Best wedding you've been to?

[sarsums]

I am starting to plan my (sorry, our!) wedding which is next June in Ireland. I would be very interested to hear people's opinions on the best or worst weddings they have been to. We want everyone to have as brilliant a time as possible, so here are my prioities:

• plenty of free/cheap booze
• good music........tradional irish dancing music, then a dj
• lots of non-faffy food (buffet, then wedding cake for pudding)
• not too far for people to travel between church, reception and home/hotels

The worst wedding I have been to had a very expensive bar and was about 20 minles away from anywhere.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!!

kinderBOOsurprise - I live in the south and every wedding I've ever been to had a free bar for the main 'do'. Some had a paying bar in the evening.

I grew up in Somerset- free drinks with the meal provided but I have never been to one with a free abr. Noa ctually thats wrong- at my sisters my dad got pissed and told everyone the drinks were on him (not a good idea with his family) and the por FIL ended up having to meet the bill!

Shall I say, I have never been to a wedding with an INTENTIONALLY free bar!

Thanks Peachy, leanr something new every day

Thanks everyone for all your ideas of what makes a good wedding! We've lots of people coming who will be flying over to Ireland (Trinadad, Canada, and England) so we want to make it an 'occasion' but without being too formal. I think the general consensus is to keep it fun and unpretentious, with plenty of drink, food and music. And definately short speeches. I've been hearing about the family politics of my dp - aunties not speaking etc, so the seating planning is going to be fun!!!

sarsums, don't plan the seating, let them decide where to sit....just reserve a big table for you and immediate wedding party and let them have a free-for-all!

Don't think you'll have a problem having a good wedding in Ireland. I've never been to a bad one! Make sure you do the Siege of Ennis and Shoe the Donkey (mad Irish dances) which get everyone up and mixing together. Hope you have a wonderful time.

Best one I've been to was a civil partnership at Brighton Town Hall. 12 guests only (family & very close friends), a straightforward ceremony, then a stroll to the beach for a ride on the merry go round followed by fish & chips and cava. The couple then inveted us all back for tea, cakes & cucumber sandwiches at their flat, & made a speech each, which we toasted with whatever booze people had brought with them. Down the pub in the evening for the hardcore & anyone else who wanted to celebrate. It was lovely, and felt very genuine, if that makes sense - probably due to not being over-choroegraphed or remotely ostentatious.