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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

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Original poster

Getting married but wanna do it on budget any ideas

79 replies

aaliyahsmum · 23/05/2005 17:40

Me and dp decided yesterday that we wanted to get married and we want to do it as soon as but i would like to do it on a budget so any ideas on what we need, shouldnt bother with, and must haves because i am at a loss of what to get

OP posts:

acnebride · 24/05/2005 20:42

Are you having a honeymoon? I'd say fix the date around this as e.g. if you picked a school holiday wedding date travel wd be more expensive.

Consider a 'bring and share' meal - ask guests to bring a main course, pudding or salad (i.e. you suggest which one to bring). I didn't do this but a friend of mine did and it was lovely - all homemade food, better than most caterers.

At one family wedding my sister made chocolate truffles for the couple instead of wedding cake.

Handwrite your invitations, but only do this if you know for sure how many people you're inviting - I started by handwriting 35 and ended up doing 65 of the s*dding things.

Wedding dresses are a real, real buyer's market if you would consider a second hand one. You see loads not selling for ages, and they are all utterly gorgeous. Just to say I'm CATing you with details of the dress I wore which I wd be delighted for you to wear.

floppsy · 24/05/2005 20:54

just had to post,i got married last year and am the same size as you,thinking of selling my dress if your interseted.It's ivory with detailed bodice in a princess style(which hides all the lumps and bumps)it has a long train,also have size 7 shoes tiara and veil.What age are the bridesmaid because i also have 2 lovely flowergirl dresses age 2 and 8,they have deep red bodices with ivory skirt.if your interested i want £350 for the lot.

almostanangel · 25/05/2005 10:09

sob sob

Lizzylou · 25/05/2005 10:49

We too had a later wedding and so only had a banquet type meal for 120...no buffet needed, we also had a fab white choc truffle wedding cake which we used for the dessert...people still talk about how scrummy it was 2 1/2 years on...
We only had one car, which cost £120 (we got married in a country house hotel, so was only needed for me and bridemaids)..........

Original poster

aaliyahsmum · 25/05/2005 11:28

Almostan angel will most def be wearing the dress you sent

MESSENGE TO ALL MUMSNETTERS THIS LADY IS TRUELY AMAZING
I started this post on monday and almostanangel has been absolutly great, she sent me a absolutly fabulous dress and has given me so many ideas and so much advise she is a complete angel
THANK YOU SO MUCH

OP posts:

almostanangel · 25/05/2005 12:27

oh sob sob wheres my tissues? only joking you just enjoy it and remember its your and his day not everybodyelse so dont try to please everyone ok?

lilibet · 25/05/2005 12:37

Don't get married on a Saturday - you can get big discounts for Friday Sunday weddings - we did!

Original poster

aaliyahsmum · 25/05/2005 12:40

when my bro and sis was sorting out their weddings everyone seemed to butt in but i think that was cos they lived close together but as i have moved miles away it will be what we want or tough dont come.
i just hope ian is up for what i like lol

OP posts:

almostanangel · 25/05/2005 12:56

if hes a normal man he will say if its what you want darling and keep outa the way lol

Original poster

aaliyahsmum · 25/05/2005 13:03

mum spoke to him this morning and said he didnt seem to impressed by it all but he is pretty laid back but i think he is worried about what happened with his last marriage and that it will happen again especially cos of the big age gap.
I have got two bridesmaids dresses now.

OP posts:

almostanangel · 25/05/2005 13:05

think you need a quiet meal just you two and a long chat.

Original poster

aaliyahsmum · 25/05/2005 13:08

he is a taxi driver so works strange hours so we wont get any time together now proberly til monday nite.
i do see where he is coming from but i am totally different to his ex and i am so happy and i think the fact that i have given up everything to be here with him should prove how much i am not going anywhere but he is male so who knows what is going on in his head

OP posts:

almostanangel · 25/05/2005 13:14

ah poor boy,understandable though but they are like children and need loadsa reasurance.even my dh i say i cant wait to marry you again,,and his little face lights up lol..

Flum · 25/05/2005 13:22

Just read this whole thread as interested as also getting married this year. Our wedding is going to cost a terrifying amount but trying to keep it down where poss. I am superstitious as a priest once told me he could tell you exactly how long a wedding would last. It was inversely proportional to the amount of money spent on it!

