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Original poster

£1000 weddings

46 replies

Sleepyhungryfattyanddoc · 07/09/2021 22:48

Is this even possible?!
We have a free photographer and we’re happy with a registry office - which is about £300

Im going to get a second hand or high street dress
Fiancé will wear a suit he already has
Im not counting rings in the budget

Can we make it cheap but nice for around 25-30 guests? Would you be annoyed if you went to a wedding that just offered some Prosecco afterwards and that was the end? Is there something else we can do that doesn’t cost us any money?

I’ve posted before about trying to plan a small wedding but we are skint and just want to be married. However, family (who if money were no object we’d love to have there) have made it clear they’d be really upset and hurt if we didn’t have them there, and that isn’t our intention, so just trying to find a way to balance it all!

OP posts:
AnneLovesGilbert · 07/09/2021 22:54

They got to plan the weddings they wanted, this is yours. Don’t spend money you don’t have on appeasing people who are trying to make you feel bad. Why does what they want count for more than what you want?

If you can easily afford a thousand pounds and want to spend it on a wedding then that’s easily doable but don’t do something you don’t want to for other people. This is your marriage, your wedding, do what will make you happy.

Zarene · 07/09/2021 22:54

I’d reframe it for yourself - can you throw a party for £700 ? (ie, your £1k minus the registry office fee).

I’m absolutely sure you can! Forget all the stuff that people say you need at weddings (tonnes of flowers that will be forgotten, a crazily expensive cake that doesn’t taste that great etc).

No specific suggestions, because everyone will enjoy a different sort of party. And you should be doing whatever you most enjoy. But whatever it ends up looking like, I’m sure it will be great!

firstimemamma · 07/09/2021 23:08

We did it for £2.5k. Only 18 guests but everyone treated to a 3 course meal and drinks.

We could've just about done it for £1000 if we'd have done it locally (the nice hotel was a big part of the cost) and if I'd have spent less on my appearance.

It can be done although I think it is nice to feed your guests.

firstimemamma · 07/09/2021 23:08
Phyllis321 · 07/09/2021 23:13

Could you have a little do in someone’s garden, providing Prosecco and the cake, and ask guest to bring something for a buffet table?

Phyllis321 · 07/09/2021 23:14

.... you could firmly specify ‘no gifts’ if you felt awkward about the food.

titchy · 07/09/2021 23:24

So have the reception at yours. (Or someone else's...?) £20 pp for drinks and buffet - easy! Enjoy!

StMarysKettle · 07/09/2021 23:25

Just be upfront about what's on offer (invited to the wedding of x and x, drinks to follow at x place), or have a potluck party in lieu of gifts so you aren't catering for everyone. People will understand

PermanentTemporary · 07/09/2021 23:30

Bring and share weddings work brilliantly- allocate mains, sides and puddings, and make it clear no presents expected as a result (you'll still get some, just accept them). You provide drinks. If you have a lunchtime wedding, quite a lot of people won't drink. Get booze on sale or return basis and plenty of nice soft drinks. Make sure bottles only get opened when needed.

KhoshkaKatya · 07/09/2021 23:32

Add cake to the prosecco. Not a wedding cake, just some fun gateaux.

You could probably also do an afternoon tea type thing if you can have it at home or get the use of someone’s house. Sandwiches, savouries, cakes and prosecco. Or some charcuterie and cheese boards.

Ikeameatballs · 07/09/2021 23:42

I reckon you’ll be left with £500 to feed and water the guests.

Can you host this in your own home or that of a close family member? Or is there a free venue locally that you could use? If you don’t have to pay for a venue then you can do it, ideally with a potluck type buffet and you provide all drinks or with sandwiches/canapes and limited drinks. If you can get a room in a bar for free that would work well.

Costco could be your friend! services.costco.co.uk/deli/

I think you need to be very careful in managing expectations for guests. Your budget will not last long in terms of food/drinks so I would set a start and end point very clearly!

VickyLouT · 08/09/2021 11:34

I went to a registry office wedding where we all just went to the pub after and bought our own lunches. Each couple bought a bottle of Prosecco to share with everyone and it was one of the nicest wedding I've ever been to. As long as you manage people's expectations on what it is. Have the day you want. Not worth getting into debt for.

MimiDaisy11 · 08/09/2021 11:42

You can definitely do it for £1k especially as no photographer costs. Like others say you could do it in your own home and have a buffet. You could also look into pub/restaurant lunch costs.

I’m planning a small budgeted wedding though it’s probably going to be in the £1.5-£2k range. We’re doing a registry office too and able to hire a room in a restaurant and have a set menu.

MimiDaisy11 · 08/09/2021 11:46

I also meant to add I got a new monsoon dress with tags on eBay for about £100. It’s really nice.

