Wedding planning

[Tommyb]

I think no matter what you do people have an opinion about all the important things in your life, wedding, house and kids etc...
I know myself I cannot fadum people who get married before buying a house but that's just me and my thought process. Do I judge people as they decide to get married before buying a house, absolutely I think it's nuts but do I say it to their faces absolutely not sure it's their lives it doesn't effect me. I don't pretend like I'm perfect and nobody is we all be judging people behind their backs but I never say it to them, it's going to achieve nothing

My mum has always told me " don't take criticism from anyone you wouldn't go to for advice". Which as there's about 5 people id ask for advice from in my life who care about me there's no criticism I take .

My friends tried it with my house. It took me a year and a half to find the perfect house with my bf and all I got was " oh I'd hate to have a 4 bedroom ... We walked round one and it felt like a mansion to us!" This from my friend who I was so supportive of when she got her 2 bed new build. However it's socially unacceptable to say " yeah well I wouldn't want your 2 bed either it's too small".

Don't get why they cant be happy for me!

 

[TaylorMomsen]

Ohhhh I'm sad this thread wasn't started earlier on in the year!
I've had my Vegas wedding cancelled about 17 times so me and my now husband decided on a UK wedding and gave ourselves 10 weeks to plan it and we did it!

Points of advice:

• Music and food is key - all our guests are still talking about how amazing the food was and how much they loved the DJ
• Invite who YOU AND YOUR PARTNER WANT - fuck anyone who is trying to muscle in on your guestlist or give unsolicited advice
• Make sure you can sit down in your dress!
• If your bridal shop attempts to not offer you your final fitting PUSH FOR IT. I had my fitting of my dress at the end of August, dress fitted fine so they didn't offer me the standard two weeks before final fitting. Well I lost weight so the dress looked a show (in my head, it looked fine but not how I imagined)
• If you're having kids coming make them activity packs. We only had two (children of members of the bridal party) and I made them giftbags with colouring, play doh, kids digital camera, lego, some snacks and they were kept entertained the whole 10 hours of the reception
• Make sure snacks are available for children - at my friends wedding the food was delayed by two hours due to there not being enough chairs, children were tantruming everywhere because they were starving. A few multipacks of crisps and Maryland cookies will be greatly appreciated
• Make sure there's a good range of non-alcoholic drinks available for non-drinks / those who want to alternate with soft drinks
• MAKE A BAG OF ESSENTIALS - i.e pain killers, antihistamenes, phone chargers, plasters, hair brush, deo, hair spray, rennies etc. I did this at my friends and my wedding and they were greatly appreciated
• Have a multitool on hand just incase - all my mates LAUGHED THEIR HEADS OFF when I said I was bringing my leatherman with me - oh and guess who needed it to fix door handles, file nails, take out corks etc? Oh yes, all the friends who laughed at it!
• I am a project manager and my life is pretty rigid - I love a spreadsheet - and I hadn't accounted enough time in the morning for everyone getting ready and we were 10 mins behind schedule for the first look, so however long you think something will take double it! (I'm never late so this 10 mins behind schedule was giving me the sweats!)
• Do whatever YOU want - as me and my husband were meant to be getting married in Vegas, we tried to keep the UK wedding as non-traditional as possible so we spent the night together before and then all the bridal party (inc groomsmen) had breakfast and got ready together the morning of. So many people were horrified at us doing this but it was absolutely perfect for us and I wouldn't change it at all
• Recommend a first look - takes the pressure off you both in the ceremony. We could be as mushy as we wanted in the house in private, then we were all smiles and calm going in to do the vows - although Mr Momsen had the sweatiest palms still during the ceremony! His reaction to seeing me was a lot more natural as well as it was just our bridal party there to watch
• THE DJ - be strict with your DJ. My friends wedding he ended up playing every cheesy wedding song going, and when all our friendship group are goths the dancefloor was empty. For ours our DJ got our vibe right away and the dancefloor was filled from the first dance to when the plug was pulled
• CAKES - we went for Patisserie Valerie cakes and some cupcakes. Having the cupcakes made guests feel like they were able to go and eat them, instead of standing on ceremony waiting for the cake cut. No wasted cake for us!
• Invest in the -
  • Music
  • Food
  • Photos
  • Hair & make up

