Wedding Tips start here...

katiep_2

A friend has just told me that they're talking about weddings on a budget on Jeremy Vine from 1-2 on radio 2 today. I'm not sure but I think it's Martin that's doing it. Hope this helps someone
x

MysticIndia

Greetings!

Can anyone help me find some chairs and tables in London?

I'm finding it extremely difficult to find someone who doesn't quote £1500 notes for 100 seats and 10 tables. I'm really not into flamboyantly glamourous covers etc, just some random tables and chairs would be swell. Am happy to pay, but not the price of a new kitchen.

Thanks for any advice.
Mystic India x

Poppy9

My neice is getting married next month and when her invitation arrived there was no card saying the wedding list is with Debenhams. I asked my sister why and she said she was too embarrassed to put them in with the invitations as she thinks it's rude. If people ask her if there is a list she tells them yes in Debenhams but there is not much on there and plenty of very low value items. Have to say I'm proud of my neice for doing that. At the moment she lives with future in-laws though they are hoping to get their own place soon so she has very little household stuff.

I don't mind wedding lists but I absolutely loathe people asking for money or vouchers. I think it's like asking you to pay for your place at the wedding and extremely rude.

Poppy9

MysticIndia wrote:

Greetings!

Can anyone help me find some chairs and tables in London?

I'm finding it extremely difficult to find someone who doesn't quote £1500 notes for 100 seats and 10 tables. I'm really not into flamboyantly glamourous covers etc, just some random tables and chairs would be swell. Am happy to pay, but not the price of a new kitchen.

Thanks for any advice.
Mystic India x

Have you tried schools, colleges and, churches and community centres. You would have to arrange your own collection etc. but I'm sure they would be happy with a fraction of £1500

Loopy_Laura_2

Rather than have a sit down meal where people get served, I would really like to get outside caterers in...only because it is mine and my OH's favourite restaurant! Has anyone ever heard of Momma Cherri's in Brighton? Was on the Gorden Ramsey Kitchen Nightmares Programme:

https://www.mommacherri.co.uk

Such lovely food and we want to do something a bit different...also we both love our food! What kind of venue would I need to get outside cateres in? Perhaps a buffet stlyle dinner.

It will be a Brighton wedding...if I do seating plans then I will nick some pebbles from Brighton beach and write people's names on there!! (It's not allowed really - apparently it's stealing)

If I do have favours I will get rock with our names running through it. Though might be a bit expensive, we will see. We met over the internet and renez-vous point was Brighton Pier!!

MysticIndia

Thanks Poppy9. Yes i've contacted a high number of schools and centres in the area, but they're not so keen on hiring out due to insurance risks etc.

However i have managed to contact a recycling firm over the weekend where people give away their old furniture for those who are less well off and only starting out, so fingers crossed as i they said they would deliver and collect and loan out for a fee. I have details if anyone's keen.

MysticIndia

cs94njw

We're getting married next year, and on a very strict budget. Things we've done so far:

1) Venue - Lains Barn in Oxfordshire. Very reasonable and aren't strict on paying silly money for own caterers, etc.

2) Bride's dress - Ebay. We've found a vendor based in China selling wedding dresses. We won the lot at £8 and the postage was about £90. We sent the lady my OHs sizes, and the dress is made to measure. We received it about a month later, and my OH was VERY happy with it. We'll probably get it adjusted nearer the time. Vendor was 'yinhua_you'. Although chinese, she communicated better than some English vendors. Someone else has mentioned TK Max, our store in Reading had a fair few dresses.

3) Bridal shoes - BHS. Had no idea BHS had a bridal section. Nice shoes for around £14 in there. Also sold tiaras and bride/bridesmaid dresses at reduced prices.

4) Wedding date - Someone mentioned cheaper rates on Sundays/Week days. I noticed that Bank Holiday Sunday next August was at a cheaper rate. Saturday means we can prefer the day before, Monday off so people can recover. Cheaky sods upped the price when we came to book though

5) Caterer - We managed to find a caterer which provides just staff, not actually food. I think we're waiting on quote. But must be cheaper if you're providing your own food.

6) Favour/Cake boxes - 50 or 100 in a box, £1 each from pound shop.

