June 2012 brides

Gemmzie

Where are you going PicklePickle? We can't afford a honeymoon as we're buying an apartment soon so we're planning to set up a honeyfund website so that people can contribute rather than buy gitfts

PicklePickle

We're off to Cuba for two weeks :j took us ages to decide where to go, we wanted to go somewhere a bit different but not be stuck on a beach for 2 weeks. We're doing a twin centre package, have 3 nights at a 4*hotel in Havana which is B&B and 11 nights all inclusive at a 5* resort on the coast in north east Cuba which is adults only! Hopefully will be good, will get our cuture fix but also have time to relax afterwards

UmbraFeles

Haven't been on here for ages - looks like we're all getting on well with planning though.
I've planned pretty much all I can do for the moment. Just waiting on things to arrive or making favours.
Sent out the Save the Dates with hotel details - there's a local show happening on the same date and the hotels always get booked up quickly.
We're looking at asking for contributions towards our honeymoon instead of a gift list. Has anyone got any recommendations for a company to use for this?
I'd thought about using Thomas Cook but you either book and pay for the holiday then get people to buy vouchers that you redeem back against the cost; or you sign up for the online service which seems to incorporate hefty charges for guests. In the Ts & Cs it states that the guest will be charged a % fee for paying with a debit / credit card or 80p for paying by cheque. Then if you don't convert to vouchers and want the money transferred into your account they charge you the lower of either 1% or £15. I also read something somewhere about if the guest wants paper vouchers, it costs £7 for p&p.
I've also found a site called TopDrawerHolidays and sister company called TheBottomDrawer. Does anyone know of anyone who's had experience using these companies? I'm a bit wary even though it claims to have 100% financial protection and that it's ATOL protected. Did some research into the ATOL protection and they're covered under an umbrella company called 'The Global Travel Group Plc' which basically licenses franchisees. I messaged the ATOL site the other week to see if TopDrawerHolidays are covered and what kind of protection there is and they haven't responded yet.
So don't know what to do at the moment! :think:

MissGG

OMG becca - that is the exact same dress I tried on a few months back and have fallen in love with - it really is something special and I can't get it out of my head - it's the only one my mum cried at too and says she can't imagine me in anything else now (no pressure lol). Well, I go back to the shop to make final decisions and place an order on Saturday so will keep you posted but, excellent choice! Sure you will look amazing on your big day!

Pernicious

UmbraFeles wrote: »

Haven't been on here for ages - looks like we're all getting on well with planning though.
I've planned pretty much all I can do for the moment. Just waiting on things to arrive or making favours.
Sent out the Save the Dates with hotel details - there's a local show happening on the same date and the hotels always get booked up quickly.
We're looking at asking for contributions towards our honeymoon instead of a gift list. Has anyone got any recommendations for a company to use for this?
I'd thought about using Thomas Cook but you either book and pay for the holiday then get people to buy vouchers that you redeem back against the cost; or you sign up for the online service which seems to incorporate hefty charges for guests. In the Ts & Cs it states that the guest will be charged a % fee for paying with a debit / credit card or 80p for paying by cheque. Then if you don't convert to vouchers and want the money transferred into your account they charge you the lower of either 1% or £15. I also read something somewhere about if the guest wants paper vouchers, it costs £7 for p&p.
I've also found a site called TopDrawerHolidays and sister company called TheBottomDrawer. Does anyone know of anyone who's had experience using these companies? I'm a bit wary even though it claims to have 100% financial protection and that it's ATOL protected. Did some research into the ATOL protection and they're covered under an umbrella company called 'The Global Travel Group Plc' which basically licenses franchisees. I messaged the ATOL site the other week to see if TopDrawerHolidays are covered and what kind of protection there is and they haven't responded yet.
So don't know what to do at the moment! :think:

I haven't been able to find anywhere decent for this either - looked at Virgin & John Lewis & I didn't look at charges for the guests as I was so put off by their prices to begin with! They were extortionate.