Original poster
Sleepyhungryfattyanddoc · 08/09/2021 16:45

@VickyLouT

I went to a registry office wedding where we all just went to the pub after and bought our own lunches. Each couple bought a bottle of Prosecco to share with everyone and it was one of the nicest wedding I've ever been to. As long as you manage people's expectations on what it is. Have the day you want. Not worth getting into debt for.
This sounds lovely. How did the couple frame it to you ahead of time?

We don’t care about gifts, if people are happy to pay for a cheap lunch and spend the day with us we’re happy with that!!
We’re also happy if people choose not to come because it’s not a big enough do/ they can’t afford it and we understand that may be the case

However most of the weddings I’ve been to recently have involved 2/3 day hens for me, 2/3 day stag for DP a 1/2 night stay in a hotel in some remote location, new outfits, babysitters etc and still a gift,
So frankly I think it may be the cheapest wedding most of our friends and family have been to in a while even if they do have to pay for their own lunch!

OP posts:
BraveGoldie · 08/09/2021 17:57

OP it sounds lovely. I think just having people spend quality time together and share your special day will make it wonderful. A lot of the obligatory wedding crap is just a business and insainely expensive.

I love the idea of a potluck party at home - for the people you really care about who care about you. You can spend your budget on Prosecco, some specific touches that make you happy, and some hired help to clear up so you can relax.... I am thinking of doing it this way....

MinesAMassiveSalad · 08/09/2021 18:01

One of the nicest weddings I went to had a simple buffet (made mostly by the father of the groom) in the attached church hall.

Hillary17 · 01/11/2021 23:46

It is absolutely doable! We had our wedding cancelled due to Covid and instead did a small intimate wedding. Married legally at registry office with a few guests, about £150. No photographer. I hand tied some flowers the night before for me and two bridesmaids, around £40. Suits husband already had. Cake from a supermarket. Dress from bridal section of ChiChi London for £150. ASOS bridesmaid dresses. Walked to the registry office. Bought loads of Prosecco, couple of nice balloon arches and did a BBQ at home for about £150. Played our favourite music, big table in the garden and was lovely. Helped that it was sunny but really have perspective of what you actually need at a wedding!!

rjane · 14/11/2021 21:46

My parents married in 1957. Grandpa gave them GBP 1000 and said they could keep what they didn't spend. In today's money that is over 20k.
Mind you, in those days it was a late morning wedding, lunch and then off on honeymoon.

Riverlee · 14/11/2021 22:04

We’re going to a wedding with no frills attached.

Hire a local village hall, and go to Costco to do the catering. You don’t need 3 day hen and stags did etc. in the past, the hen do was a meal at your local Italian!

TwoBlueFish · 14/11/2021 22:10

My wedding was less than £1000 including rings, but that was 10 years ago. My dress was under £100, cake from the local bakery, Tesco vouchers for the rings. Midweek registry office then a pub buffet (guests bought their own drinks). Came back to our house afterwards and my dad kindly brought us over some wine from France (he lives there) and a few nibbles in the garden. Friend took some photos, simple cake from a local bakery. Everyone said it was lovely and we enjoyed our simple day.

Kite22 · 19/11/2021 23:13

I do think you need to feed guests, but you can get a really nice buffet for that many for £250 (around here, you can get a nice buffet for quite a bit less than that). Hold at a social club or bar where folk buy their own drinks.
I have been to a wedding where they convinced the local pub to let them have a back room for free (would earn on the bar takings) and then got the local chip shop to bring in (pre-ordered) meals for everyone......about £6 a head, then they put some bought cakes and cookies etc on a table for folks to help themselves.
Not a wedding, but I've been to more than one big party where the hosts said instead of a gift, please bring a plate for the table. (Probably only work if most of the guests are local).
I know of a Scouter Leader who caters for functions - a chilli or curry or similar with no qualms about bigger numbers. All in for well under a tenner a head.
There are lots of ways to do things without spending too much but I do think you need to feed guests.

Anonymouse1938 · 25/03/2022 22:24

Do you have any local small cricket/rugby/football clubs with a bar and function room? I've been to a few weddings at those and the room hire can often be free as they'll make enough on the bar from your guests. You can then do your own buffet food or whatever. Usually those places let you decorate in advance as well and pretty much do as you like, a friend even had a bouncy castle on the space next to it which she hired for dead cheap.

WithRosesAroundTheDoor · 25/03/2022 22:38

My favourite wedding ever was in a village hall. It was bring your own booze but the lovely bride trawled free sires, car boot sales and charity shops for different glasses and each guest chose one as a favour.
She asked close family to being a dessert to instead of gifts and instead of wedding cake so just paid for mains for everyone. It was a street food kind of thing with paella and veggie pasta kind of dishes.
It's definitely doable.

Sarahplane · 25/03/2022 22:41

Depending on where you live, you could do registry office followed by either a village hall and buffet or afternoon tea, or a bbq in someone's garden if you know anyone with a big enough garden. Or a buffet in a pub function room and people buy their own drinks.

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