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Original poster

Can I have your ideas on how a couple that have 3 dc and been together 20years could get married in a cheap,laidback but meaningful way

28 replies

MilaMae · 30/01/2009 20:41

V,v,v (zero if poss)small budget although the food and drink would be paid for.

Decent food and pretty location only stipulations,pref in Devon or Cornwall but open to anywhere within reason.

We're all out of ideas but the more laidback the better,zero stress.

Thanks

OP posts:
Lilyloo · 30/01/2009 20:42

Take 3 dc and do it alone ???

Stretch · 30/01/2009 20:45

Get married on your own. Next day hire out a room and have a party/celebration for family and friends.

Chatkins · 30/01/2009 20:45

we did ours for two grand - we got married in town hall, which luckily is a beautiful building with equally beautiful gardens for photos !

We hired local hall, with bar, for buffet and disco afterwards. Hired a clown and provided party bags for all the kids.

Made a cd compiled of all our guests favourite songs, (we had asked on the invites) and played that at disco.

Bil made our cake.

Hired mens suits, bought bridesmaids from monsoon, and did their hairs ourselves (simple buns with pretty head bands to match dress and shoes)

Cheapest car, cheapest photographer, but the best day ever ! Very laidback, very us, but everyone said it was the best wedding they had been to n ages.

CioccolataCalda · 30/01/2009 20:46

friend with a nice garden?
Just have a big barbeque or barn dance type of party then it's all really informal and far nicer than a stuffy big do.

Original poster
MilaMae · 30/01/2009 20:47

But what to do?? Just don't fancy reg office then coffee at Tescos which is what sil did

Not against reg office though. The only idea we had was a reg office wedding in France this summer(my family would be there on hols)then a meal in some outdoor restaurant. Don't think getting married in France is that easy though.

So thinking of something closer to home maybe.

OP posts:
Lilyloo · 30/01/2009 20:48

What about Gretna ?
Then party at home ?

Original poster
MilaMae · 30/01/2009 20:49

Thinking of something even smaller just close family ie parents and siblings and best friends. Chatkins yours sounded lovely.

OP posts:
whitenoise · 30/01/2009 20:52

we spent less that £1k on ours including all the food for buffet.

Civil ceremony and registrar were obviously prices we couldn't change (although we could have had reg office but didn't want that) ,

recepetion room hire was £75, Got lots of little cakes and a big french fancy for the wedding cake, no favours, did all food ourselves the day before

made our own cake toppers and balloons were a gift

DH is in a band so they played for a bit, friend is DJ so he did a turn (we did pay him but in small installments and beer!), my

dress was £28 from debehams sale, DH hired his but best man paid (was cheap anyway), boys suits from all over (cravat and waistcoat from next, shirts from asda, trousers they already had), my sister paid for her own bridesmaid dress.

had no official photographer, just a friend with a good eye(and decent camera!), had no cars, only invited the relatives and friends we had actually spoken to in the last year

erm what else...

made all invites and got inflatables for the children to play with at reception (guitars and mic's as DH musicians and i sing)

best day of my LIFE because we only included the things that meant something to us all

rolereversal · 30/01/2009 20:54

we got married in reg office 3 days after xmas. no photographer, friends took photos. Went to our local pub and had (prearranged) food and free bar for family and very close friends. we had a quiz and silly prizes!!

then had big fancy dress party at night and invited everyone we knew, wasnt really like a wedding, more like a reunion as loads of people there we hadnt seen in ages.

whitenoise · 30/01/2009 20:54

it can be done even cheaper

if you right a rough list of who would HAVE to come it will give you an idea of costs

whitenoise · 30/01/2009 20:55

write

Lizzzombie · 30/01/2009 20:58

Was chatting to a mate about her wedding this afternoon. They are getting married at a local posh school with a chapel. Its MILES cheaper than our local registry office and also than a normal church as its much smaller. As they are having the reception in the posh school also they are paying more obviously, but what they are getting is the school hall for the whole Friday & Saturday & Sunday + the chapel + free parking on the Saturday for X guests.
Their venue fees were well approx £700 and I am sure she said the chapel only bit was £250. Our local registry office is something crazy like £600 so this is quite a significant difference.
Have you searched on what places are registered to hold weddings in the vicinty of where you want to get married? Maybe you can find a quiet 'stately home' or a posh school in the summer holidays which would do you a discount rate? Unfortunately registry offices don't seem to be all that cheap these days.

