From big wedding...to small wedding!

[lisa.sharrock]

I hate to say this BUT! You can get some fabulous wedding packages thro groupon, save thousands. Good luck

From a personal experience with Groupon, I wouldn't base my wedding on a Groupon voucher - far too much could go wrong in my eyes.

A lot of money to pay up front when buying the deal, possibly no say in your chosen wedding dates or being held to ransom with T&C's when they've sold too many vouchers to other brides to be. Or worst still, they cannot honour their deal when they're over-subscribed...

Call me cynical! lol

 

[Lovebeauty14]

I went for a small wedding too. I was pregnant and we literally thought, let's just get married next month, too skint for engagement rings or anything! We had about 30 guests in a lovely hotel in Lyndhurst in the New Forest (which was where we were living at the time), my dress was from Debenhams and friends and family did all the flowers, a family friend did the photos and my sister made the bridesmaids dresses! We used my family in laws neighbours car (they had a well nice Mercedes) and had the reception around my Mother In Laws house. We had 2 nights in Paris for our honeymoon which out MIL paid for.
Would I change any of it? Only the short notice planning as it meant my two best friends couldn't make it.
Are me and my husband still happily married? Couldn't be happier after 2 years!

So I think it's up to you how big a wedding you have but having the small wedding will be lovely too as there won't be such pressure on you to entertain people you hardly know and you'll probably relax more.

 

[happyfeet]

Awww congrats lovely!

We had a small intimate wedding twenty including kids family only. Along with the birth of my son best day of my life!

We had so many lovely personal touches we woukd have never been able to do or afford if we had gone for a big one.

Took hubby and i four attempts to get wed, first three cancelled due to money, stress and trying to pls everyone!

In the end we did it our way and cannot believe how beautiful our day was, how smoothe it went and how happy our guests were considering we only spent about two and a half k!

Small and intimate is just that, i wouldnt change a thing. This month were celebrating our one year anniversary which is on my 31st bday.

Enjoy it hun it goes so quick! X x x


























touches

 

[jacquelineanna]

What a lovely thread.

Over the last 3 or 4 years I observe that my clients have started to think much more laterally when it comes to weddings.

One of them hired a house in Hereford for a week. Their closest friends were staying for the week in the house with them.

Family stayed at local B&B's.

They had had the official ceremony in a registry office with two witnesses a couple of weeks previously.

The actual wedding day was held in the garden where they had a Wicken ceremony ... bride's right wrist tied to groom's left wrist and jumping over the broomstick!!

Everyone had joined in to make the food and they had a wedding picnic in the garden.

Another client chose to hire a fish and chip van for all her wedding guests.

Another one got married as late as possible, about 4.00 I think and had cake and tea - it was all over by about 8 and they had time to sort themselves out for their honeymoon the next day.

One hired a chef who cooked a hog roast in the garden.

Its important that you have what you want!!

None of your guests will remember much about your wedding in 5 years time but you will remember forever whether you had Great-aunt Flo because your Mum said you had to instead of your best friend who you had to 'cut' because there wasn't enough space.

Try to enjoy your day. I hear lots of brides tell me that it passed in a blur.

If the wedding cake falls off its stand, instead of crying and thinking the wedding is ruined, make it part of the day .. let them eat cake off the floor!!

Now everyone will remember that in five years time and the fun that ensued!

Good luck and have fun.

Jacqui xx

 

[ChicUnique]

I'm all for small intimate weddings!!!!
Our wedding was quite big numbers wise 85 day guests (family only) and another 120 evening guests, but budget wise whole lot cost approx £5k. We saved money on
our cake - £90 from marks and Spencer.
My dress, the shop was closing down, I got 75% off the ticket price.
We borrowed cars from family/friends, 2 jags and a range rover sport.
Wedding favours - made a donation to charity, who send you pin badges and cards, £1 scratch cards or lottery tickets are also popular. A lot of places make sweet trees which double up as your centre pieces.
My wedding shoes, save the date cards, thank you cards, car ribbons - eBay!!!
Bridesmaids/best man gifts we used Tesco clubcard tokens and converted them to goldsmiths vouchers.
Wedding invites - handmade.
And the rest was good old fashioned haggling.... £18 per head for a 3 course meal with 2 choices or started & desserts and 3 main course choices. We provided the potatoes for the stovies for the evening reception. There are literally hundreds of ways to cut costs.

