wanchai's vintage wedding thread!

sandraann

Regarding photographers you really should be able to get a suitable local photographer rather than bringing someone from the mainland. I'm a NI based wedding photographer and the norm here is for expensive wedding albums while on the mainland it's quite a different market with disc only coverage being far more common. Be really careful to compare like with like and specify album makes, sizes , finish etc.I'm frequently asked for a storybook album and people rarely focus on the quality so get a cheap quote from someone who gives them a bob book or less.Be really specific about what you want and request prices from a range of good photographers.Your budget really isn't high for this area and i can't guess your venue.Brides tell me they're getting great deals in Donegal town hotels if that suits at all.

wanchai_2

Morning vintage wedding fans!!!!!!!

We have more or less decided on our venue, just waiting for confirmation of church availability and then we are good to go! I am so excited! :j:j:j:j:j:j:j

Going dress shopping this evening for THE VERY FIRST TIME with a trusted friend, I am nervous but also can't wait. I so need to lose about a stone and am hoping that this will be the kick I need to do it. I'm full of nervous energy right now so haven't been snacking as much, is this usual for brides to be?

Also, how early can you send out invitations for a wedding next summer? I want to send them before Christmas if possible; I hate getting an invitation just 6 weeks before a wedding. Thoughts?

Also, does anyone know of a good online wedding planner?

sandraann wrote: »

Regarding photographers you really should be able to get a suitable local photographer rather than bringing someone from the mainland. I'm a NI based wedding photographer and the norm here is for expensive wedding albums while on the mainland it's quite a different market with disc only coverage being far more common. Be really careful to compare like with like and specify album makes, sizes , finish etc.I'm frequently asked for a storybook album and people rarely focus on the quality so get a cheap quote from someone who gives them a bob book or less.Be really specific about what you want and request prices from a range of good photographers.Your budget really isn't high for this area and i can't guess your venue.Brides tell me they're getting great deals in Donegal town hotels if that suits at all.

Hi, thanks for your email. Feel free to PM me if you like, I would be happy to look at your site/portfolio.

We haven't decided yet whether to go disc-only or have an album package. We have been quoted £800 for disc-only by a photographer whose style I really like; I'm sure we could sort out our own album on top.

Our photography budget isn't that high? £1,500? :eek:

p.s. what is a bob book?

Idiophreak

wanchai wrote: »

Also, how early can you send out invitations for a wedding next summer? I want to send them before Christmas if possible; I hate getting an invitation just 6 weeks before a wedding. Thoughts?

Send out save the date cards ASAP, to try and stop people booking holidays etc over your date - then send the full invites a couple of months before. Just make sure you end up inviting everyone you send a save the date to

wanchai_2

Idiophreak wrote: »

Send out save the date cards ASAP, to try and stop people booking holidays etc over your date - then send the full invites a couple of months before. Just make sure you end up inviting everyone you send a save the date to

Will do! We'll probably just send them to the older ones - we'll announce the date to our friends via FB/email/in person. That should save a few quid on stamps!

Idiophreak

wanchai wrote: »

Will do! We'll probably just send them to the older ones - we'll announce the date to our friends via FB/email/in person. That should save a few quid on stamps!

Good thinking - stamps add up by the time you've done save the dates, invites and thankyou cards.

By way of cheap save the dates, we made some mini cards on moo.com which ended up being pretty cost effective - and got a few different designs to send people.

wanchai_2

Idiophreak wrote: »

Good thinking - stamps add up by the time you've done save the dates, invites and thankyou cards.

By way of cheap save the dates, we made some mini cards on moo.com which ended up being pretty cost effective - and got a few different designs to send people.

Oooh, thanks a million, they look really cute! You are very helpful.

sandraann

if you want a high quality well designed album i'd really recommend buying one from a photographer.Many brides here will add that they've designed their own albums and that's great but no quality suppliers will deal with you directly so if you want a really good quality album it's difficult.£1500 should get you all day coverage and a good album just make sure they supply you with a professional product rather than consumer type like photobox, bobbook etc. don't underestimate the time it takes to design an album or the premium that an album company who deal with the public will charge you for this service.
I don't promote my business through this forum but if you're doing google searches you're likely to find it anyway.

fly_dragon_fly

ok I'll try and edit were i think you can save ( i'll put it in red!)

wanchai wrote: »

Hello all

We are recently engaged and starting to plan our wedding for summer 2012 (date TBC). I am very excited but also astounded at the cost of everything!! :rotfl:

We would like to save money wherever possible but still have a lovely intimate wedding with good food, drink and entertainment. We love vintage and retro styles and shabby chic, so hope to incorporate this into the wedding. I would be eternally grateful for any suggestions whatsoever from you lovely people and will be reading this forum avidly from now on!

OK, so here is our budget:

Reception for 100 guests: £5,000 (o.m.g.)

Photographer: £1,500 (not very MSE at all, but I really want the best possible photos) you can get some amazing photographers go on the photography parlour and post in the jobs wanted or pm me if your in the south east, my photographer is charging around £300 and my first one charged that but now charges over a grand and i only got married in December!

