Wedding Tips start here...

BattyForumTrawler

Hi,

I just thought I'd add my experience. We decided, on new years eve, to get married on 2nd May this year. So we haven't got long to plan it but 3 weeks along and I'm pretty much set now.
We are going to the local registry office with our friends and family. 45 of us in total. and then we are having the reception in are garden. My mum and I are making the buffet food, my future father in law is manning the BBQ on the day and the best man is bringing his Easy up marquee (which will fill our modest garden). I bought a Cath Kidston Gazebo a couple of years ago in the sale and its been my inspiration for our english garden themed wedding.
my mum is making my dress which will be a simple 50s style dress in a light blue cotton and the boys are hiring their morning suits from Moss.
We are inviting our friends to join us in the evening for a drink, BYOB, and nibbles.
For the hen night the ladies are joining me at a local spa that does an evening deal in the week that includes use of the facilities, pasta and wine. its only £32 each and will be a lovely treat the night before the wedding.
Ive handmade my invitations and have been collecting all my old glass jars which i will put cheap tea lights in for a lovely effect in the evening. These can be used inside or out, unless its raining. and you can hang them from trees too, just twist some wire around the top and make a handle. Make sure its long enough that the heat from the flame wont burn anything but it works a treat and looks fab.
We arent having flowers as there are a lot of flowers in the prints on the gazebo etc.
Im baking a couple of sponges and icing them with butter cream, everyones favourite, and my mum is making some sugar flowers to decorate it with on the day.
Im hoping the weather stays nice but if not i bought a lovely victorian shaped umbrella some time ago which is a similar colour to my dress. No harm in being prepared. Im also hoping that I can treat myself to some gorgeous sunglasses instead of a tiara as they will be much more useful and wont ruin my beehive style Ill be wearing. Plus i just love sunglasses and im hoping it will be sunny on the day.

I know I sound mad but i love my fiance and we feel a marriage is more important than the wedding. This will cost us under £1000 and we are hoping to go to a Greek island in September, off peak, as a honeymoon and Ive found Thassos is particularly nice and not touristy so there are some lovely hotels that dont cost the earth.

Hope that helps. Ill report back after the big day

Soon to be Mrs x

cadeyryley

Hi all,
first of just wanted to say thank you to you all for some amazing tips! i wish i would of vistied this website a lot earlier then what i have done! :T
Most of our wedding is already prepared thank god considering we have just found out that we are expecting our first child on 28th June! luckily a few months before the wedding. But the things we have left we are having to keep to a budget.
Just wondered if anyone can help me with a couple of things which i have left to do, I live in the lincolnshire area so really need things round here as me and my partner dont have access to transport other then buses etc....
A) we are still looking for someone to video the wedding for a reasonable price, something which we would like but not willing to pay the £1000 that most people charge
Also i would like some tips on dying clothes, I have found some great reasonable priced bridesmaids dresses but they are in white and am wanting them to be burgundy and are just a plain thin fabric.
C) Also mens wedding favours, i have put some small packets of love hearts for the women but have no ideas for the men, also something which is of reasonable price again lol

I think thats about it for now but will be sure to come back if i remember some more. I have took some good ideas from this which will be great features at our wedding.

A tip i have which i was quite proud of coming up with :rolleyes: is for our centre pieces, i have gone to a reasonable local florist which is producing some great vases of flowers and great centre pieces over all. As we cant afford to buy presents for people who are contributing to costs of cakes, entertainment etc.... We are giving the centre pieces as gifts so we dont have to buy extras but also so were not left with a load of wasted flowers. We will dedicate them to people sat on the tables and put labels on them.

sheenangel

I have been given an unlimted corkage charge by my venue and as a result need to buy alcohol for about 100-150 people. What is the best way to do this - buy here or go on a booze cruise? Due to the currency I'm not sure whats best?

kiraroo

cadeyryley wrote: »

C) Also mens wedding favours, i have put some small packets of love hearts for the women but have no ideas for the men, also something which is of reasonable price again lol

how about chocolate footballs? i know Thorntons sell them in little bags

iz007

rvd_08 wrote: »

I think this is a lovely idea. I have been looking on the Oxfam web site and by the looks of things they will tailor some of their Oxfam Unwrapped Presents for wedding favours. This is such a fab idea thanks !!

xx

You're welcome. It was a lovely idea (my Mum gets the credit for that!) and the guests seemed to appreciate it. For the children, my Mum made up little party bags that included a few toys and a colouring book etc. It's quite a long day for the little ones and this seemed to help pass the time for them.

hannahcallum

does anyone know whether Virgin Airlines does honeymoon vouchers?

careym

Yep, check here

https://www.virgin.com/thevirginvoucher

Clare_1980

Hi,
Im new to the site, but panicking over my bridesmaid dresses. I ordered two yesterday from a chinese company, and Im not sure how much import tax I will need to pay (shouldve really checked that out first!!). I want to order my wedding dress from a chinese company too, but need to know whether i will be stung massively for an import tax. Just wondered if anyone else know?

Thanks

newbuilder

Last time we checked import tax from China was 12% plus 15% VAT on top of the new total (cost + import tax).

Import tax is also added onto postage etc.

Clare_1980

Thanks very much for your help - I really appreciate it