General Chat

Were you one or will you be one? My friend is getting married in December and her budget is non-existant, she just needs to do everything as low priced as possible. Im having my marriage blessed in July 2011 and although our budget isnt as low, I still like a bargain! If anyone has hints or tips Id love to hear them, and I have many ideas of my own so I might be able to help someone with their day.

Romany, may I make a suggestion. Keep away from the wedding fayres. They have prices like footballers wages.
Around here, some of the charity shops make a special feature of wedding dresses, and I have seen some real beauties myself, as they fill their windows up with lovely frocks.
If you are looking for something suitable for yourself, for a wedding blessing, again, I would suggest the charity shops. Go to a town that is abit posher than where you live, not that I am suggesting it is down at heal, but you get a better class of charity buys, and sometimes, designer stuff.
I hope both occasions go off well, and you all have a lovely time.
Julia in Derbyshire

Oh I know Julia, I went to one with my friend, there wasnt a deal there (after paying the £3 entrance fee lol) but we got some great ideas for invitations and placecards etc. My creative friends will now make her own copying these ideas lol! Thanks for your kind words, we're getting quite a bit from ebay at the minute and bought little girls party dresses instead of bridesmaid dresses - no difference!

Hi, a good way of helping out is for guests to supply something for the reception instead of buying a wedding present, this could be decorating the venue, making a food contribution, getting a friend to drive the bridal party to the service, etc.
the average cost of a wedding nowadays is apparently £21,000 to me this is just wreckless exstravagance(?) i for one could never justify this sort of money, my wedding cost £250 21 years ago, and we have the most amazing memories of a day spent with those nearest and dearest to us.x Izzy

get friends to print off invitations and evening invites as a free favour,:
buy any table decorations as and when and store away,
once idea is formed ,,,,,,

look for bargain dresses ,,,,,,plain or fussy can be re-styled,to make lovely bridalwear...

have just started out on this process and 000s are adding by the week,,,,,:}}}}}}

And when you do go shopping do not, under any circumstances, mention that it's for a wedding. The price seems to triple!

Jill

£21,000!! Oh my Lord, where do they get this money? I hope their marriages work, after paying that! There was a gypsy wedding in Kent that we attended a few years ago, I wont say how much it cost but it was the price of a small house in the midlands. But what a day, I think I wasnt the only envious one there! It seems whenever 'wedding' is mentioned, prices are suddenly trebled. Im buying the Tesco 4-tier wedding cake and decorating itmyself with red roses and edible glitter. Cost - £45 instead of £300 the bakers quoted. I want a big day so am having bridesmaids, but have bought my adult bridesmaid a new prom dress off ebay instead of a bridesmaid dress, only £30 and with the money Ive saved Ive bought her gloves, shoes, handbag and a hair clasp. (Mrs Grumpy, great minds think alike, we posted that prices treble at the same time....) Kay, you can set up a free website at mywedding.com and a page on Facebook to invite people to your wedding, set the privacy controls and its private to only people you invite. Ebay is good for 'save the date' magnets, I got 30 for £7 inc postage, beautiful with red roses on.

do you have a local pub who could do food free (for extra custom
charity shops for wedding outfit some are donated un worn
shoes are usually hidden by dress so very nearly wore my boots under mine for comfort last nove, my wedding cost 250.00 pound.
wedding invites can be found in pound shops and balloons decorations etc, if you find your struggling to get stuff in pound isles give me a shout and will get them this end for you xx

Hi Pusser. Got sparkly shoes in New Look for £15 lol, that way I can wear them again and again after the big day. We've booked a sports and social club as its a decent place in a nice area but doesnt cost the earth, we have to have their food so we cant bring any in but Im sneaking fortune cookies in to have as favours. The buffet is reasonably priced, but as we're having an afternoon meal for 40 (I keep thinking noooo this is not a good idea, but then I think hang on, why shouldnt we have a nice day?) we have to buy their wine too. A friend is doing the disco and Im trying to find a cheap limosine company and photographer. Hadnt thought of all this when we announced to everyone we're having a big day!! We cant pin or tape anything to the walls/doors, so paying the venue to do balloon arches plus balloons on the tables. Doing my own hair/nails/make-up and having a £15 spray tan the day before. Its my friend Im concerned about, she has illusions she can pull off a £20,000 wedding for about £2,000. We do have a good laugh about it tho, better than stressing!

How many are going?

Could have a meal for close family only then a buffet ltaer on for the rest. gets lots to help out. any good friends and family would understand the cost etc.