Sorry I can't be of more help but I really hope you find somewhere good, if you do then please let me know!

Pernicious

Ladies, please share with me the worst wedding faux pas you've ever experienced so as to make me feel a little better!

It was my friend's wedding yesterday & I am so embarrased, I made the biggest tit out of myself ever...

Our invitation said, & I quote (names/places changed):-

"Jane & Joe request the pleasure of the company of
Sarah & Jim
On the 14th August 2011
at
Church XYZ
at 2.30pm
and the evening reception
at the venue XYZ from 8.30pm."

Now do you guys think this is an evening invite only, or full day?

I thought because the ceremony was on there that this was a full day invite, especially because we live about a 4 & a half hour car journey away (if you don't stop for a break) & don't know anyone else who lives there...

Turns out, we were invited to the ceremony & were expected to entertain/feed ourselves for about 3 & a half hours while they had their wedding breakfast. Is this rude considering how far away we live & how much we spent going up there? It's not like we could have popped home...

We actually turned up to the reception venue after the ceremony, helped ourselves to the welcome drink etc, had a brief chat with the bride & groom who didn't say we shouldn't be there or anything, & the first we knew of it was when we saw the seating plan & saw our names weren't on there! Cue the checking of invitation, notice that it does say evening invite...but then it says ceremony too, so uh, what?! Following this of course there's the awkward conversation of asking an usher as the bride & groom have gone for photos, then the awkward conversation of basically "yeah the invitation says evening reception" from the bride & "we'll see you later"...

From planning a wedding myself I understand there are massive costs involved, & you have to make a cut somewhere, but I don't understand why you would invite someone from over 200 miles away to just the ceremony & evening do...I mean I've considered this when it comes to my guest list & I came to the conclusion that "Jane & Joe" have to have a full day's invite because they live so far away. They actually have family here they could stay with to cut costs etc but I still figured it's a bit rude to ask them to travel so far just for the evening part...

Am I in the wrong here? Should this have been explained better on the invite? Is it rude or am I rude for expecting more?

I've always received very clear invitations before, it's either ceremony & reception (as worded above really) or just evening invitation...so I'm totally confused here...sorry for such a long post!

Gemmzie

I think the invite is very poorly worded but understand the costs of the wedding breakfast.

We've sent invites to people that live far away for the evening and explained that they are welcome to join us for the ceremony - they've all been great at understanding that the wedding breakfast (or reception) is immediate family only so they will amuse themselves. Some are aiming to spend the day on the beach, others want to see the getting married part of the day - we also have free run of the entire hotel so some will swim etc I'm sure.

BLUis

I'm devastated. the venue has been double booked. got to cancel the wedding. again.

I dont know if I can cope with any more of this.

Gemmzie

Oh no BLUis, that's awul - I hope they've offered you another date massively reduced?!

spoonymoose

Pernicious wrote: »

Ladies, please share with me the worst wedding faux pas you've ever experienced so as to make me feel a little better!

It was my friend's wedding yesterday & I am so embarrased, I made the biggest tit out of myself ever...

Our invitation said, & I quote (names/places changed):-

"Jane & Joe request the pleasure of the company of
Sarah & Jim
On the 14th August 2011
at
Church XYZ
at 2.30pm
and the evening reception
at the venue XYZ from 8.30pm."

Now do you guys think this is an evening invite only, or full day?

To me that sounds like a whole day invited... I would have said;

"Jane & Joe request the pleasure of the company of
Sarah & Jim
On the 14th August 2011
at venue XYZ
for the evening reception
from 8.30pm.

Please note, that you are more than welcome to join us at the church at 2pm to see us get married."

BLUis wrote: »

I'm devastated. the venue has been double booked. got to cancel the wedding. again.

I dont know if I can cope with any more of this.

Awwwww BLUis that's mega rubbish I hope they are grovelling at your feet and giving you all the freebies you require in order to rectify this situation.