Finding an affordable venue!

Miss_Riot

cashewnut wrote: »

£1200 for the use of a field with nothing else!?! The phrase "being robbed blind" springs to mind...

That's how I feel it seems like that's the going rate - I've had 3 venues tell me the same figure for the same facilities. It's crazy!!!

Miss_Riot

savvy wrote: »

When I was planning, I looked at caves which were dead cool, and an old ruined castle that had a covered vault, so cool and like me, very alternative!!

Oh please tell!! Anything in the midlands area?

Miss_Riot

flea72 wrote: »

A farmer isnt going to let you use his field for free. Also camping on stubble is very rough/uncomfortable. Camping also isnt cheap, unless all your friends/family already own all the gear. Best to book so far in advance that they have time to get cheap hotel rooms as soon as they are released (ie £29 travelodge/premier inn). There are lots of community rooms in Birmingham that you could hire (usually attached to places of worship)

As for catering for dietary requirements, Yes its nice to think of others, but you have to draw the line somewhere, ie one meat and one vegi option (most venues though will cater for medical dietary requirements on an individual basis)

If youre prepared to do the catering/decorating yourself and want an outdoor venue (and dont mind it not being exclusive), then i would just use a local park/ beauty spot and take over an area out of the way. Picnic weddings are quite popular and easy to cater for. Or take over the whole of a campsite and hire it for everyone and have a bbq and mini festival

I was hoping to find a grazing field or finding a meadow. Most of our friends are on the festival circuit so have plenty of kit, and my mum has a yurt so we should be ok there. We have spoken to several caterers and they've said they'll charge up to £15 per person that has a dietary request - so 4 vegans, 3 lactose intolerant, 3 gluten free, 2 diabetics, and me that has a soya allergy so that near £200 extra so that they and I the bride can eat. That's a large chunk of our budget and not fair on me!

Someone else did suggest the local park but we can't have amplified music we've been told so many road blocks it feels bloody impossible!

Miss_Riot

missbiggles1 wrote: »

http://www.yha.org.uk/groups/special-occasions
http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/conference-and-banqueting/weddings/
http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/assets/Uploads/Wedding-Brochure-2016-2017.pdf
https://www.bclm.co.uk/visiting/venue-hire/66.htm
http://actonscott.com/wedding
http://trulyquirkyweddingvenues.co.uk/venues/woodland-tipi-yurts-camping-wedding-venue/

Sorry, I got carried away.

Will call YHA in the morning, acton Scott is far more reasonable than what we have previously been quoted - not sure about camping though?!

Truly quirky weddings is great apart from its good hour+ drive which is a long way to drive at night. If 50 stay then we could find local accommodation for the other 20ish I'm sure so that's worth considering.

I don't know if I'm being silly doing things outside considering my current mobility is poor but I'm hoping in 2 years to be much healthier and more mobile. If not I'll just have to hire and all terrain mobility scooter for the weekend! ;p

Miss_Riot

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Outside space
Car Parking
Showers/toilets for campers
Function room + bar + use of kitchen

... sounds like you need a rugby club or similar.

Have checked with severs locally and none were up for campers, or amplified music after 10 even though I could apply for a temporary extension of their licence...I guess they don't want people mucking up their sacred green like boots do every weekend. We'd even be getting married out of rugby season too which is why I though they might want the money but no. The Ricoh arena let you get married there but at a massive cost with obviously no camping!

Miss_Riot

paddyrg wrote: »

Cinemas, theatres?

Again it's needing the outdoor space for our interfaith/pagan flavoured blessing. Although the electric cinema was tempting.

jackyann

Can't help with the area, but we have been to a few weddings where owners of a large house that has outdoor space will let it out for DiY celebrations. They don't always advertise in the mainstream wedding things.
I'd spread the word among your friends as word of mouth is usually how you find these places. Look at the YHA - I went to a celebration (admittedly in winter) where we rented a whole youth hostel. You talk of the festival circuit - think of those sort of campgrounds / places and ask around. I also know of a farm that rents out its campsite for weddings - with the faint-hearted in local B&Bs (sorry, none of these remotely near West Mids!)

You may then have to have a legal wedding at a registry office, with your "real" wedding ceremony at your choice of venue.

Whilst being careful of food safety, consider asking for a lot of help around catering. I recently attended a wedding where staff (local kids, one of whom had a mum who knew the ropes), crockery, cutlery were hired in. A chiller trailer was hired so guests could bring contributions and they could be kept safely - a whole cold buffet beautifully done by family & friends. It wasn't as polished as professional caterers - and none of us cared - we were too busy having a good time (and getting recipes from each other!)

You have to put in the work yourselves, and rope in willing family / friends (if they're hard up, they'll be happy to give their labour as a gift)

paddyrg

Miss_Riot wrote: »

Again it's needing the outdoor space for our interfaith/pagan flavoured blessing. Although the electric cinema was tempting.

I do understand, by the way, I got married in a stone circle on private land in Warminster (an ex-festival site)! We got VERY lucky with the weather - eek! There was much about the day that suited us, but it really didn't suit the elder relatives - Just saying ;-) Funnily enough, I used to live in Brum, too.

I now rent an office from a small cinema that does weddings - they've had owls delivering rings in the screen, etc., and with some preparation you can have trees or similar projected to create some link back.

If I was doing it over, and didn't want to travel too far from Brum, I'd drive some backroads and just ask a few farms. Don't forget to think about transport, parking, toilets and power (it's nice to run a festoon from the tent to the loos to the parking) - but your festi circuit friends can help with that lot, I'm certain!

CherubP

Hi, how about a barn wedding with accommodation for 16 plus camping facilities, South Wales though! Not sure about the price but you could always ask campers to pay towards a pitch. Webpage says you can do your own thing to the barn which might include sorting your own catering
Can't post links as I only joined a few weeks ago website is thehooley.co.uk

Miss_Riot

paddyrg wrote: »

I do understand, by the way, I got married in a stone circle on private land in Warminster (an ex-festival site)! We got VERY lucky with the weather - eek! There was much about the day that suited us, but it really didn't suit the elder relatives - Just saying ;-) Funnily enough, I used to live in Brum, too.

I now rent an office from a small cinema that does weddings - they've had owls delivering rings in the screen, etc., and with some preparation you can have trees or similar projected to create some link back.

If I was doing it over, and didn't want to travel too far from Brum, I'd drive some backroads and just ask a few farms. Don't forget to think about transport, parking, toilets and power (it's nice to run a festoon from the tent to the loos to the parking) - but your festi circuit friends can help with that lot, I'm certain!

We did think of doing that, I've even contacted the NFU but had no response (tbh they've got better things to be doing than finding me a wedding venue but I thought it worth a shot). I have a friend who's dad has pretty much a suburban mansion (but with elderly neighbours) and a 200ft garden and even a swimming pool but I think 70 ppeople might be a bit much as well as music until late (although it was my younger neighbors that had issue with my housewarming party, my older neighbour came and danced the night away).

We (well I because he's a bit sick of wedding talk already - I'm ill and he's home looking after me so its a bit 24/7 so I can't blame him, I'm not great company!) are considering welsh borders and maybe south wales - I was born in Cardiff and my maid of honour lives in south Wales, but its another 2 hrs for many of my family from east anglia...

haha...this bit is hard enough, the catering is going to be a #%!*ing nightmare! I need 2 years to get all the planning done... I need to get myself better first though!