Favours...tube of love hearts.
Buy cheap little vases and put garden flowers in them for the tables if allowed.
Buy ready made invites or make them theirself.
Some places will do food cheaper if they know in advance what people want. ie On invitation have them tick what they want and make it the the RSVP slip too. If you know what I mean lol.

Cake..individual small sponge cakes with initials of bride and groom...as the cake on tiered stand.
There was one wedding in Scotland in the paper and they had tunocks tea cakes and wafers set out really nice on stands.

I had two choices at mine steak pie and chicken I think . A frien made the cake as a present. borrowed shoes and veil. Had a small posey of flowers for both myself and my brides maid, who picked her own dress and was able to wear it again.
Favours were all on the cake and not eveyone got one just close family friends.
A friend took the photos with his then good camera.

That was 34 yr ago.

hi there i got married 17 years ago and was less than £2000.00 yet we had a great day. my best friends rented a video recorder for the day as a present which the result was a lovely reminder of the day. other good friends as a present between them provided the evening buffett. i made my own fresh flower table decorations for the reception. i also bought my wine in sainsburys and just had to pay £1.00 corkgage fee to the restaurant/pub owners.

when i bought my wedding dress, i went to debenhams they just so happened to have blue cross day. everything marked with a brown cross was then reduced again for one day only. my wedding dress was ivory dupon silk and at £560.00 was enough, i got it reduced to £140.00.

so you need to have a good shop around. another friend wrote all the name plates out for the reception. fees like the church and vicar etc obviously you have to pay those yourself and can add up, say if you want extras like the bells rung.

i wish you luck with your wedding. its not really what it costs but what you make it and as long as youare happy and enjoy the day thats all that matters.

hope you all have a wonderfull time xxxxx

Marion, never thought of garden flowers!! I was going to have tealights on the tables with metallic confetti scattered around. I might still, but add little vases with flowers we can grow in advance in the garden, what a good idea :-) Florence it sounds like you had a lovely day to remember. Too true that its not about the money, nowadays it seems to be about how much everything costs and not about enjoying the day with close ones. I suppose Four Weddings is typical of that, critisizing brides dresses, venues etc. Saying that, Im addicted to that programme!! My daughter is glued to the screen when it comes on and shes only 9! We'll have about 40 to the church (small church with a choir but no bells) and then go to our venue for a meal, then at 7pm having an extra 30-40 people come for the buffet and disco. I cant afford a weding planner like everyone seems to have, so hoping it all works out.

Go for Bucks Fizz on arrival at the Reception…one ‘free’ glass pp. For your friend on a tight budget, they may be able to pick these up at a Lidls/Aldi, or make their own up. Keep a look out for special offers elsewhere if your friend isn’t tied to a Bar. She may know someone with a warehouse discount card.

Asti instead of Champagne for toasting.
One bottle of wine at the meal = 6 glasses
Tap water, not bottled.
If people want something different, they have to buy it themselves.
You might want to provide cartons/jugs of squash/fruit drinks for the non drinkers and children.
Let it be known in advance that it will be a Cash bar.
As said, make your own invites. If you aren’t ‘crafty’ you could do something on the computer and perhaps use slightly better quality paper than the usual stuff.

Don’t order too much food for the evening…a lot will get uneaten which is a shame. The evening people will have eaten at home, and the Wedding Breakfast people will still be stuffed!

Hope you both have lovely days.

Oh Romany its not mine,;;;;{}}}}}}}}tg.....

I'm just getting the major costs........}}}}}

lol Kay!!!

Keep an eye on the BHS website, we usually reduce the prices of our bridal range during May and June, you can pick up some of the dresses for half price (down from approx £100 to £50) and if we have a card holder event and you apply for the card on the day you'll get another 20% off. There is a 20% day for cardholders next wednesday. Also look at the special Occasion section in Childrens wear for some lovely dresses that could be used as bridesmaids dresses also the Sophie Gray range for adults, there are some smashing ones there that can be used afterwards.

Good luck

Book three weeks holiday,beg borrow os steal a tent and bugger off to Gretna Green.

Much more romantic and no expense.

I've been married twice,and would do it this way anytime.

Helen, for some reason I'd thought BHS had stopped their bridal range....dont know why. But now I know, I'll definately look at the dresses. My veil was from there for my original wedding day!

A friend of mine had a picnic and every body brought something to eat ......

Not sure where you would stand on this if they have a venue!! coz of health and safety

But they did bread butter cheese hams and pickles mustards

but as this is a December wedding you could do an indoor picnic