Ultimate Budget Wedding Challenge!

bbsparkles

My fiance and I have just decided to get married in March/April after a 6 year engagment.

We want to keep it as simple and small as possible.

We have 1/2 months to organise it and a budget of £500! lol

I already have a dress and jewellery, so that isn't a problem. The registry office costs £103.50 altogether. That leaves us £400 to work with.

We are only having the 13 most special people as guests but I am having so much trouble finding a nice (inexpensive!) venue for a quiet dinner, or I thought afternoon tea would be nice but where?!?

I don't want our little party to be lost in a big venue. I'm looking for cosy and intimate.

Please, any ideas for such a tiny, low budget wedding (in such little time) would be hugely appreciated. I want to have a sweet, little reception where I can celebrate with all our loved ones but the wedding industry only seems to cater for huge, elaborate events.

P.S - We live in a tiny flat so can't have it at home. And we have no help from our families.

We're in Brighton by the way.

MrsTinks

Have you tried speaking to your local pub if it's nice? Otherwise try local hotels to see if they have a small room where you could have a dinner or tea in the afternoon.
Just don't mention it's for a wedding as this can push up prices. Call it "an intimate gathering of family" or some such and if they offer you a price ask for something at 75% of what they quote. They'd rather make a little money than no money at all from renting out the room etc.

Good luck!

betty-boo_4

wot bout friends/family house (e.g parents or a close friend) if thers is bigger, at least then it wont cost u anythin & u will b able 2 make what ever food u want alot cheaper than what any1 else wud charge & every1 wud save on alcohol, u cud tel them jus 2 bring a bottle..lol.
Or u cud try the likes of a parish hall who may not charge.
Im gettin married next sept & its costin a fortune but we both ave very big families, so avent much choice, so if u ave ant tips pass them on PLZ

sethsgran

I'd go with home or family home. You could even ask friends to donate food, eg aunt Marys speciality with ham. This might sound mean but it really isn't we always do this at get togethers and for our sons wedding friends brought dessert for approx 1/2 guests, we had 200 come. They were all willing to join in and I assigned out to friends their speciality recipes, at the most it will just cost ingredients but usually people donate.

Usually you will know friend of a friend whose mum will do the flowers, buttonholes are really easy to do. For cars if you need them once again ask friends to help, you could pay for their car to be washed and have a white sheet put in the back over seat to protect your clothes. For photographs get friends to share their copies with you, you can pick and choose so easily now with digital cameras.

lilgreenmomo

Hi BBSparkles, congratulations on decided to tie the knot. I hope you have a lovely time. I thought my budget was modest at £2000 but in comparison yours is teeny There are some lovely places in Brighton & I am sure you will be able to find somewhere. The family home thing sounds like a nice idea too but as there are so few of you it might be nice to 'eat out' I do know a couple of pubs in that area who specialise or did specialise in sausage & mash menus, lots of different gravy's sausages & mash variations. Would that be something you might like?

bbsparkles

lilgreenmo-that sounds amazing! I'm definitely interested!

roxalana

bbsparkles wrote: »

My fiance and I have just decided to get married in March/April after a 6 year engagment.

We want to keep it as simple and small as possible.

We have 1/2 months to organise it and a budget of £500! lol

I already have a dress and jewellery, so that isn't a problem. The registry office costs £103.50 altogether. That leaves us £400 to work with.

We are only having the 13 most special people as guests but I am having so much trouble finding a nice (inexpensive!) venue for a quiet dinner, or I thought afternoon tea would be nice but where?!?

I don't want our little party to be lost in a big venue. I'm looking for cosy and intimate.

Please, any ideas for such a tiny, low budget wedding (in such little time) would be hugely appreciated. I want to have a sweet, little reception where I can celebrate with all our loved ones but the wedding industry only seems to cater for huge, elaborate events.

P.S - We live in a tiny flat so can't have it at home. And we have no help from our families.

We're in Brighton by the way.

How about Le Mangerie in Hove (opposite Tesco)? It is approx £19 for a (lovely) three course meal, it is BYO wine and they don't charge corkage. The menu is small but the food is very nice and the BYO policy means drinks are cheap - might mean you can have sparkly! The staff are very friendly - although I have to admit the place doesn't look the poshest from the outside - please don't judge it on that! We go there on anniversaries etc.

For afternoon tea - normally I would suggest the Mock Turtle in Pool Valley although I haven't been there recently and I know they have had new owners - perhaps you could reserve the downstairs bit?

Or the Tea cosy (think it has a website) which is the Royal themed one on Southover street which does High Tea's on cake stands (although I think the cake is nicest at the mock turtle - tea cosy hot choc cannot be faulted though). They do book for parties as my friend had her hen do there.

I will keep thinking though.