We had our reception in a function room over a little independent restaurant, we were their first wedding, and it was literally the best day of our lives. So relaxed and laid back. We decorated it together, we took it all down together, we went back to the restaurant yesterday for something to eat and all the staff were like "omg can it be your wedding again, it was the best night, so different and so fun"

 

[Giggling Squid]

Congratulations

Congratulations!!! Hope you had the perfect day 🤍

Congratulations!! Hope you had an amazing day!

Congratulations hope you and your partner had the best day

Congratulations to you and yours!

Thank you all We had the absolute best day ever. I loved every single minute.. even the photos in the pouring rain The only issue is that I want to do it all over again now!

 

[Tommyb]

We are not very traditional and don't want to spend a fortune. We only have 30 close family/friends to invite. So we are having a church ceremony followed by a reception at our house. We have a big garden so we are having two tables laid pushed together. With either a chef coming to the house to serve a 3 course meal or a hog roast. We also have a summer house with a bar so we are hiring someone to serve drinks. We are getting married at 4pm so a meal will be enough food. We are having some music, lights and decoration in the garden. My MIL to be is making the cake.

All in all for the quotes we have we will spend no more than £4.5k for everything. Another big saver is not having bridesmaids/groomsmen. Just having our neice and nephew as flower girl and page boy at the church. Very chill wedding where everyone leaves by 10pm

 

[Rippedjeanmaybe]

Probably a niche question but has anyone picked something a bit different to walk down the aisle to in terms of music? We nearly lost my dad just before Covid so he’s walking me in and I want to pick something for us, but my MiL says it should be mine and CoffeeDaddy’s
choice…

Rule no1 of marriage: always ignore your MIL and her “advice”

 

[Disneylifeonly]

My thing about abroad hen dos, and no offence to anyone that is doing this
I'd rather be able to say to my friends "right girls I've booked this hen do in the UK its going to cost £200 and these are the activities and we have this accommodation" so they're getting something for their money, instead of going "right girls I want to go to ibiza, and the flights alone are £200, the hotel is £80 per night each and then whilst we're there you need enough money for food, nightclub entry and booze"
It just doesn't seem realistic to me, its so much money
My friend suggested to me we all go to disneyland paris for mine and as sweet as a suggestion that is since I love disney, I could never ask them to spend that much, it would end up costing them about £300 each before we even had any food

 

[Laurenia]

What's everyones thoughts on buying a wedding dress online? Is it too risky? (I'm looking at Etsy)

There's a two-piece dress I LOVE from a wedding designer and I'm going to try it on in March - the skirt alone is £1550. A very similar two piece is available on Etsy for £350. Obviously I would need to get alterations for a perfect fit. It has good reviews and it's made in Russia.

I don't knowwwwww

I think if you can return it ok you’ll be fine, just in case the fit/quality aren’t what you anticipated.

After one of the most stressful weeks of my life, I’ve managed to save our wedding and find a new venue for the same date

 

[101d]

Perhaps the most exciting part for me... booked my dog walker last night to bring my two pugs to the ceremony as ring bearers

Can't wait to buy their suits lol

 

[101d]

Booked a mini-moon for the day after the wedding! A nice little lodge with a hot tub for me, h2b and our 2 pups

 

[bellinibobble]

Let's have some fun
Aisle song suggestions or what are you walking down the aisle to


Being a wedding coordinator I tend to see the same 4 or 5
Which are normally
A thousand years - Christina perrie
All of you - John legend
Thinking out loud - ed sheeran
Perfect - ed sheeran
And lately I've had numerous brides want you are the reason - callum scott (which btw I never understand because its a break up song but hey ho )

Different songs I've seen that are lovely
only you- selena gomez cover
Set my world on fire - selestine
Tenerife sea - ed sheeran
Once in a lifetime - landon Austin

I'm torn between two songs
Never enough - cover by Boyce avenue
Or a millions dreams - cover by the piano guys

I’m having Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles to walk down the aisle and then Hoppípolla by Sigur Rós for walking out after the wedding absolutely love music so had picked these out years ahead of booking the venue etc

With Christina Perri - A Thousand Years, I just associate it with Twilight and it’s in basically every wedding related reel I’ve seen on Instagram so seems a bit overdone.

