Is anyone having a quick, quiet register office wedding?

fizzypotter

oops sorry, my first post, just thought it was a nice way of putting it for those who don't want a big "to do".
no offence menat to those having a big day, its a personal choice after all.

plane_boy2000

We went to my partners cousins wedding a few years back - it was a really budget do. Registry office wedding, back to their back garden for a few beers, and then a meal out in a local restraunt in the evening - invites stated that they were skint but would love a sit down meal, so could those who wanted to come for a meal enclose a cheque for £25 to cover the cost, and those who didnt were more than welcome to just come back to theirs for a beer in the garden.

Think they worder the invite along the lines of your presence, not your presents are required.

Guess it must have only cost them a couple of hundred all in and we all had a nice day.

Op - its theres only 15 of you then a nice meal out somewhere sounds like a good option - be brave and ask people to pay for themselves. If they love you and understand your position then I am sure they will happily do that

frannyann

FG, your wedding sounds lovely! Intimate and loving! Prefect. As you say so many people get married for the party (think I was a bit guilty of that first time around ) Everyone here is lovely and we will all help with suggestions and advice on doing it as MSE as possible!

kittiej

What about getting married a little earlier in the year if you want to use your own garden? Would you be able to fit one of those small marquees or a white gazebo in there?

I toyed with this idea at one time but it wouldn't be practical in February :rotfl:

That way you could have your buffet in there, or if the weather isn't too great, or indeed too hot! you could sit in there?

What about having a barbecue for something a bit different? Honestly the list is endless

I agree with frannyann about getting advice from MSE, there are many resourceful people here, and different boards will help too like Oldstyle if you want help with buffet food etc.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

faerie_girl

Wow, I wasn't expecting so many replies! Thank-you!
I am going to do a projected costs spread sheet so we have an idea of costs.

Our garden would fit a medium sized gazebo, its also south facing so has the sun all day. Our kitchen is really small and we have the bathroom, stairs and hall seperating it from our livin groom so that makes a home 'do' a bit more difficult. If the living room was attached to the kitchen it would make the indoor space seem bigger and more usable.

The idea of a booking some tables at a restaurant is one idea. I had a look online at a few local ones and for the 15 of us it will proabably be about £300+ without drinks. My family are the sort that would probably prefer a buffet TBH. I wouldn't mind paying for the meal but feel a bit wary about the drinks. 2 of OH's granparents are really big drinkers (perhaps even alchoholics), once they have one drink they can't stop. His Gran especially would drink as much as she could if it was being paid for!

As for hiring a big hall, neither of us are the partying type (old before our time!). I would be mortified at having to do a 'first dance'. There are some aunts, uncles & cousins on both sides that it would be nice to invite but once we invite some then we would have to invite the rest which then adds the ££'s up.


I am just thinking out loud with all of this. As I mentioned in my PP its only recently that we have really wanted to do it right now! The last time I went to a wedding I was about 16 (now 22) so I'm not sure how things are done tbh! Just going by what I think is right.

faerie_girl

Also to add OH had a peep in the staff shop today and they are selling full suits for £20! Would be great if they have everyones size.

Best man plays guitar and harmonica so we will be asking him to do us a little performance.

mighty_mondo

We are having a regisrty office do in July this year, 2nd time around for both me and w2b so we aint wanting fuss/show, we are then having a sit down meal for immediate family only (25 of us in total) - we are not even inviting friends!

everyone has been supportive tho and fully understands, we will have a reception at night though and invite all (prob 80 - 90) with a buffet (think they are all happy to be able to play a part in the day as we originally were going to get married abroad without any family present!)

our total spend will be under £3500 which is perfect for us, we dont feel we are being 'cheap' we simply want to be married after 5yrs together

pretzelnut

My mum was happy for us to disapear and di it quietly and i am her only daughter and the only female on my side of the family out of 33 boys.

SO not all mums MUST see their daughter get married.

Plus a lot of people do sometimes breathe a sigh of relief when you say its low key, your not invited etc, were going abroad and doing it alone, as weddings can be just as expensive for guests too.

missjennipenni

Thought id share my budget too!

Registry office - £156
Venue - free if we have the bar open for 4 hours
Buffet - £300 for 70 people (just the basic pakoras, sarnies, chicken satay, voulauvonts, pizza, quiche etc)
Meal - people paying for their own (nobody has minded!) - just close family/friends (30 total)
My dress - £38 from Ebay and I love it
Flowergirls (my daughters) - 2 dresses in the Monsson sale, reduced from £75 to £12 each!
Tiaras for the girls - free (leftover from my brothers wedding)
Favours - Have made 50 for £5 ( 50 organza bags from ebay £1.30, 50 gold sparkly tea-lights 50 for £2.50 in the sales), also bought a bagof 60 Fortune Cookies for £4 at a chinese supermarket.
Sweety buffet - £10 on sweets, £1.50 for paper bags
Band - £250, but future FIL has paid for it as a wedding present
Kilt hire for DP & DS - £80
Tabel jewels & confetti - £2
Wedding cake - £30ish from Tesco for 2 tiers. £5 for cake topper & matching hearts to stick on. 84p for 1 metere of wide ribbon to decorate.
Shoes - £18 in sale
Helium balloons (silver & lilac hearts) £20
Hotel room at venue afterwards - free (part of their reception package)
Photographer - free (sisters BF is a hobby photographer and I love his work)
Hair - free, sister is a hairfdressing student & has won awards for her up-dos!
Flowers - fake flowers (to keep as a keepsake! and they look just as fab) £32 from a seller on ebay

Carmen_Queasy

This is what we're doing too- there's 12 of us including us, and a possible plus one making 13 if my single brother wants to bring anyone hes started seeing by the time of the wedding, and 1 of those is just a newborn baby, not born yet as SIL2B is preggers atm.

We're just going to book a table for 12-13 for a meal in a local hotel, and we've been quoted between £20-£30 per head for this. We'll probably go to the hotel bar for drinks for a while after that.

Here's our budget...

£170 registry office (on a weekday)
£360 meal for 12 @ £30
£100 room for the night
£200 rings
£30 taxis
£80 suit or kilt hire for OH
£20 invites and favours
£40 unexpected expenses... hoping we'll get some of this cheaper though!
(My parents are paying for my dress and outfit, hairdresser and bouquet- though I'd originally budgeted £200 for these. We're not bothering with a best man, MOH, hen/stag parties etc)

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