Lizzzombie · 30/01/2009 21:00

rolereversal - I love the idea of a fancy dress party! What was your theme?

Heated · 30/01/2009 21:10

RHS Rosemoor

rydon inn are just two venues I found that claim reasonable prices and small scale.

Strangely a cheap alternative can be to get married in church (use church flowers or use the church ladies - very cheap) and hold the function in the attached church hall.

whitenoise · 30/01/2009 21:11

oh flowers .. we paid £15 in totoal for our flowers. That included all the "bumf" for button holes and ribbon to go round. My sis and i made them the night before the wedding

Original poster
MilaMae · 30/01/2009 21:27

As there'd only be siblings,parents and best friend it wouldn't be a party iykwim,this is what makes it tricky.

What to do to celebrate?

A bbq on our local beach would be my ideal thing but with our weather it's too risky for a wedding

OP posts:
TallulahToo · 30/01/2009 23:00

As a guest, the best ones we went to were in a town hall (two of these and both made a very grand impression) and a registry office followed by a pub on a friday afternoon.

Added romance was the one where they married late in the day and reception was cocktails / drinks (home made) at the town hall - Evening dress for everyone wasn't too expensive and very memorable.

Our own was the traditional way but very exhausting and not as relaxed.

Fairynufff · 31/01/2009 12:25

Just want to say congratulations to everyone on here that did it so well on the cheap and it sounds like they considered their guests too. I have to say they all sound lovely and far better than some of the self-indulgent, 'all about us' weddings that I been to that obviously cost a huge fortune, were in expensive hotels (so people couldn't afford the bar drinks) and you were just glad it was over at the end of the night.

CarGirl · 31/01/2009 12:35

Ours cost about 1k, married in the church I attend and used the hall there for meal (so free), catering, little alcohol (was daytime event), flowers £200 because I wasn't doing them myself, dress £75, 4 dds dresses were £50, dh suit £150 (he needed one anyway), friend took photos etc. There were about £50 of us.

Had I wanted fewer people I would have booked a small local restaurant and just gone there afterwards. In our local registry office the civil room is only for 6 so too small as you need 2 witnesses, and the larger room is about £350 on a Saturday so getting married in church was much cheaper!

ChippyMinton · 31/01/2009 12:42

You can get married in any registry office, so have a look at the council websites in the areas you are interested in and see what's available. Some of the civic buildings are lovely.

If you want the beach, what about booking a table at a beachside restaurant (Jamie Oliver's or somewhere), then if it's nice weather you can just carry on afterwards with a cooler of champagne and a campfire

We went to London and got hitched at Westminster Reg Office, then had a champagne tea at a posh hotel. Our 20 or so guests left at 6pm and took our DC with them, so DH and I could go out for a romantic dinner and stay in a hotel overnight. It was a lovely day. I tied my own bouquet with supermarket flowers and made DH's buttonhole.

ChippyMinton · 31/01/2009 12:51

restaurants by the sea

more

more here but old-ish review

rolereversal · 31/01/2009 12:51

lizzombie, sorry have been away. fancy dress theme was just famous people, and me and dh were cinderella and prince charming, so got to wear a big posh frock (got married in a trouser suit).

had a fab time, fancy dress loosens everyones inhibitions really quickly without the need for too much alcohol imo

rolereversal · 31/01/2009 12:59

bbq on the beach sounds fab, I think you should go with that, but have a plan b if the weather is against you, like your or someone elses house. There is only really rain that would put an end to it completely. If you get plenty of windbreaks and warm clothes ( I know its a wedding but this is Britain) almost any other weather is doable for a beach bbq.

Dont worry too much about it looking like a wedding or get caught up in what it all means. Its important to be with the people that mean something to you and to have a good time. It will be memorable for that

Original poster
MilaMae · 01/02/2009 16:30

Many thanks all,some lovely ideas,Chippy thanks for that link

You'd have thought after 20 years this would be easy to plan

OP posts:
drlove8 · 12/02/2009 12:53

run away to gretna green, (elope, its romantic) them come back and have a party in local pub! you can still have cake(but from tescos/asda decorate yourself) , get digital cameras and do your own photos, and go withthe supermarket flowers! can be bought on the day and rearanged and tied with ribbon to make bouquet and table flowers. plus you get to wear your dress/outfit twice!

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