Also anything E* S****** will be banned at our wedding

 

[Disneylifeonly]

In terms of gifts as well, one wedding I looked after, instead of gifts asked guests if they were able to to donate to Macmillan (the brides dad was unwell at the time) they got a nice box made up and everyone put the donations into there. They raised £2000

 

[BettyCrockerr]

I would be furious if someone asked me to be a bridesmaid and then told me I had to pay for the dress/hair/make up! If you want someone to be in the wedding party you pay for that as part of the wedding, and if you can’t afford that then you simply don’t have them involved.

 

[Penguin 124]

I said yes to the dress yesterday! Had zero intention or expectations but actually found the dream dress in the first shop I tried! How's everyone else's dress shopping going?

 

[candyland_]

Ordered my bridesmaid dresses.
Got them an absolute bargain. They went on sale. Then had a further 20% off. And then I had a 10% off discount code.
Got all 3 of my bridesmaid dresses for £113.

Are you paying? Im sure they will appreciate that. I’m a bridesmaid this summer and I have to pay for my own at £250, plus shoes hair and make up

 

[Rippedjeanmaybe]

That’s cute, really unique! I’m glad someone else has a theme, I have one and my friends laughed at me for having one.

Some people are just nasty! If they don’t have anything nice to say, they shouldn’t say anything at all! We have a subtle Mickey & Minnie theme to ours.

people keep saying to me (people from work or people who aren’t close to me and don’t know me personally) that there’s no point in getting married because it just ends in divorce and that it’s all a waste of money . It’s so rude and bitter, I wasn’t very happy growing up & alls I want is to enjoy my bit of happiness without people dragging me down!

 

[Giggling Squid]

My hair stylist has let me down with 4 weeks to go

 

[BettyCrockerr]

Well aside from anything else, and this is coming from me who is now a mum
Too many kids at a wedding, from what I've seen, make it a bloody circus.
I've looked after weddings before where the parents of the children aren't watching their kids because they're getting pissed somewhere and the kids are just running riot. I had to at one wedding kinds of shoo the kids away because they kept knee sliding around the dance floor when the couple were having their first dance and they were in the way of them and the photographer
Plus some of the other people my partner and I know who have children, their children are little spoilt shits and won't behave because we've seen them not even behave in a restaurant never mind a wedding.
To keep the little ones that are coming entertained, we booked a company that come and set up teepees, a colouring table and a mini soft play with a ball pit, it'll essentially be a "kids corner" and jt works great with our venue because we've got this like mini room almost just off from the dance floor so we'll be able to see them and know their safe but they'll still be able to have their own space. I think were going to set up maybe my old laptop or something as well with some movies. During the meal were getting them all children's place mats that have colouring in and activities on them.

Lordy, that’s a lot of effort and expense to keep kids quiet at a wedding! I wouldn’t be pandering to them like that, I’d just not have them there! My opinion is, it’s a WEDDING - it’s not meant to be a kids party. But that’s just me!

 

[Disneylifeonly]

Fun facts for everyone after taking about hen dos
The average cost for a UK hen do is currently between £200-300 per head
And if you're going abroad, a head spinning £800-900 per head

 

[bellinibobble]

Is anyone doing a wedding website? Which is your favourite?

I’ve used withjoy for ours. Deleted all the cringey sections out though - would rather die than post a ‘Our story’ rundown

 

[Penguin 124]

What's been the reason for the fall out? We haven't but we are not having a conventional wedding and no one else is involved.

The two of them have been less than interested, complaining it's a weekday wedding and they can't afford a long weekend in the UK for the stag (one of them is getting married this year too and his stag is 5 nights abroad ). The other has text to say he's too busy to be best man now and find someone else - we're getting married in 4 months and not even an apology. It's all long winded but that's the summary lol