Tell me about your wedding

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I recently got engaged and have absolutely NO idea what sort of wedding I would like.

I'm quite socially awkward (unless I've had a coffee or a couple of drinks) and despise being in front of a load of people and speaking in front of others.

So I though in an ideal world, I would probably go abroad with my kids and come back married. But there is a part of me thinking would I feel it was special enough? Or deep down would I actually like a slightly more formal wedding.

My partner is very outgoing, very confident and very close with all of his family. He would definitely rather a larger wedding in front of everyone.

I guess it would have to be somewhere in the middle!

Give me your ideas and tell me all about your weddings! Thanks.

And did you have kids there?

I would obviously want my own kids there as bridesmaids but they would probably get bored without friends.

All of our friends have children too (and the kids all get along great) so could potentially all come along, but then annoying for the parents in the evening because they can't get drunk?

We got married here https://www.lakedistrictcountryhotels.co.uk/cragwood-hotel/weddings/just-us

In the garden, by the shore of the lake. No guests. It was absolutely glorious! We stayed for 5 days and it was absolutely perfect. We didn’t have any DC then so no kids, but there easily could be.

Registry office, 14 guests (immediate family, my grandparents, his nephews).

Lunch in a restaurant. All over by 3pm.

We did a registry office wedding with both parents and 2 friends followed by a nice lunch. I couldn't have stood up in a church and said the vows without bursting into tears.

You could always have a party afterwards, maybe an afternoon one so easy for children if you wanted to?

Then go abroad and get married and come home to a huge party - no spotlight for you.
Play the wedding video and pictures as part of the entertainment.

@Itsanotherhreatday great idea!! Love everyone's wedding stories!

We got married on our local beach at what we call our tree, it was a beautiful day and we just had close family and a few friends. 💕

We've just come back from getting married in Thailand! Was just us & our dd as bridesmaid. We had a beautiful sunset ceremony, just the 3 of us.
Absolutely loved it ❤️

Went abroad. Close family only, got married at 1pm, walked to a tiny courtyard, lunch and drinks, and back to hotel in the evening. Bliss.

Big party back at home for friends etc, wore dress again, was fun but would have made it less receptiony if I did it again.

can you borrow a coronavirus screen type thing and have him on one side of the church with his family and you on the other side?

We had 2 mandatory witnesses (one each) and that was too much for me. I'd have preferred strangers we didn't know but dh insisted.

We eloped without our kids. We then had a party when we got back, was about 6 weeks after due to covid restrictions! Was perfect for us.

We got married in our local church and had a reception in our back garden. We had a tipi and catering company for food. We had afternoon tea as the wedding breakfast and a BBQ in the evening. Due to COVID restrictions we only had family and closest friends, which was lovely, very intimate atmosphere. If I was to do it again, I would do exactly the same.

It was big. Big white wedding in our local country church followed by a marquee reception on our land. 120 guests to the day and a further 250ish to the evening. We did it all really, live band for the earlier part of the evening, DJ til 4am, 5 adult bridesmaids, 5 ushers (plus best man, of course), 4 flower girls and 2 page boys, lots of lawn games and croquet outside the marquee etc. I wouldn’t have changed a thing, and still wouldn’t. It was the perfect day and so much fun!
We did invite friends children, some chose to bring them, some didn’t.
A friend of mine got married recently and seemed to have the same misgivings as you. They compromised on a small intimate ceremony for immediate family only followed by a nice pub for lunch on, say, a Friday, and a big party in a village hall on the following Saturday night, for wider family and friends. A version of that may work for you?

We had a church wedding in a little village then a reception at a local barn which we had decorated with fairy lights. Our meal was paella and salads which was cooked on huge pans (it works out pretty cheap per head) and people went up themselves we had games outside and a band in the evening.
Had 100 in total only children were family (but most of our friends didn't have children at this point!)

Mine was a long time ago - not huge, but I'd have it even smaller now, ditch most of the relatives and just invite close friends.
We didn't have an "evening do" because they weren't really a thing then, bu vI'm so glad because they can so often be naff/tacky. Spend your money on a really good meal, for fewer people.