Does anybody regret getting married at a registry office?

[Whatagreytdoggo]

We've only been engaged a couple of weeks, (together for 7 years.) But we've been looking at wedding venues near us to get an idea of price and we've realised it's going to take us many many years to save up for the kind of 'proper' wedding day everyone dreams of.
We've found a lovely register office, but it's still just a building on a main road and obviously not a big pretty venue with a lovely outdoor space.
Part of me (I think most of me) feels like I want to be married more than I want a wedding, but theres a part that feels a bit like I'd be missing out and what if I look back at our day at regret it? We're so torn and don't know what to do. :(

No regrets at all, 30 years this year. We got married with just 2 witnesses, no flowers, etc. I bought a cream dress suit off the market for £15 and got my hair done and that was it! I hate fuss and just wanted to be married.

I do regret it. In fact I still see it as one of the saddest days of my life but becaude I really wanted the "big wedding". I divorced 7 years later. After thinking about it, I don't want to get married as much as the wedding. I don't think a piece of paper defines us as a couple.

No, not in the least. We did it with two witnesses, then took them for a beautiful lunch afterwards, and it was lovely -- we've been together for 28 years. I'm not sure we even took any photographs, to be honest. If so, I have no idea where they are.

And as I think a pp said, if not on this thread then on another recent one, all wedding photographs look fairly silly after time passes and fashions change, and you scream every time you see your giant Princess Diana-style number, or the inevitable strapless fishtail everyone seemed to have at one point.

We married 4 years ago in a registry office with just our mums. I don't regret it.

Our "reception" was a bbq in my mum's back garden! We had 4 gazebos, fairy lights, 4 tables, it was all decorated and freshly painted and with flowers etc. I don't know what my mum spent on doing her garden up but it was so pretty.

Our wedding cost around £800 (registry office, food, alcohol, clothes) and i had a proper dress from Ebay which i sold on for the same price after!

It even rained and i still had a lovely day. It was so relaxed. We don't like to be center of attention so it was perfect for us.

Our children were 2 and 3 at the time so don't actually remember it. They don't care that they didn't see us get married, they just liked the cake!! They did have proper wedding outfits though!

No regrets at all. But we did have a VERY tiny wedding, just us and parents so I think just 6 of us would look pretty silly in a church!

But it was great, really relaxed, no stress and we went out for a meal afterwards. A lovely day!

I got married in a register office. You’re only there about half an hour!

I don’t regret it. (I do regret getting married!)

Thanks everyone! You're right @LizzieSiddal, I can't wait to be married to my Fiancé, sooner the better! All the posts on here have swayed me in favour of the registry office and being married sooner, rather than waiting years for pretty much the same thing, just with worse food 😂

You don't usually have to get married in your local one? I think you get to choose, so maybe have a look around and see if there is one you'd prefer. Most registrars can marry you in other locations, but think can cost a lot more.

You can always get photos taken elsewhere. The most important thing is to have it how you want it, not what a magazine/a friend/your mum/sister/hairdresser think you should have. Sometimes it can be hard to nail down what you both actually want or would be happy with. Some of the registry offices look like boring buildings but are actually beautiful inside as well, so worth asking.

I did & hated it. We were only 22 had no money & no parents to pay towards a wedding. I didn’t even have a wedding dress, honeymoon or reception.I cried when we got home as I didn’t feel married.
My in-laws paid for brother in law’s both weddings, presents & furniture. Also baby items when they had kids. We got nothing. I’ve no idea why. My parents died when I was a baby.

We had a reaffirmation 8 years afterwards just us in a beach in Australia, I hired my dress & we had s co ordinater organise it. We wrote our own vows & had a champagne picnic afterwards. I didn’t even know until the day before what dress I was wearing, I have beautiful photos & memories now and k think of that as my wedding day.

I got married (2 weeks ago!) at a registry office and it was perfect. We had pictures taken in the church grounds next door and then went to a local pub for champagne and lunch. It was absolutely perfect for us. But I never wanted a big wedding to begin with