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Original poster

Help me with my wedding :)

134 replies

Beccarollover · 21/06/2004 19:14

I got engaged in February and we are starting to look around at venues to set the date for late summer next year hopefully.

Thing is, we have two young children, just about to move house and no savings BUT really want to get married and I really want to have a big day surrounded by friends and family (as oppose to running off and eloping or going abroad)

After my initial investigations I felt really depressed about how much it was going to cost us and thought we wouldnt be able to do it.

Firstly any money saving tips from you guys would be great, secondly this is what Im thinking......

Get married on a Friday (does this cut costs?)
Go to registry office for actual ceremony
Take 40 daytime guests to a restaurant for nice meal
Have evening reception at lovely venue
for about 150

Im thinking that this should be a way of still getting the kind of venue I want (but cant afford for the whole caboodle) - what do you think???

OP posts:
codswallop · 21/06/2004 19:23

yes yes yes
save as much as oyu can

think 40 for a meal is a lot.. cant you cut it down?

carla · 21/06/2004 19:25

If you're really set on a registry office, this will be no help. We got married at harvest festival time, and church was beautifully decked out with autumnal colours. Though in our case we added to them ... but you don't have to!

lavender1 · 21/06/2004 19:26

Congratulations Beccarollover

tbh I don't know how much restaurants, and hotels cost as we did something different.

Do you have any family relations in the military?? We got married this way and had our reception at a mess, which not only was very reasonable, but we had silver service waiters and it was like a hotel but a lot lot cheaper (and just as nice) all our guests really enjoyed themselves and there were no problems whatsoever...we even managed to get the cake and photographer at a reduced rate..

It's nearly 11 years ago but the whole reception, including food, hire of venue, cake, photographer was under £1000 and we had about 40 guests (it might be more expensive now, but well worth asking your relatives if they know anyone with military connections as it is a lot cheaper if you are on a budget)....if you need any information please feel free to e-mail me Hope you get some positive response to this question

carla · 21/06/2004 19:26

Hire a van to go to Calais for the champers/booze?

codswallop · 21/06/2004 19:27

what about sunday as well? my parents put this to me and I said no
no idea why?

also no car do own invitations and cake and eget your step moster to organise women to do flowers.

Booze cruise to france for do - people wil only remember it for access to booze!

carla · 21/06/2004 19:27

Another very clever thing my pal did last year .. forget the photographer and get two close, creative and responsible friends to do the piccys.

codswallop · 21/06/2004 19:29

oh deffo expecialaly as you hardly have any up a unless you are really sad

codswallop · 21/06/2004 19:29

cake from m a nd s

carla · 21/06/2004 19:31

Any local private/state schools with dining halls open to guests on Friday/Saturday? Ours was lovely, and the florist continued the harvest festival theme by putting swags of hops around the pillars. Ooooh ... you've got me going now! What sort of time of year/theme had you in mind?

codswallop · 21/06/2004 19:31

heres your cake here

carla · 21/06/2004 19:35

We had waitress' with children allowed, but loads of the wedding's we've been to in the last couple of years have been buffet with no children (tho' personally I'm not sure I'm up for the no kids bit).

codswallop · 21/06/2004 19:37

hmm I thought thta too recently but now quite nice to leave kids elswhere
I wonder if these people who do that will cringe when they have their own kids!

froot · 21/06/2004 19:39

message withdrawn

carla · 21/06/2004 19:39

Promise I'll stop here ... but DH's nephew got married last year, in Portsmouth, and they both made the most gorgeous 'must be from John Lewis' invitation cards I've ever seen themselves. They were on cream card, with a little bit of parchment in the middle, followed by a little bit of string in that which was some sort of lovers/nautical knot. They were gorgeous. Contact those cardmakers out there for more ideas!

Original poster
Beccarollover · 21/06/2004 19:44

Thanks - this is all great

I want to find somewhere I can hire in my own caterers as the venues prices are always ridiculous

Here are a few of the venues im considering

Eshott Hall
Dissington Hall
Linden Hall

OP posts:
Flip · 21/06/2004 19:46

Mine was a cheap affair because we'd only just moved into our house and I found out just after setting the date I was pregnant with ds1.

We got married at my dad's church where he's an elder and we made a donation. The photo's were done proffesionaly but I've look at them twice since and we've been married nearly six years.

We had the reception in the ballroom of the town hall and it cost £150 for the room and another £80 for a DJ. We had a gorgeous buffet afternoon tea which people still rave about and that cost £350 for a hundred people. Then for supper we had lancashire hotpot with mushy peas. People were going back for seconds and thirds. My grandma and aunty made it and that was their wedding gift. My brother-in-law is a chef and he made a four tier cake with all the trimmings and that was his gift. dh's mum and dad paid for the buffet and his mum made the pageboys waistcoats. My mum and dad paid for the flowers, car and hall. I paid for the dj and dresses.

It's was a wonderful day and I'm going all mushy thinking about it. Shame footies on.

Hulababy · 21/06/2004 19:50

You could have a late wedding and then just one reception, rather than meal and evening reception? Our ceremony was at 3pm and we then just went to the hotel afterwards, asking others to get there when they wanted but officially from about 5:30pm - those living close by had time to go home and refresh, those staying in town had time to go and check in, etc.

Also, rather than having a huge meal, why not go for a big, lovely buffet instead? Often the meals when mass produed like for weddings are not that great inquality and are very expensive for what you get. We went for a much simpler buffet and everyone said how nice the food was. You could still have it sit down, with seating plans if you wished for a buffet.

Have to say that I much prefer the children welcome policy for a wedding. IMO weddings are family affairs more than anything else, and children play a huge part in most families. Can also be a nightmare logisitcally anyway. Family guests with children may struggle for baby sitters - as rest of family are at wedding too!

codswallop · 21/06/2004 19:57

ditto Hula
I got married at4pm, and had one party. think5 pm is hte latest you can marry, menas people cant travel too

buffet ( wiht table plan tho) and then they al got lost at 11 ish

think hiring somewhere and providing booze s bedt

codswallop · 21/06/2004 19:58

yes I got married at the Guildhall here - town hall type palce glitzy and chandeliers and really cheap

codswallop · 21/06/2004 19:59

here

codswallop · 21/06/2004 19:59

look at the wedding prices so you can compare

Original poster
Beccarollover · 21/06/2004 20:08

coddy that looks lovely - I wonder what Newcastle's equivalent is?? Popsy??

OP posts:
Original poster
Beccarollover · 21/06/2004 20:10

So girls....

Can I be so bold as to ask how much your weddings cost????

OP posts:
popsycal · 21/06/2004 20:11

becca - i have visited all the places in your list and all are gorgeous but EXPENSIVE!!!

Original poster
Beccarollover · 21/06/2004 20:12

Even for an evening wedding ?! How much would I be looking at for 3pm ceremony then nibbly bits and champagne for the ceremony guests then nice buffet for everyone in the evening?

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