So thrilled AlmostAngel sent you a dress.

That is so so kind.

Mumsnet really is a nice place to be.

Congratulations and have a wonderful day.

almostanangel · 25/05/2005 13:25

hhmmmmm how much did the preist charge !

Skribble · 26/05/2005 00:38

I think a lot of people end up spending a lot of money on doing what is expected of them, suit yourselves and think before handing over large sums of money.

A lot of prices are over inflated as soon as you put wedding into the conversation. Shop around you may be surprised by Monsoon wedding dresses, asda flower girl dresses and small local firms.

If the family start piling on the pressure and their expectations get them to pay for the extras. £1000's can make it more glamorous but your own ideas and innovations are what will make it special.

It is only one day and you don't want to spend the rest of your marriage paying it off .

Lasvegas · 26/05/2005 14:05

I hope you don't mind me seeking advise also. I plan to marry this year. 2nd time for both of us and we have all the household stuff we could possibly want. In terms of wedding present list would it be acceptable to ask guests to contribute money to a bank account on the understanding that the money would be used for a family holiday (we have 3 kids) later in the year?

Dingle · 26/05/2005 14:27

How about holiday vouchers!!

feelingold · 27/05/2005 11:10

Dh and I had both been married before, had big white wedding 1st time around.
We got married on a budget and had a great day.
I wore and indian style trousers with a long overdress over the top (don't wear dresses and being a larger girl wanted something slimming and this was), got shoes from bhs and carried a matching bag from bhs with a corsage on it (cheaper than a bouquet).
DD was a bridesmaid, got dress out of next and shoes from bhs (have been in Adsa today and they now sell ivory and white bridesmaid dresses and shoes and they are really cheap).
Friend took photos, cousin has a jag so he took me to registry office while dh who is a firefighter went on fire engine and then they did a guard of honour with axes when we came out.
Went back to our house with immediate family after registry office where we had a meal prepared by my mum and had evening reception for everyone and my family did the catering (worked out about £2.50 per head).
Bought the invitations from a local stationers and just bought a lovely gold pen the write them out.
Bought a helium balloon kit from asda(had to buy different coloured ballons to go with colour scheme of wedding) for £20 and did the balloon decorations ourself.
Bought some small chocolate favours from chocolatechatter (only worked out at about 30p each).
We had a great day and everyone enjoyed it and instead of a present from my parents they paid for a 2 tier wedding cake and my in-laws paid for us to have a night in the honeymoon suite of a local hotel.

Can't say my first wedding, even though it cost loads was any better to be honest.
Just do not worry about what you can't afford, it doesn't matter, just make sure you enjoy it.

KathH · 27/05/2005 18:29

Think mine cost around £300 - cream sort of eveningy dress from Debenhams (in the sale it cost about £50), 2 bridesmaid dresses from end of season sale at BHS (cost around a tenner each!), best mates are landlord and landlady so they did the reception for us as our pressie and also had a disco there in the evening, someone at work did wedding photos on the side so that cost around £50, have an arty friend who did the invitations which cost about £20 for the paper and bits, flowers cost about £75 and bought the rings from a sale in the jewellery quarter in Birmingham. After 8 yrs together we decided to get married and did it all in 5 weeks!

KathH · 27/05/2005 18:33

Bought my tiara thing and shoes from a closing down wedding shop and both of them cost £35 instead of £95. Next also do some bridesmaid dresses for about £40 and there's a long cream dress for £90 in their directory.

stressedbride · 16/06/2005 12:55

Am getting married in 12 wks and am stressed out as my partners bro and g/f have set there date 6wks beofre us same venue and are now copying our ideas just wondering if anyone has any original ideas to make things that bit different

Kidstrack2 · 16/06/2005 13:12

stressedbride try and add in a few extra touches that you know they won't have thought of! And make sure they don't find out about it!

Mum2Ela · 16/06/2005 13:15

How about bubbles or sparklers instead of confetti? Individual fairy cakes )perhaps with your initials and / or date of wedding on) instead of one big cake?

Is it a church or civil ceremony?

lunavix · 16/06/2005 13:17

I got married Sat... don't know how much we've spent, the budget was £5000 but I think it's probably closer to £7000....

let me know if I can help in any way!!!

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