Videographer: £300

Wedding dress: £700 (hopefully less!)

My shoes and accessories: £200 what shoes and accessories? maybe we can find them cheaper?

Bridesmaid's dress and shoes: £120

Suit for OH: £250 (just a normal suit, not a 'wedding' suit - his best man already has a really good suit in the same colour) my hubby got his suit / tie/ shirt for £120 in moss bro's should have been over £250 so go and haggle.

Band: £700 (actual quote - think this is quite good, they are a swing band playing for 2 hours)

DJ: £200 or free (iPod and speakers possibly?) you can get the dj cheaper than that ring every single one in your phone book haha

Car: free (getting a friend to drive us)

Cake: free (my very talented friend is making it)

Church/organist: £200

Singers in church: free (two female relatives of mine)

Gifts for bridesmaid, best man and mothers: £100

Decorating the venue: £120

Flowers: £300

I know the flowers budget is probably ridiculously low but we are being optimistic! We need 2 bouquets and about 4 buttonholes - the rest we are going to decide on depending on cost. We may use dried lavender and gyp, or garden flowers for the tables. For the church, we might do the same, with gauze ribbons on the pews.

For those who are doing favours for us, we will buy them gifts to say thank you, so that will add about £200 to the budget. make gifts rather than buy it people understand weddings are expensive

Total so far = £9,890 but I know that this is probably optimistic.

Any comments??? Have I missed something? Where can we save money? xx

wanchai_2

Thanks for your comments - mine are in blue. :A

fly_dragon_fly wrote: »

ok I'll try and edit were i think you can save ( i'll put it in red!)

Originally Posted by wanchai
Hello all

We are recently engaged and starting to plan our wedding for summer 2012 (date TBC). I am very excited but also astounded at the cost of everything!! :rotfl:

We would like to save money wherever possible but still have a lovely intimate wedding with good food, drink and entertainment. We love vintage and retro styles and shabby chic, so hope to incorporate this into the wedding. I would be eternally grateful for any suggestions whatsoever from you lovely people and will be reading this forum avidly from now on!

OK, so here is our budget:

Reception for 100 guests: £5,000 (o.m.g.)

Photographer: £1,500 (not very MSE at all, but I really want the best possible photos) you can get some amazing photographers go on the photography parlour and post in the jobs wanted or pm me if your in the south east, my photographer is charging around £300 and my first one charged that but now charges over a grand and i only got married in December! - thanks for that. We are looking still, but all the decent ones charge quite a lot here, sigh! Will give the photography parlour a go. We are based in N. Ireland by the way.

Videographer: £300

Wedding dress: £700 (hopefully less!)

My shoes and accessories: £200 what shoes and accessories? maybe we can find them cheaper? - jewellery, veil, possible lace bolero, maybe a hairpiece - and the shoes! I have just bought a cathedral length veil on eBay for £50 (RRP £250) so will see how I get on with it! Would really appreciate tips on where to find stuff cheaply!

Bridesmaid's dress and shoes: £120 - this may actually be cheaper than £120. She has lots of fab high heeled shoes so I might ask her to wear a pair of her own and buy her a dress in the sales.

Suit for OH: £250 (just a normal suit, not a 'wedding' suit - his best man already has a really good suit in the same colour) my hubby got his suit / tie/ shirt for £120 in moss bro's should have been over £250 so go and haggle.

Band: £700 (actual quote - think this is quite good, they are a swing band playing for 2 hours)

DJ: £200 or free (iPod and speakers possibly?) you can get the dj cheaper than that ring every single one in your phone book haha - we are now just going to have the band play till 11:30/midnight and then a CD playing through the venue's sound system for the last hour.

Car: free (getting a friend to drive us)

Cake: free (my very talented friend is making it)

Church/organist: £200

Singers in church: free (two female relatives of mine)

Gifts for bridesmaid, best man and mothers: £100

Decorating the venue: £120

Flowers: £300

I know the flowers budget is probably ridiculously low but we are being optimistic! We need 2 bouquets and about 4 buttonholes - the rest we are going to decide on depending on cost. We may use dried lavender and gyp, or garden flowers for the tables. For the church, we might do the same, with gauze ribbons on the pews.

For those who are doing favours for us, we will buy them gifts to say thank you, so that will add about £200 to the budget. make gifts rather than buy it people understand weddings are expensive - good idea.

Total so far = £9,890 but I know that this is probably optimistic.

Any comments??? Have I missed something? Where can we save money? xx

wanchai_2

sandraann wrote: »

if you want a high quality well designed album i'd really recommend buying one from a photographer.Many brides here will add that they've designed their own albums and that's great but no quality suppliers will deal with you directly so if you want a really good quality album it's difficult.£1500 should get you all day coverage and a good album just make sure they supply you with a professional product rather than consumer type like photobox, bobbook etc. don't underestimate the time it takes to design an album or the premium that an album company who deal with the public will charge you for this service.
I don't promote my business through this forum but if you're doing google searches you're likely to find it anyway.

Honestly, feel free to PM me, or should I google your name? x