There will be 12 of us including guests.

I made the flowers and buttonholes and our clothes are simple but classic vintage style outfits.

If you're in London I could recommend a photographer.

Fwiw we've found it far easier to plan what we want and keep it simple instead of pleasing many other people and losing ourselves in the process.

Oh and if you have a weekday wedding you can save money on cars and photographers etc.

Firenight, yes we drove ourselves, so we didn't have cars. Ours cost @2000 for everything including our children's dresses. My something old was my favourite high heels!

Sorry just seen that you know a photographer.

We did similar. Weekday registry office was us, our 3 DC and their partners plus DGS1, DH's dad and my sister. We went for a chinese afterwards. My dress was £60 in Jaques Vert's sale and DH's suit came from Matalan.

The following Saturday we had a party at a local social club. Next door neighbour made our cake as our wedding present from them, did the buffet myself with help from a few mates to set it out and clear up afterwards, hired a DJ who was a friend of a friend. We invited pretty much everyone we could think of, and about 180 turned up on the night. It was a fantastic celebration and the whole thing cost us less than £1000.

It was also very "us", we're not the type for fancy formal dos with speeches etc,

We had church wedding (donation as not C of E) with buffet in back room then we went off on honeymoon. 59 guests cost £1k, no photography as couldn't afford it. Still in touch with everyone 10 years on!

We went to a potluck wedding recently. It was lovely.

No photographer but they asked people to upload the pictures they took, then the bride made a lovely album from her favourites.

Not at all - have the wedding you want.

We got married at a registry office with 2 witnesses. Had a party at a local pub with friends and family when we came back from our honeymoon (a quite ordinary self-catering holiday, which we enjoyed nonetheless!).

Go for it. We spent £1500 in total including the cost of getting my passport changed because DH foolishly booked the flights in my married name, not realising this meant I'd have to get my passport changed!

We had 14 guests, photos in a little park, meal at a restaurant, then went off to sleep, it had been a long day, before going away for a few days. It was just what we wanted. We were on a budget but still wouldn't have had a big fuss.

@MagicFajita what photographer did you use if you don't mind x

Everyone that went out after wards for meal (this sound stupid) did you were your wedding dress/outfit too there. Very interested in this thread me and partner have been engaged for a long time now but haven't

Got round to the whole "wedding planning" we want a low-key affair too, few witness me and partner our kids probably no family as no one gets on (just want a stress free day and to be married.) want to do on a very small budget but have the best day thinking registery office few people there take own photos etc have a meal somewhere nice with a few close people then go out after etc as can't afford to just take off abroad.

It's so stressful! :(

My ex-sister-in-law got marrried a few years ago. Low key, small budget. I.e made the table centres out of jam jars etc. Instead of paying for seating out side she used hay bales! And do you know what- it was the best wedding we've been to because it was so relaxed.

Oh and she had a hot and cold buffet done by a friend for the reception and a hog roast for the evening. Bloody loved it!