The challenge: A totally frugal MSE wedding

justengaged_2

The problem: I want to fly my parents over for my wedding and it's going to cost £1000 for them to get here for 2 weeks. And I'd have to feed/entertain and keep them company.

The wedding: will be for less than 50 people. I think it's more likely to be 20-30 people. A lot of my friends are from overseas and I doubt many of them will make it. And we are having a reception back "home"

So, I think, one weekday morning for the registry office and then an evening meal out at a restaurant followed by chilling out with drinks at home and cake. Most important, would you go to just a wedding dinner in a restaurant?

OR MSE wedding planner divas,
Can I have a wedding all in for less than £1000?

We live in Burgess Hill, West Sussex (RH15) and I don't need a theme, I don't need fancy decorations and I would like the wedding to be either Oct this year or March/April next year.

I just want to get married with some friends and family celebrating with us Why oh why do they have to be so expensive?

mimosaurus

i feel certain it can be done - especially if you're not fussed about tradition. speak to restaurants around you about what they can do, if you can get 20-30 people in for a meal (particularly if you could do it on a weekday) then they should be able to offer you a good rate. we're only paying £10 a head for our reception meal (a mixed hot and cold buffet and also includes tea and coffee and dessert) and that also includes the room hire - as you don't necessarily need the room hire thrown in I would expect a restaurant to be able to give you a cheaper menu than that.

i think it's a lovely idea to have a wedding meal in a restaurant - it's much more relaxed than a formal wedding breakfast which i think can be a bit stuffy, and it meets all the needs - having everyone in the same place to enjoy each others company.

we are on a very tight budget and the first thing we did was to rate our priorities. we've been creative and we've cut some corners, and there are a lot of things that i think our families will be surprised by - but it's meeting our needs of what we want for the day. so i would suggest that you think about priorities - perhaps find one of the '12 months to go' guides and cross off all the things you're not fussed about.

hope that helps? good luck!!!!! xxxxx

gravitytolls

Although you've not got a theme, you could have a 'freecycle theme'. YOu could post on freecycle and in the cafe your idea for a wedding sourced as much as possible via freecycle and wait and see what ideas folk have ~ I bet you get offers of frocks, flowers, decorations, etc. not to mention ideas for food, places for the relllies to stay etc.

I'm sure it could be done, and would be much more fun to organise than those costing ten times that amount.

Gemmy_2

I work in a hotel/restaurant and in the upstairs of the restaurant we host weddings. Because we're not completely used to hosting them... (more conferences and birthday party's) there's no such thing as these hidden costs.

If you were having 30 - 50 people we'd give you the whole of the upstairs for free as long as you were having food. We could provide you with plenty of different menu options and give you a bottle bar.. and if you wanted a disco we could help you organize that.

So I'd say you shouldn't have a problem.. just make sure you look everywhere.

Also my parents had their wedding reception many moons ago at Toby Carvery