The ultimate incentive to get debt free, can I do it by New Years?

Birdie85

Yay for the tickets Tete! I know what you mean about the verified visa thingy, it drives me mad!
We really should have played up the wedding thing last night, maybe if we ring them up and make a big deal about wanting to try them out as we're thinking about booking them but we need to test the menu they'll give us some freebies! Will have to try!
I got an e-mail from a hotel in Harrogate about their wedding package and I nearly fell off my chair, £350 just for the use of the room, and about £70 a head once food, drinks and evening buffet have been covered! Insane. This wedding malarky is so dear!

Tete_en_l'Air

Shy bairns get nowt Birdie! Are you not thinking of eloping? I think I would be with those prices!

Birdie85

I'd love to elope; there's a wedding gazebo at the hotel we're (hopefully) staying at in the Dominican that we're really tempted by but my Mum would kill me. She's already told me that if I got married without her she wouldn't talk to me for ages over it! We can't even just go abroad with a few people as his parents and brothers wouldn't be able to afford to come and his brothers don't even have passports!

As it stands we're looking at about £1400 for the wedding breakfast, however much it is for the registry office (couple of hundred??? Have e-mailed them to ask!) and about £300 for the night do (Hog Roast at the rugby club, classy! ). Will have to get saving!

Tete_en_l'Air

I was about to say 2 grand isn't bad at all, but that doesn't include clothes, flowers, photos, cars ... ... ... :eek:

Birdie85

I know!!! I'll be getting a 'cheap' dress and my darling Mummy is paying for my fancy shoes. OH has a nice suit and a tux but we can get him a reasonably priced one from Next or such like if he wants a new one.
I'll not be spending loads on flowers as it is a total waste, I'll have a simple bouquet from a local florist (will have to start going in a buying little bunches every so often and make friends with the owner in preparation!) and artificial ones as decoration in the venues, I'm having one bridesmaid who'll have a cheapish dress.
OH says he knows a few photographers so we could get a good deal for that, he also knows people with flash cars so we can sweet talk them into lending us them for the day and I'm having a cup cake tower thingy for the cake, may be able to make that with MIL. We might be able to bring the whole thing together for (well???) under £3000. About £10,000 under the 'average' cost!

Lara44

Hey Tete, I work for a little product design company. We design china tableware, home accessories, tea sets, and some lighting. That's how I fund my studying obsession, LOL.

Birdie - the whole wedding thing is mad, isn't it. The average price for a one day hire of a London venue is (wait for it) £3500+VAT :eek: That's cheap compared to the £7000-8000 some other places charge. And these are not mega special places - a room in the local town hall for goodess sake. Then food starts at £50 per head excl. drinks and evening buffet.

SO I think we will not be getting married in London after all. Unless we get married at Hackney City Farm (at least they have a giant rabbit and a nice Italian restaurant). I'm going to start looking at school halls and stuff like that. We also saw some farms towards Bristol that looked cool. It still costs but you get to hire the whole farmhouse all weekend, including accommodation for around 25 or so, which works with travelling families on both sides.

Am glad we have been MSE for 3 years now, as we already have savings to pay for things. It's a really nice feeling to have means for once!

Birdie85

Jeepers Lara, can't believe those costs! I'm glad we live in nice cheap Yorkshire! Love the farmhouse idea!
We have briefly looked at other venues that seem to take the mickey with the cost but have dismissed them, I really wanted the wedding breakfast at a nice restaurant because it's what they do- good food and good wine. The idea of paying more to have a substandard meal in a conference room at a hotel just does not appeal! OH agrees on this point, he believes that the breakfast is the best part of the day (he's a real foodie and lives by his belly!) so we should find the best place for it. I'm not worried about having 3 venues throughout the day as it breaks it up for everyone; I hate hanging around for ages at weddings whilst rooms are being set up!

Cinny91

I'm terrible in Meadowhall Birdie, way too many bright lights tempting me into the shops, I'm like that big furry bug on Monsters vs Aliens. But if people don't mind moving their bottoms too Meadowhall we should have a meet there later on in the year or something!

Crikey, Weddings cost a lot! You should 'elope' too Gretna Green Birdie, Just take your and your OHs parents with you, then have a big meal somewhere snazzy with everyone when you get back!

Well done on getting the tickets for Blur Tete! £32 for a hotel is still a steal me thinks, that's what the one in Kent is costing OH. Urrrgh, setting my alarm super early for tomorrow to I'll be able to bag the Blackpool ones *fingers crossed*

Your birthday plans sound lovely Lara! Have a fantastic day!

Dinah93

Oooh I like the sound of the farm Lara. No point being overly formal, much better to do something fun. I'd be with your OH Birdie, I'd be focussed on the good food to get me through tbh! But then most people don't view weddings with quite as much fear as me!

NIM has been offered permenant Sundays on the farm, and possible saturdays working on the till as and when as well. Quite a large part of me hopes he doesn't get the promotion at his call center job, as he really enjoys the farm one, and I know how important that is, and I don't think he realises it yet. The money isn't as good, and he's working random hours that often mean I don't see him, BUT he likes it, and I'd give anything to enjoy my work since so much of your time is spent there.

Dinah93

I actually thought both those weddings sounded really reasonable, a girl in my office is getting married in what I consider a very budget fashion and it costs £7k, last year a girl here did it with bells on (for everything else theres mastercard) for £27k!