 

[siobrennan]

I'm all for small intimate weddings!!!!
Our wedding was quite big numbers wise 85 day guests (family only) and another 120 evening guests, but budget wise whole lot cost approx £5k. We saved money on
our cake - £90 from marks and Spencer.
My dress, the shop was closing down, I got 75% off the ticket price.
We borrowed cars from family/friends, 2 jags and a range rover sport.
Wedding favours - made a donation to charity, who send you pin badges and cards, £1 scratch cards or lottery tickets are also popular. A lot of places make sweet trees which double up as your centre pieces.
My wedding shoes, save the date cards, thank you cards, car ribbons - eBay!!!
Bridesmaids/best man gifts we used Tesco clubcard tokens and converted them to goldsmiths vouchers.
Wedding invites - handmade.
And the rest was good old fashioned haggling.... £18 per head for a 3 course meal with 2 choices or started & desserts and 3 main course choices. We provided the potatoes for the stovies for the evening reception. There are literally hundreds of ways to cut costs.

+1 on the m&s cake!! thats where mine came from! and it was loooovely! x

 

[misslatham]

Im so glad i started this thread u all have such wonderful stories! Im so excited just to bloody marry him, im forgetting that big/small there is still so much to think of! I have never been a girl thats had her wedding day planned since childhood, im pretty clueless at putting all the details! My bestest friend has a great hand at crafts so she has said shes going to make my wedding invitations woohoo xx

 

[nicole333]

I loved planning our wedding, it was the best day of our lives and it was nine years ago. I hope you will be as happy as we are, I love my husband more than life itself:Love:

We didn't have a huge amount of cash, which made it quite exciting as I love a challenge! It was a no brainer that we would marry in his family church, it is in a small, beautiful village so it kind of set the scene.

We chose a friday, which was pretty unique back then, but made things easier and cheaper if I remember rightly. I also chose my dress from Monsoon as it was perfect for me! My mum bought it, but it would have been about £350, so really reasonable for a wedding dress.

Our Bridesmaids mum made their dresses, so saved there. Our friend is a keen photogrpher, so it made sense to give him free reign of the day. We paid for films and processing. Our wedding car was an offer from a friend, so that was free and the flowers were done by the lady who always does the flowers at the church.

Our wedding cake was from the wedding range from Waitrose and my MIL paid for that. We used it as a dessert for the evening do food. A bloke that my husband was in business with at the time gave us a couple of cases of Lanson Champagne, so we used that as the toast!

It can be done! Mind you, we pushed the boat out on Honeymoon. There was only one place we wanted to go!

Good luck, you are doing the right thing, by doing it your way.

 

[Lush-Lash]

+2 on the m&s cake!! lol
we had the 3 tier all white chocolate one.. with white handmade edible flowers.. was absolutely delish! x

 

[Lush-Lash]

I love this thread! just shows money isn't everything to everyone

I bought all my balloons & banners from the card factory. Sat until 10pm the night before the wedding blowing them up ready for my dad to collect so he could be my personal reception room decorator. lol

we didn't have champagne either as the quotes we got for it from the pub we hired were ridiculously expensive so we made do with some cheaper stuff from asda. (sneaked into the venue in a big box by my mum might i add) lol

I bought my little bridesmaids dresses from asda on sale when I worked there! even used my discount card got all 3 for about £60.

My dress was from a little wedding shop in the sale, down from £600 to £250.

My wedding car was courtesy of my grandad who was manager of a taxi rank so he got us a silver jag (really smart) for £80! Supposed to be £200! Bargain..

Our rings were from Argos.

Cake from m&s (which as mentioned above was beautiful)

& my photographer was my mums oldest friend who happened to work for our local telegraph so photography was his day job.. All he charged was a bottle of whisky! Bless him.

