Small weddings

[carol1234568]

We have been engaged since last year but haven't planned or booked the wedding yet.

We want to buy a house soon so not keen on spending a fortune on the wedding, but we also don't want to wait years to tie the knot.

we are thinking about a registry office wedding with a few family members which would cost about £300 for the ceremony. In terms of the thing after, I'm thinking about a private dining lunch at a hotel or even afternoon tea. We would only have 10 people, max.

Has anyone else had a small wedding and did you regret it? What did you do for the reception?

I think small weddings are lovely. I think big weddings are mostly a waste of money. I can understand wanting to celebrate with those nearest and dearest but it becomes a circus very quickly. It's a lovely idea to have a small wedding with only the people closest to you. My best friend did this and they had a lovely time and no stress, no debt and they bought a house instead. At most weddings the bride and groom don't even get a chance to see or talk to any of the guests! go out to dinner somewhere nice afterwards, maybe somewhere with a private room, and then after dinner head out on a night out maybe with some fun and dancing and you can ask other friends to meet you out and share a drink. Congratulations!

DP and I got married with two friends there as witnesses. It was a short ceremony. We went for a meal afterwards. Our first idea was actually a small remote wedding venue in Scotland where you basically buy in a couple of locals to be witnesses (nice gig if you can get it btw). But even that was too much of a faff when it was the actual marriage that was the important thing.

We did do a bigger event a year later when we had time to save and plan for a relatively small party at a local golf club.

It depends on what you want. If you want the entire spend a fortune on a dress to be worn for a few hours type thing then you might regret it. But its stressful doing a full on wedding.

We had under 20 people at ours, essentially our close family came to a 5 course meal in a stately home, we paid for everything (inc all booze) and stayed for two nights, I wore an outfit I loved and still love and wear to this day. No regrets at all as I don't like hosting parties!

Actually I regret not bringing the dog but it wouldn't have been any fun for him as he'd have been cooped up most of the day.

My SIL had a great small wedding. Registry office, then we all walked back through the park to their house where we had prosecco and canapés in the garden. Some people stayed on into the evening and they ordered pizza while the elderly and those with little kids left....
felt really relaxed and easy.

Yes we got married on holiday in Vegas, with our 5 closest family members. After the ceremony we had a very nice hotel suite with a spectacular view, catered with a waiter

My aunt had a small registry office wedding and then booked a table for us at a nice Italian restaurant for afterwards. I think there were about 15 people + B&G, all family except for one couple who were their closest friends. It was lovely and everyone had a lovely time.

DP and I are doing this next year. Nine people (including us). Registry office and then on to private dining in a hotel. We are still having transport and cake and suit and dress. Dad is taking pictures and erm, thats it really. On a Monday but everyone coming is retired, only people that aren't are bil/sil and us. Dp is not on shift that day, neither is bil. I have booked time off, and sil said she might not come another thread

Had a small wedding. It was lovely. We put a lot of thought in to it. I think the only regret I have is that I didn't have a wedding dress. Everything else was perfect.

I went to one where, as a guest, I was one of 11 people, incl B&G. It wouldn't be for me, I have more people than I'm close to than that, that I wanted to share the day with, but it was a nice occasion, and, if it was what they wanted then that makes it lovely in itself. It's going to depend on who you have in your family, or 'close circle' of friends that you want to share it with. If it is 10 people, then it sounds perfect.

We had a register office ceremony with about 25 of us. Then a nice meal and speeches for that 25 in a lovely pub. Then the evening do for all comers in the evening with money behind the bar to get things going, casino tables, buffet and dancing. About 4K all together I think, great day.

Small wedding. No regrets at all.

16 of us at ours for registry office, afternoon buffet, then Indian meal in the night. Photographs were taken by guests on mobile phones. One person did have a proper camera. We paid for everything. Best thing we ever did!

We got married at the registry office with both sets of parents present, the best man and his wife and that was it. Big circus the following day with a church blessing followed by reception. Almost 25 years on, the tiny registry office do is the memory I cherish most, we had a lovely relaxed time. And I found it surprisingly emotional and it was much easier to deal with just 6 other people there rather than a church full. Very few people from the 100 odd that came to the big reception that are either still alive or we are still in touch with.

Have your lovely little intimate registry office wedding, I don't think you'll regret it.

Oh tiny wedding reception was out to a slap up lunch within walking distance of the registry office.

My sister had a church wedding for 15 with a late lunch in the conservatory of a small, and beautiful, country pub. It was back to their cottage for drinks and nibbles that evening.
It really was a perfect day. My DSis and BIL decided it would have to be 150 or tiny, otherwise there are inevitably those who are offended by not being invited and, due to running their own businesses, felt they couldn't afford to upset people.
I think they made the correct choice. Have a lovely wedding carol

I get married in a few weeks...just the 2 of us at Registry while we're on holiday for a week together...we can't wait!x

We did what you're planning, 10 people then a (fancy, private dining room) pub lunch, but added on a fairly casual party in the rugby club afterwards for the people we couldn't invite to the ceremony. It was great.

My brother in law had a great wedding - 12 people in a gorgeous church then walking a short distance to a beautiful hotel for a sit down meal. As far as I know, no regrets from anyone, it was fab.

I got married in December, there were 12 of us at the ceremony and 8 for lunch afterwards. Was a lovely day, lunch was at a Michelin star restaurant so was very special.
If I had my chance again I’d do it exactly the same way.

The nicest wedding I ever went to was my sister's. About 10 people at the register office, photos down by the river (one taken by a stranger that had all of us in it) followed by pub lunch. Brilliant!

Yes, we just got married, after 16 years and two kids. Register office, followed by lunch in a pub, 25 guests. Then a few back to our place for a jam session (singing and guitars) It was fab

We had a fairly small wedding of 25 guests at the church at the end of our road and had a reception at a nearby Indian restaurant. I really enjoyed it and wouldn't want to have done anything differently.

We arranged ours in less than a week. 9 of us at the registry office, followed by lunch at a lovely restaurant with a wedding cake. No wedding dress as we were putting all our money into building a house. 36 years later we’re still living in the house we built although it looks a little different! It really doesn’t matter where you get married - it’s one day.

We had just immediate family and very close friends (35 people but that’s because there are lots of brothers, sisters, nephews and nieces). It was wonderful.

Have a look at your council website at their wedding venues... ours was a town hall that is actually stunning with a lovely atmosphere to it, but because it was through the council the wedding only cost £300ish including registrar.

For after we had booked the room above our favourite pub. We paid for dinner for everyone, and put some money behind the bar for drinks (once it was gone it was gone). But the pub didn’t charge a hire fee, they just have a minimum spend. In the evening we had a few other friends join us and the minimum spend was reached no problem. Music was iPod playlist through their speakers . I made a few decorations. We did splash out on a photographer which was our single biggest expense but we didn’t spend much at all in total (and could have spent even less).

Go for it OP. You absolutely CAN have a lovely wedding on a small budget. You will be married and that will feel wonderful.

One of the best things about our small wedding was that I genuinely felt that I had spent time with each and every person there.

My son married early last year. Very small registry office affair followed by dinner in a private room at local posh place. Fifteen people in total attended. It was lovely and exactly what they both wanted. If it's what you both want them just do it. Don't be swayed into something that you don't really want.