Wedding Tips start here...

mini

I am so please Ms Thrift has her shoes ;D at long last.

I agre with the dress 'thing' keep looking, mine talked to me, well no not really but it was everything I wanted right there in front of me, I had gone to look for Bridesmaids dresses (I may have said that before, I'm getting on a bit now )

Mrs_Thrift

Thanks mini ;D

Yes, nh, you must keep looking - it's worth it. And let us know when you find "the one"!

I have one minor worry at the moment - I'm just not worried! Everyone keeps telling me that in the six months before the wedding I'll be so stressed that I'll stop eating and the weight will drop off...... but it's just over four months and I'm still waiting for the stress to kick in!! 8)

My Mum and I would both love to lose a few stress-induced pounds, but there's no sign of it happening. Has anyone else had this "problem" ??? ::)

mini

6 months before our wedding we didn't even know we'd be getting married! But I couldn't eat in the 3 or 4 days before, it's a bit early to give up eating, if you're happy and not (too)stressed that's the main thing If you have done things your way you probably don't have much to worry about, it's when people start interfering or you try and please everyone the stress starts imho

Mrs_Thrift

Ah well, Mr Thrift and I rarely try and please other people, and Mum isn't the interfering sort, so we'll just have to resort to exercise to move those pesky extra pounds. Ho hum. ;D

System

My wedding is in fifteen days and as for weight dropping off Sorry but I THINK NOT. I give up now anyway if I lose weight the dress wont fit anyway is my theory.

My tip is beware of hidden extras I looked for a nice reasonably priced dress from a company that makes and sell dresses arround local hotels. I t was priced at just under 5oo pounds and we thought that was reasonable for a one off design, until you add the hooped skirt underneath, the fitting charges and the veil. This then brought the price much more in line with other places which have this stuff included.
Still nevermind I have a lovely dress and a lovely day to look forward to.

Also beware of the grooms nerves. My fiance has been a nightmare for the last two weeks.

Have fun on your wedding Ms Thrifty and I hope you all save loads of cash.

My budget was 7000 and we look to spend about 6000 but that includes a bar tab of 500, so I think thats not too bad considering we let the inlaws have alot of what they wanted in the end. :-/

System

Hello my darlings

Weddings oh don't you just love them. We had a great one. My job invovles styling events - sooo here are some of my top tips for beautiful and cost effective do's....

Make a hundred or so fairy cakes (dust with icing sugar and pop on a little flower). Pile them up into a tower in a huge basket as an alternative to the trad. Around £10 ex gas.

Style the whole of the reception yourself. Buy flowers direct (covent garden flower market is very good in London - Boxes of fifty stems for £25). Snip white roses and pile them into plain glass IKEA vases on tables/or for a more simple feel use terracotta pots. Nip into a forest and snip some ivy and lay it over the tables (higgldy piggldy). FREE.. For a scent think about trying rosmary or bay too. Cheap and chic. We used bay leaves from my mum and dad's garden and used them as place name settings (in gold pen) and then tied them to the napkins with hessian string.

Use white sheets as the tablecloth base then go to fabric merchants or John Lewis will do and buy fabric for net curtains (sheer/slightly lacey). Starts at around £3 per metre. Throw it over the top of the white sheet (and why not pop some confetti between the two layers too...?)

Price's candle shop sell cheaply and will do a deal for you as well. We bought 250 candles for £150 and created a pyre in the centre of the tables. Buy quantities of objects and then repeat them over and over for a beautiful effect (and increase your negotiation power into the bargain.)

Anyway enough for now I could go on.....in fact..

PS By the way MAC makeup artists are independent and will give you a 45 min faceover for £15 - redeemable against purchase - (which for all you glowing brides has to be its strobe cream which makes you look about twel[glow=red,2,300][/glow]ve!!).

Have fun and rememeber it's about who you love at the end of the day.

:-*

System

HI EVERYONE, I GOT MARRIED TWO YEARS AGO AND IT WAS ON A BUDGET OF £1000 AND I PLANNED IT MYSELF AND STILL HAD MONEY TO SPARE.
I HAVE LOADS OF TIPS, SO GET IN TOUCH AND I WILL HELP.
HAPPY PLANNING

System

Marks & Spencer has got there iced fruit cake on offer & also the pillars.
I'm having fortune cookies instead of favours, £9 for 100 at my local chinese supermarket.
I get married in 7 weeks & i'm starting to panic!! I still got things to do

Jeryth

Hello, just joined here. I'm planning a wedding for July 2006, on a very tight budget. I've read this thread with interest, got some ideas. I really need help getting me head around the plans that we have:
intimate registry office service
intimate meal
huge evening party

I really wanted people to contribute to the day as their wedding gift, but it seems it's not the done thing. So what about splashing out on the party (that's the biggest cost), and asking for supermarket vouchers so we are guaranteed to be able to eat in the months afterwards?

System

Hi Miss Thrifty

I'm getting married on Friday 13th August, and as everyone's said above, you definitely save going "off peak". Also, lots of availabilty as it's not a "popular" date.

Tips as follows:

1. Ebay. Got tiara, veil, attendants' gifts etc at a fraction of the price. Also a good place to "window shop" for ideas for anything

2. Flowers - we're reusing the ones from the church for the reception... a good florist can work that out.

3. Dress. This one's alread mentioned, but it also means you can design dresses that can be shortened (if needed) by bridesmaids and worn again.

4. Fabric for dresses - if anyone's travelling to the Far East, excellent silk at fraction of the price. One of my friend's got mine - also dressmakers have cheap whole sale suppliers but great quality.

5. Cheap but fun favours - we're using Lottery tickets (only 50 guests) to go with the "luck" theme which are cheaper than lots of other options.

6. Set budgets for everything and stick to them.

Best of luck