7) Photographer - Well we nearly died when we saw photographer prices. My sister asked a family friend to do the photos for her wedding, and they were a complete disaster! So we wouldn't ask friend, and couldn't afford photographer. BUT ... we found a photographer, who advertised themselves as a Digital Photographer. For about £300, I think, they take 60 high resolution pictures, and at the end burn you a CD. Absolutely fine with me - I'll take them down to Costco and get them printed for virtually nothing!

8) Bridal/Bridesmaids dresses - Apologies if someone has already mentioned this: Asda George Wedding Collection . Brides dress - £60.

9) Outdoor chairs - ~£4 each at ASDA.

alison6692

Wedding favour ideas for under a £1 and other ideas

http://www.brides2b.info/weddingfavourparttwo.html

Mighty_Cruiser

Kate and I got married last Christmas eve. Ours was definitely at the low end of the wedding budgets. Comments we received were 'Wonderful day', 'Best wedding I've ever been to', 'Wonderful atmosphere', 'Thoroughly enjoyed it'. What's more, Kate and I did as well!

Our tips are:

1. Don't think you need to spend a fortune to have a wonderful day - money can't buy that, it happens with effort and love. A smaller venue also forces you to be more selective in who you invite - you end up with those who are closest to you.

2. It's your friends and family that make the day

3. Don't think you have to do something because it is 'expected' - for example don't bother with favours - the favour is that your guests were invited in the first place!

4. Try to create an atmosphere. Ours was obviously based around Christmas - reds, golds and creams for the colours, plenty of flowers, plenty of candles.

5. Don't be afraid to ask friends for help, both with the preparations and for contacts

6. Look for ideas you like, but work out how to make it yourself!

7. Don't think you need a long period to organise a wedding. I proposed at the end of last August, so we had barely 4 months! Less time to think up unnecessary details.

8. Above all be realistic, both in your budget and on the day- something will go wrong, so just go with the flow.

The breakdown (in no particular order) was as follows:

Venue: Kilngreen Church, Saddleworth - both the wedding and reception - one of the few places Kate's Dad feels comfortable going to in his wheelchair. Hall hire £42, though there were the usual church fees on top.

Catering: 3-course meal @ £18 per head plus hot beef muffins @ £3.50 a head in the evening, Manns Wharf, Greenfield - received many compliments about the food

Flowers for the church/hall: cost of the flowers only, arranging kindly provided by the Saddleworth Floral Society

Bride's bouquet: Country Posies of Greenfield, though sadly they have closed due to ill health

Car: Jaguar, driven by a friend

Photos: Friend and work colleague who is also a semi-professional photographer. Another benefit was that we had the CD of all 160-odd shots - no need to go back for copies or extra shots

Album: TBA - we are still looking for one we like! But given the budget so far, we are prepared to spend a bit on this one.

Invitations and order of service: approx £100 in materials, design concept by Kate, graphical design by yours truly, assembly by a team of friends

Ceilidh band: £450 - local band that were delighted to do it, very enthusiastic, very good and got everybody dancing

Brass trio: £165 - students from the Royal Northern College of Music, played incidental music and the carols in the service

Cake: £180 from Cake Heaven, Lydgate - they also provided a stunning high-speed repair service when the groom let the cake slide in the back of the car!

Video: £150, again a friend who normally does this professionally

Brides and bridesmaids outfits: cost of the material, though that wasn't cheap! It helps when the bride's mother is a fully qualified seamstress!

Honeymoon: a quiet cottage in the Lakes for just the three of us - me, Kate and the dog Tess! All we wanted was some time away by ourselves, and a chance to catch up after the efforts of putting the wedding together.

Several things helped to make this a really special day. Somebody used to organising is needed for getting things done - but then Kate and I are both amateur stage managers, experienced in presenting shows on low budgets! The only downside - we both had shows to organise in November, the month before the wedding!

Marrying into a village atmosphere was great - everybody pitched in to help.

The venue is a combined hall and church, with the altar in an alcove off the hall itself. So we set the tables out from the start, with the flowers and candles but no place settings. The atmosphere rapidly became like a party before the service even started, rather than the sombre atmosphere a church can present.

If you are in the Saddleworth area, find a copy of the May/June issue of the Saddleworth magazine - there is a two-page write-up of the day in there!

alison6692

http://www.themunkybutler.com/wedding-favors-c-63.html?osCsid=94de0f4c43f9174aa7eb9a8fbd701b65

Hope this helps someone x