Im REALLY going to get married! Woohoo!!!! BUT HELP PLEASE!

[QueenVictoria]

Yay!

Its not a new engagement - he asked me Christmas about 8 years ago now! We kept putting off setting a date because of buying a house, and then not being too old to have kids etc etc which suited us both.

Anyway - we wanted to do it before DD went to school so we had the same surname and now we are.

The tough bit is that we have got a REALLY tight budget (nowhere near what the alleged national "average" cost of a wedding is). But we still want it to be a bit special (not just a slash and dash in gretna green affair).

We want:

A civil ceremony.
I would like to have a "traditional" dress though along with the bridesmaids dresses (although these i am hoping family members can make for us if we buy material).
The reception - it would be nice if we could have at least a small number of people for a sit down meal followed by buffet reception after.
A proper honeymoon (the traditional 5 day one is fine by us).?

Does ANYONE have any tips, ideas or suggestions for cost saving? Plus any nice (cheapish) UK honeymoon destinations?

TIA!

We did our whole wedding/honeymmon for about £2000....had register office then went for posh afternoon tea to local nice tearooms...didnt bother with a night do which actually turned out great as everyone stayed chatting into the evening....the next day we all went to the races and so invited all the people who we would have invited to a traditional night time do....told everyone not to buy us a present as we would rather they came to the races instead (people paid fro their own tickets and no-one minded). I did hire a double decker bus to take us there which cost £70.

Would defo recommend a non-standard venue...hotels just charge a fortune for receptions. Have been to a couple of nice village hall receptions one where they had a hog roast which was good and not too expensive.

Dress...i got from Monsoon, then mum made my feathery type headress using bits bought form habersahery, although she is good at such things. If you know someone who can make a dress for you then fab.

For favours what about packets of 'love heart' sweets...you could buy in bulk from a cash & carry.

Thanks essbee

Will check out Hitched.com - thanks Dinker.

Jayzmummy - any advice and help is more than welcome. I would love to be arty but am just so crap. I even f*ck up writing out xmas cards! My teachers at school wouldnt let me take art as a gcse option as it would have been a total waste .

Thats not far off our budget dudleycat so thats quite encouraging. Will check out moonsoon too as lots of people have mentioned it. Hope they do stuff in my size

queenvictoria

I think you're in North London, if you're interested a weeding shop in Wincmore Hill (N21) on the Green Lanes is havinga closing down sale!!

We had lots of maily and freinds who came and helped with all the arrangements. It was fun and it meant that everyone really got involved.

It did get slightly stressful at one point but that was more to do with breastfeeding a 10 weeek old baby etc. I even forgot to wear breastpads when I put on my wedding dress and she was crying as I walekd down the aisle - I had visions of squirting milk everywhere but miraculously I was OK. I had to laugh as by then it was too late to do anything!

Anyway - flowers wise we got loads from the garden greenery wise. A few freinds mums and freinds got to gether and helped make the table arrangements the night before - we kind of had a craft making night with everyone working on something. We all would have been to gether anyway and actually it helped me not get panicy as it gave me something to do!

My bouquet was very simple I had a bunch of 6 arum lilies bound with Ivory silk ribbon and some arum lily leaves.

Glad you liked the cottage - it was wonderfully romantic with log fires and an oil burner downstairs - very cosy and lovely. I think it belongs to the sports editor of the Guardian or someone like that.

Emma xxx

Oh excellent webmum - thank you so much - will see if i can have a look tomorrow.

Sharklet - im hoping i wont be needing breastpads by then. I am desperately trying to wean DS at the moment

I am looking for it to be a nice involved family get together thing. Im not after a big fancy thing (even if i had the money tbh). Im just hoping my mum will see it from my point of view (im an only daughter - have 3 brothers).

bump bump

bump! You still not married yet?

Want me to do your invites then?

That would save you some! Figure out when you are getting hitched and tell me where and when, I will do them on cardstock with some embellishments as long as it is after the cookbook is already at the printers.

Aww thanks sunchowder.

It will be after March 2006 so that would be great. (My DP wanted to around then but id rather hold off for a number of reasons, financial, planning, stress etc)

Well, offer is sincere, I can make them up and mail them, you would have to do the envelopes (if you don't get me the names and addresses), I can mail them to you and you would mail them out individually at home. Just ask.

Be cool to have your post mark on my invites

I think i will most probably ask you too - im so crap at that stuff and i cant think of anyone i know that is any good at it (that would want to). My cousin is v good at arty stuff but she is also getting married next year here in the uk (she lives in hong kong) so is going to v busy herself.

Will CAT you about it soon if thats ok?

Yes, CAT me, or direct at wread @ avaya.com any time during the day here. I meant that I would mail the package to you and you would have to mail them out, the postage would be lots to do it from here, no? Maybe not...anyway, take me up on it if you like--will be one of my good deeds for the year!

There are lots of Mums here on the Arts and Craft sites that do really good work too QV--we shouldn't leave them out, but I would be glad to do it for you.

i know - i was kidding (wouldnt have you sat there writing out so many addressess, and licking so many stamps . Or maybe............... )