I changed from my dress on the night doo as I didn't want it ruining.. Got to the bar when I got back from getting changed at home & I got asked for id on my own wedding day hahahaha, she wouldnt serve me either! so had to get my husband to get me my drinks. the cheek! x

 

[Debs001]

Im so glad i started this thread u all have such wonderful stories! Im so excited just to bloody marry him, im forgetting that big/small there is still so much to think of! I have never been a girl thats had her wedding day planned since childhood, im pretty clueless at putting all the details! My bestest friend has a great hand at crafts so she has said shes going to make my wedding invitations woohoo xx

. Great! Have a look at your guest list/family/friends and get them involved, see who can help out with things and that can be their gift to you (any who are decent photographers, cake makers, flower arrangers, etc?)

 

[lisa.sharrock]

I'm all for small intimate weddings!!!!
Our wedding was quite big numbers wise 85 day guests (family only) and another 120 evening guests, but budget wise whole lot cost approx £5k. We saved money on
our cake - £90 from marks and Spencer.
My dress, the shop was closing down, I got 75% off the ticket price.
We borrowed cars from family/friends, 2 jags and a range rover sport.
Wedding favours - made a donation to charity, who send you pin badges and cards, £1 scratch cards or lottery tickets are also popular. A lot of places make sweet trees which double up as your centre pieces.
My wedding shoes, save the date cards, thank you cards, car ribbons - eBay!!!
Bridesmaids/best man gifts we used Tesco clubcard tokens and converted them to goldsmiths vouchers.
Wedding invites - handmade.
And the rest was good old fashioned haggling.... £18 per head for a 3 course meal with 2 choices or started & desserts and 3 main course choices. We provided the potatoes for the stovies for the evening reception. There are literally hundreds of ways to cut costs.

I'm quite lucky too as my cousin has his own photographic studio, so will save a little on that. My mum can get my flowers trade price as she works closely with local florists. I'm also aiming to get a M&S wedding cake.

Can I ask about wedding favours? Are they typically just for day guests and what do you normally buy?

We should start a hints & tips thread.

 

[Lovebeauty14]

+ 3 on the M&S cake! I got the chocolate one with chocolate roses!
Also bought ivory satin ballet shoes from EBay and hand stitched pearl beads on. Also made the table placers myself!

 

[lisa.sharrock]

+2 on the m&s cake!! lol
we had the 3 tier all white chocolate one.. with white handmade edible flowers.. was absolutely delish! x

Ooh this is the one I was looking at or this one...




I got a bit told off on a wedding page on Facebook - a lot of irate cake makers saying that home-made was better etc. BUT I've been to a lot of wedding fayres recently and although some of the cakes looked amazing, some were NOT great tasting. Either very heavy or dry, at least with M&S the sponge is always nice.

Also having your wedding venue at one place helps cut down cost as there's no need for transportation.

I'm loving this thread! :lol:

 

[Lovebeauty14]

This was ours.

It didn't have the writing though..
We had two and they were amazing! For some crazy reason we gave loads of the cake away at the end! I think I'd gone of chocolate being pregnant!
What was I thinking....

 

[nicole333]

Ooh this is the one I was looking at or this one...




I got a bit told off on a wedding page on Facebook - a lot of irate cake makers saying that home-made was better etc. BUT I've been to a lot of wedding fayres recently and although some of the cakes looked amazing, some were NOT great tasting. Either very heavy or dry, at least with M&S the sponge is always nice.

Also having your wedding venue at one place helps cut down cost as there's no need for transportation.

I'm loving this thread! :lol:

Well you can tell them from me that our waitrose one was blimmin gorgeous and had loads of comments!

 

[happyfeet]

We had a fabulous cupcake wedding cake, one large one and 3 tiered twenty five small ones. We used our colour scheme of pink and black and as it was my bday we had some of the normal size cupcakes with hearts the other with the number 30 on it! My cake maker let me design it with her. It £95 for the whole thing which my mil paid for bless her.

I then bought clear cupcake cases and the idea was it doubled up as a favour..... Well would of done if my greedy guests hadnt munched them all with their after dinner coffee lmao! We went to a gorgeous italian restaurant which had an extensive set menu and they gave us their beautiful marble floored function room for free. Mum and i decorated the tressel style table with balloon clusters, crystals, hurricane vases from tescos, place cards and gifts for the kids. It looked beautiful.

X x x