 Abella, posted
over a year ago
I am a great believer in planning a wedding that is completely affordable for the couple themselves.
For both weddings we the couple paid for almost everything. My father had died and my mother's aim was to spend up on her outfit. She was not asked to pay for the venue, the food, the drinks, the cake, the cars, the flowers, the priest, the bridal attire and she never offered in any case, which we expected. We paid in advance for things as we booked them.
We visited the Church first, 12 months before the wedding and discussed things with the priest and chose the smaller chapel as we also chose a limited guest list of 39 specially close friends, family and relatives. The priest asked us to also visit him regularly each month prior to the wedding, which we did.
We chose the wedding invitation style for the invitations and for the thank you cards to send to those who might give us gifts to be sent out after the wedding and took our examples to a local store that could print up invitations in various styles.
I did not have any bridal registry and the only proviso for any guests is that I already had enough towells, bed linen and dinner sets (3 !!!) saucepans (8) and kitchen utensils and cutlery.
So instead I was swimming in crystal, portmeirion bowls and casserole dishes after the wedding.
For my second wedding it was a ''no presents'' wedding but guests could donate to a charity of their choice if they wished.
The invitations were posted out six weeks before the wedding.
We booked the cars and knew we could have used friends borrowed cars but preferred our solution so none of our friends had to be drivers on the day.
I approached an Aunt who loved making the sort of cake we wanted and she contacted her friend who loves cake decorating. We agreed on a price for the cake decorator but my Aunt would not allow me to pay her for the cake and said it would be her present to me. Which was very kind of her. She is a great cook and always has been. I talked to the cake decorating lady who did a lovely job.
Another Aunt and some cousins took care of the desserts and included lots of fresh fruit salad, which I'd asked for, which ended up being very popular.
I used my local hairdresser and she knew what I liked and did a lovely job on the day.
My bridesmaid looked lovely. I was not sure of the protocol at the time so I paid for my bridesmaid's dress. She is still my best friend and she adored the flowers on the day. She liked the present I gave her too.
My husband chose his best man. They organised their suits and both looked very smart.
We approached a photography club and asked them to recommend anyone there who enjoyed taking wedding photos. One guy stepped forward and he was charming and his costs were very reasonable. He showed us a portfolio of his previous weddings. Photos turned out well and he said it was the nicest most relaxed wedding he'd ever photographed. It was relaxed though maybe he said that to every bride :)
We kept a limit on how many photos were taken to contain costs and only discarded 2 photos, all the rest we ordered.
The flowers were my big thing and the flowers i wanted originally were out of season and knowing the concept I had in mind the florist suggested some alternatives and as at the time it was 12 months before the wedding I was able to smell the scent of the flowers he suggested and he was right - they were all better than my first selection. The flowers for the church and the reception I ordered from two spinsters who had a lot of land and a sign out the front saying ''flowers for sale'' they advised what flowers would be available in the month I was to be married and delivered them all in buckets on the day. The ladies at the Church were delighted with so many flowers delivered to the Church. Due to the type of flowers they said the flowers would last and look wonderful at the Church for the services the next day after our wedding. So I hope all the Sunday parishioners enjoyed them all the next day. The flowers at the church were mirrored at the reception. Reception venue lady was similarly delighted with the abundance of flowers. Like i said, flowers are really important to me.
My husband to be and my father in law knew a guy they said could arrange the sort of food we liked and he was thrilled to oblige. They had tried his food and salads before. But just to be sure we visited together and tasted and it was lovely. My husband to be took care of that expense and it was perfect on the day with some great salads and the aroma of the cooked things was lovely when we smelt the food. My father in law and husband paid for the drinks and arranged them.
The honeymoon was in two parts. What we could afford initially which was just a drive to our destination. Then a bigger second honeymoon eighteen months after we married that we saved up for and flew to the destination.
When we finally left the wedding reception everything had been paid for and we owed not a cent to anyone.
Getting the dressmaker was difficult. Her costs were reasonable but she was fully booked and could not start on my dress until she'd cleared her backlog of work. But I already knew the style I wanted for my dress and had the material and had discussed things with my bridesmaid. I love material and at the time all the shop wedding dresses looked too grand to my eyes.
I designed the dress I wanted and discussed things with my bridesmaid about my dress and her dress and the dresses were completed a month before the wedding. My dressmaker made some suggestions which were brilliant and were incorporated into the design.
My first husband and I had the wedding we wanted. We were not out to impress others but instead we wanted a low key very relaxed wedding without any drama and without any extravagance that we could enjoy and afford.
I have attended many weddings of family and friends and I still look back on my first wedding as just lovely. For my second wedding it was just as relaxed and held at home without lots of expense.
I have been very impressed with the splendor at some weddings of many different faiths, that I have attended that have included traditions from other cultures. I love the Italian and the Sikh ones I attended especially.
To any intending bride out there I wish you a very happy wedding day and a long and happy marriage.
Posted on 25 September 2015 @ 21:53 (London time) - permalink
(Log in to flag spam/offensive/junk messages to moderators)
|
jay12toes, posted
over a year ago