Wedding Reception at home..???

tubie22

msb5262 wrote: »

The dress sounds lovely and the dress/converse combination sounds brilliant - can we see a photo (even if it's only your lower half) after the event please?

You can try and stop me posting photos everywhere and anywhere! :j

tubie22

MrsDrink wrote: »

Hurrah for short wedding dresses!!

Always knew it was going to be short. To me, its more fun, a little more casual but still gorgeous. And the fact that i'm only 5'2, a long dress wasn't gonna happen!

MrsDrink

Lol I'm 5ft2.5 (beat you ), and I always knew I would have our wedding reception at home so I never wanted a long dress that'd just be a nightmare in the garden. Although that didn't stop me from wearing sky scraper heels (I am a heel girl).

My now-sister-in-law got married to my brother a month or so after we got married, and she had a long beautiful dress with a bustle, but the bustle didn't work so her dress was ruined by the end of their reception at their house.

(When I was dress shopping there just wasn't enough short dresses to choose from - in the end I ordered a normal length princess dress and had the bottom hacked off lol).

Awwww I love talking weddings. Thank you for this thread!! x

tubie22

MrsDrink wrote: »

Lol I'm 5ft2.5 (beat you ), and I always knew I would have our wedding reception at home so I never wanted a long dress that'd just be a nightmare in the garden. Although that didn't stop me from wearing sky scraper heels (I am a heel girl).

My now-sister-in-law got married to my brother a month or so after we got married, and she had a long beautiful dress with a bustle, but the bustle didn't work so her dress was ruined by the end of their reception at their house.

(When I was dress shopping there just wasn't enough short dresses to choose from - in the end I ordered a normal length princess dress and had the bottom hacked off lol).

Awwww I love talking weddings. Thank you for this thread!! x

I LOVE talking weddings too....other half isn't exactly bursting with ideas (men, eh?) so it's nice to chat about my ideas and see what other people think and get other ideas from people. Super Duper! :j

LottieLou

My best friend had her whole wedding at her grandads house! They had a marquest the size of the garden and got married under there, the kitchen was the bar, they converted the garage into the 'club/dancing room' and went to the local park for the more formal wedding pictures. The house was packed but it was THE BEST wedding I have ever been to.

Do your day exactly how you both want it, if you enjoy it other people will too.

savingqueen

We had our wedding reception at home nearly 10 years ago. DH really didn't want a big formal do and we didn't have much spare money after buying our house and were planning a family next. The whole thing was homemade including invites, flowers, cake, decorations - except my dress and DH's suit (which he still wears now!)

We did all the catering ourselves with help from family. Had 70 people but made enough food for about 200 - we didn't want to run out of food!! Have much more idea about these things now! We bought an extra, small fridge (2nd hand) and used cooler bags and planned meticulously. People helped themselves to the massive buffet. Bought lots of booze, all different kinds for our own bar. My dad used to be a barman so he had optics etc and set it up really well.

We decorated the inside and front and back gardens and moved all excess furniture upstairs. We begged and borrowed chairs to add to our own. Luckily we had a very hot day and people sat out in the garden until 9pm as well as using the inside. We lit lots of lanterns with tealights in the garden in the evening- it looked lovely. We bought lots of plants with flowers to match the colour theme and had the pleasure of them for the rest of the summer. WE bought a gazebo in case of rain but we didn't need it.

Everyone mingled and relaxed and had lots of comments it was the best wedding they had been to. I know lots of people though who would be horrified at what we did as it was so simple and low budget. Surprising I didn't find the day stressful but it was very hard work in the run up - probably not helped by moving and having to decorate some rooms and plan a wedding all in 6 months!

I would end by saying go for it! It will be great and very personal, just plan, plan, plan and get other people roped in to help. Good luck!

kittykat100

Thank you so much for showing pictures of your wedding! We are getting married in Vegas and then plan on having a belated house party/reception when we get back. I love how you did the garden with the individual gazeebos. We are borrowing a long one from a neighbour incase it throws it down - which is my only worry, however I really like the individual ones with the table and chairs under them.

I like the idea of the photos being streamed too - great idea!

Thanks again

Kittyxx

MrsDrink wrote: »

Okay just a *few* piccies ha!
Inside The House:

We had the laptop set up to stream the photos we'd gotten back from the photographer from the ceremony so those who couldn't make it could see them.


I had LOADS of balloons in our wedding colours all over the inside of the downstairs of the house. Cheap and cheerful way to 'weddingfy' the house to make it more special than 'just' a house party. Oh and while I'm at it, I also did some signs for the toilets as not everyone had been to our house before (and we had just finished the downstairs toilet which noone had used).




To keep everyone's alcohol flowing I actually got a second fridge (oh I also got a second freezer to store all the food in before I cooked/prepared it on the day). I put a sign on the front of the 'drinks' fridge asking people to replace their cool drinks with a warm one on the side. I was reliably informed that this kept the drinks cold. I have heard of people having big buckets/baths of iced water - but the problem with that is getting the drinks out especially when the ice has melted - guys don't really want to be having to take their jackets off/rolling their sleeves up to dive in.


The wedding cake - hand made by me, a month in advance and frozen (another reason I needed another freezer). Taken out and defrosted in place. (Although if doing similar put the table it's on on something water proof as all the water from the cheesecakes defrosting dribbled down the back of ours and went on the carpet - luckily it hasn't stained it.)

Outside The House


Again I had more balloons outside, but I also made these. (And sold the hearts on ebay afterwards for a small profit!!)




I did look into hiring a marquee - but omg they are far too expensive. I got these gazebos from Tescos Direct at the time of the queens jubilee when everyone was having garden parties!! Saved me a fortune. They were something ridiculous like £14/17 each!! They were really just incase it !!!!ed it down and would provide the smokers somewhere to go.


These were my equivalent to chair covers. And the greatest thing is I still have them on display.

And one final photo - just to prove we had a good time:

tubie22

Best thing is...I work for Clintons! HELLO, 40% staff discount on my balloon displays, confetti for tables etc!

ska_lover

kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkit at home for definate.

tubie22

ska_lover wrote: »

I am getting married this August, and the most important thing I have learned from the whole planning process is that everyone has got an opinion when it comes to weddings, but the only opinion that matters is yours and your H2B.

I love the idea of having a reception at home - if our place was big enough I would have held it at home for definate.

Our place isn't really that big either (not a stately home with grounds and a pool). Just a simple 2 bed converted flat that used to be an old mill, so very high brick ceilings. Open plan living/kitchen means we have a wide open space, hence why we are able to have it at home.

Definitely agree with the everyone having an opinion thing. My sister got married around xmas 2011 and she had a traditional church wedding, proper invitations, fancy cars, expensive flowers and photography, a 4 course sit down meal at a hotel, speeches, the works. I sort of feel that she will be expecting me to do the same because it the 'done' thing to have at weddings. I will be so pleased with myself when she realises I am having an altogether different affair.