What did you do after the registry office?

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We want a registry office wedding, ideally just us but we think we can keep it to around 15 people including us. However what do we do then? We can’t really afford a wedding breakfast (or rather if we do spend that money we’d have to go into debt to have a honeymoon) but we’re conscious that people will expect something else after the ceremony.
We are also a bit unsure about heading home in our nice outfits just to sit on the sofa and watch tv.

What did you do after the registry office or have you got any super cheap ideas??

We went for a meal, having booked a table under the auspices of "having a family celebration" i.e. without mentioning the word 'wedding' as that quadruples the bill ...

And then we went home for champagne and cake.

We're planning a simple ceremony at the registry office. We are planning on going to get married and with our 2 witnesses go somewhere nice for lunch and then when home, we have booked a break in a cabin with a hot tub etc. We'll be going the same day as getting married with a bottle of champagne and nice meal prepared for us both x

We went for a lovely meal at a restaurant overlooking the river. Booked a few tables. We had about 20 guests. It was wonderful... except I came down with norovirus on the day.

We’re booking ours for late afternoon and afterwards taking everyone to a hotel restaurant for a meal so most of the night will be spent eating and drinking. We’re booking a large table and ordering off the menu so it’s not classed as a wedding breakfast we said it was a family celebration meal

What time are you having the wedding?

@EggysMom Did you wear a wedding dress to the meal, did the restaurant make any comment?

Nice restaurant or a garden party? You could ask everyone to provide a dish and BYOB. We get married alone in just over 2 weeks!

Same as eggys. Booked a table at a local nice restaurant and spent £500 or so on lunch and drinks for us all, then back home for wedding cake. My dress was £25 from Asos (just a shortish modern white dress), the cake was from m&s (and free because they sent the wrong one!). Everyone else just wore their own smart clothes, and a friend took photos. Honestly it was perfect.

We went home and had a party. Our house is small but we all fitted in. Was nice got buffet from Mark's and spencer

Went for lunch at a decent restaurant. Waiter gave us complimentary prosecco when he realised we had just got married. Top tip, don't mention the word wedding to the restaurant when booking however if before the 21st June there's significant restrictions so might be tricky

We were going to a local hotel, we liked the restaurant and ate there quite a bit, booked a table for 12 for lunch.
In the event (due to illness) we moved the registry office to the afternoon the day before, cancelled the hotel and were just going to have the ceremony.
As DH felt well enough we went across the road to the local (Wetherspoons type) pub and my dad brought drinks for everyone (15 as we invited a couple of others at the last minute). We also got some platter / sharing type food.
Then went home.

We had a fantastic garden party about a month later, got M&S and Waitrose buffet food and lots of drinks. That was a lovely day.

We went to a chippy, had haggis and chips, then onto a few cocktail bars, fell asleep in St James park, onto a nice meal in a restaurant, then walked back to the hotel. It was only me and my dh though

Oh, we also hadn't booked the hotel restaurant table as a wedding, just for a meal.

We had a BBQ in PIL’s garden

Went to my sister in laws and had a buffet.

When do you want to do it? If in the summer a party at home with a small marquee would be lovely.

Lots of people saying don't mention it's a wedding to the restaurant and I'd disagree! Our restaurant know it's a wedding and ever since they've been so helpful and even agreed to knock 20% off whatever the bill will be so no the price doesn't 'automatically shoot up every time'.

We went to a local restaurant that had a private room which we had pre-booked, and just ordered from the normal menu. Was so much fun arriving when there were a few parties waiting for tables, we were all in our wedding clothes, and being ushered through.
Then went home and had a breather before a buffet for friends at home. Was a fantastic day.

It was my wedding but we like others all went to a nice restaurant for lunch where the brides parents paid the bill and then back to the parents house for afternoon tea.

Back home for a buffet and drinks. Mum and I got up early in the morning to prepare everything before the wedding.
Everyone enjoyed a really relaxed day.

I went to a lovely smaller wedding at a registry office followed by an afternoon tea at a posh restaurant. All done and dusted by before 6pm, very efficient 😄.

Why not all go home for a lovely M&S cake and some fizzy wine.

We went to the pub for lunch.

Thank you everyone, we calculated costs of taking everyone to the local pub and it’s looking like over £1000 which I know is not much for a wedding but I can think of a million things I’d rather spend that much money on.
Perhaps back home for a bbq is the best thing. That’s what I wanted to do really but I was scared it wasn’t the done thing..

Can I ask you all, with your smaller / low key weddings
Where did you get your dresses from? I’m hoping for a full outfit for under £200 is that crazy?!

I wore a 50s style frock in gold; with the underskirt as well, I think I spent about £80. The restaurant realised when we walked in that it was a wedding, and brought us fizzy wine - but most of us were driving and saving ourselves for champagne back at the house, so we barely touched it!

We went for a pub lunch with our 15 invited very close family.
Then in the evening met any friends who wanted to come and say hi.

We didn’t tell anyone until a week before though. Pre booked the table for the meal a few weeks before.
Was the best day!!