Wedding 2018

[Tryingtoconceive2years]

Venue is booked
Dress is brought - needs to be altered
Any tips to save money?

[MrsBartlettforthewin]

Yes we're where told a colour or style and then coordinated with each other over what we bought for our dresses.

[Tryingtoconceive2years]

I think I will pay as I want them all to match - Hair I will say for them to do themselves then. - that will save money

[MrsBartlettforthewin]

Depends on the church if you think it is pretty with out flowers don't bother with them. For bride flowers and button holes friend of mine made hers out of paper something like this. Lots of tutorials on line, she used old copies of books that were special to her and her DH

[AlletrixLeStrange]

Following this as we have about the same budget.. although I already blew £2.5k of it on my dress

[Tryingtoconceive2years]

MrsBartlettforthewin Groom is buying and rest is hiring, bridesmaids will be paying for shoes. That is a lovely idea, bridesmaids will be having these flowers - which seem to be quite cheap - (if they even need a bouquet?)

[MrsBartlettforthewin]

Those are so pretty.

[BackforGood]

I can't see - in your budget - the costs for the Church?

Yes, I'd have thought you would want flowers in the Church - talk to the Church though, you will often find people from within the Church willing to do them at a fraction of the cost that a florist would - or, if there is more than one wedding, share costs with the other wedding party. However, you will need to pay to hire the Church and the Vicar/Priest / Minister, the organist, etc.

I think you need to pay for the clothes of the wedding party though.
Hair and make up I'd just do yourselves.

[MrsBartlettforthewin]

What sort of suits are best man etc going for? Is it wedding suits like morning suits or just normal smart suits? Could they wear suits they already have with new shirts/ ties that work with your colour scheme. Or pay for themselves?

[Tryingtoconceive2years]

BackforGood - I have added £500 now :)

The church is actually beautiful that is why we picked it - our son was also christened there.

[Tryingtoconceive2years]

MrsBartlettforthewin the thing DP has 7 groomsmen - they dont wear suits in their daily work life so they wouldn't have anything like it.

[MrsBartlettforthewin]

Ah I see. Blumming heck though 7 groomsman! Are you having the same number of bridesmaids? Easily save money if he didn't need to have 7 groomsman suits. Is the cost for that on your budget for each suit? Cos that's 840 quid right there if it's 120 per suit.

[MrsBartlettforthewin]

Oops just re check 480 for the ushers not 120 each.

[MrsBartlettforthewin]

Also for the groomsmen is this the only wedding they've ever been to? Surely they have suits from other weddings that they've been guests at.

[Mamabear14]

I am using fake flowers. These were under £200 made and delivered to my door! I'll go to country baskets for the rest for centrepieces.
I paid a lot for my maid of honours dress (£210) but I'm only having her. She's paying for her own shoes and hair and make up.
Etsy is really good for cheap favours, we are doing seed packets as our wedding venue has a wildflower meadow.
Cake is coming from M&S.
No transport as we are all in one place.
We are getting married late in the day and having a wedding breakfast at 5.30-6pm, so no evening buffet, saved a packet there!
Also not having a disco as we hate the cheesy wedding dj thing, we are going to let the teens loose with their iPod and a speaker.
Our registrar is £450, I don't know about church costs.
We aren't bothering with invites, we are making something up online and emailing it with menu choices, invites are so expensive and most people just bin them!

[Mamabear14]

Photo of the flowers would help!

[Tryingtoconceive2years]

MrsBartlettforthewin - i am trying to get him to cut it down, I have 5 bridesmaids but £25 a dress is alot cheaper that £120 each. We are the only couple in a friend group that is anywhere near marriage - we are 28 which is not that young to get married these days.

We are getting married late in the day and having a wedding breakfast at 5.30-6pm, so no evening buffet, saved a packet there! Are you not having any extra guests in the evening? We are having another 100 coming in the evening.
I would like mine to be fake actually then I can keep it.

What is the usual decoration for the top table? Flowers or can I find something thats still pretty but cheaper?

[Mamabear14]

Nope, no extras in the evening. We are having a small wedding of less than 50 (and that's about 45 more than we originally wanted!) I have brought birdcages, that I will fill with flowers, something like this, and fresh petals over the table. The birdcages were about a tenner each I think.

[Tryingtoconceive2years]

Mamabear14 love that!

[TheFlis12345]

£5k for catering seems really high for that amount of people for one meal! Is that a package price including drinks, or food only?

[Tryingtoconceive2years]

With save the dates do you send to day and evening and then just send the specified invite?

[PigletWasPoohsFriend]

You send them to day guests.

[Tryingtoconceive2years]

TheFlis12345 includes reception drinks, 3 course meal, wine with food and champs with toasts. Is that still expensive? That is 48 adults and 12 children.

[Mamabear14]

I wouldn't ask people to save the date for en evening invite. If people will have to travel as well I wouldn't put them for an evening only invite. There's so many wedding politics which is why we went super small and chilled out, we aren't even inviting aunts and uncles! We are literally doing parents, siblings and the kids and a few super close friends

[Mamabear14]

That is still expensive. We are at 25 adults, 5 teens so only a tenner less than adults and 5 small kids and that's under 2k for a 3 course meal, a reception drink, half bottle of wine each and glass of bubbly for toasts.

[Tryingtoconceive2years]

Mamabear14 that is also including buffet for 150 people