Midweek/Off season weddings

With our venue, they either did off season or midweek, you didn't get discount for both. I've never wanted a summer wedding, so this worked out nicely to still get the weekend ?

Hello,

Firstly congrates on your engagement!

Secondly, I think there is a lot to be said for off peak weddings!

Yes i have noticed they are cheaper and some of the grander venues seem to reduce there minimum numbers over quieter times.

Any way good luck all the best with you planning

xxx

I got a third off doing it on a week day. I got a third off that time of year (peak), so I would expect to get a third off the October price if i had done a mid-week then. Good luck!! x

Hi Oggers, yes you can definitely negotiate good deals if you have a weekday wedding. Having a wedding on a Monday, Tuesday or a Wednesday in particular will put you in an even stronger position as they are the quietest days for venues so you can haggle the prices down a lot more successfully. Thursdays are also cheaper days but more and more people are booking them because they are cheap but still fall nicely into the weekend so I have noticed a number of venues have wised up to this and are now not so cheap. As for the kids, half term usually falls in October so perhaps you could see if you can have your wedding then so that all kids can turn up?

If you give people plenty of notice for the date it will allow them to plan their holiday from work so they can attend. We are looking to get married on a Friday too and so far all of our family and friends are more than happy to take the time off work. We are also planning to do it in the six weeks holidays too so that our various nieces and nephews can attend.

Good luck! x x x

I forgot about half term..is it usually the last week in October? Having had a quick look at the calender we either have it beginning Monday 21st or Monday 28th..I think they will probably be going to the same school, if not the same area as they are all brothers so I can ask to see if they have any idea when half term usually falls for that area.

I wouldnt mind having any day, Sunday-Friday but I will go with the cheapest because we arent exactly millionaires and I dont want to end up sacrificing on other stuff like hair and makeup.

We did see an offer when we went to a wedding fayre at one of our possible venues for a 3K wedding but as it was 2013 we didnt really take much notice. However, my fiance did say he thought it was peak season so if they can offer something like that in peak season I see no reason why we cant neogiate a whole day and evening for 4K instead of the 6K I originally looked at....

The venue will definately be getting revenue off a few rooms which probably helps as well.

Half term differs per county so it's probably best to check with the parents to see when half term is. As for that £3k wedding offer, approach the venue and ask them if they would do that price on a Monday to Thursday and see what they say. It's worth a go. (btw - this £3k wedding deal you saw wouldn't happen to have been at Bowden Hall would it?)

The 3K deal was at Breadsall Priory, Derby. Ive got 2 more venues to look at, once I have picked my favourite I will start discussing prices!!

We went for a November wedding so we could bring our forward by a year and half, has cost us about 5 grand less. I see it as it can rain any time of the year so getting married in the peck times doesnt promise you good weather. Good luck and congratulations x

Thats my thought...

I have had a quick look at package deals to Singapore to see how much a weeks holiday would cost us in 2014 and its at least £1000 less than the original honeymoon plan. We need to shop around for the best deals and find out how to get out and about as staying further away from the circuit would be cheaper. I had a quick look at all inclusive holidays to the caribbean in October and currently they are priced at around 2K per person. thats again £1000 cheaper than the original plan so by doing things my way we are actually saving money.

Im having a bit of resistance towards my plan though...

Just remind him that if you guys get married next year thats a year less that he has to put up with you talking about the wedding ;-) Not to mention all the fun things you can spend the extra money on!!

Hmm so I contacted 2 out of the 3 venues to enquire about their various offers. None of the cheaper ones are suitable, one of the offers is £1000 for a reception for 25 people..we have more than that in family. Plus they charge for the evening buffet, coffee and the ceremony. By the time I have added on extra people its back upto about 5K..The other offer is free drinks reception for Friday and Sunday weddings..all very well but we will only be saving just under £400 so again we are looking at around the 6K mark..

They dont seem interested in offering me discounted rates for midweek or off season so I feel like I am wasting my time.

Everybody I know who got married claimed to have done it all for under 10K...HOW????

All the extras are coming to about 8K without the venue so I am well and truly stumped

Its just making me feel like this whole thing is just a pointless waste of time and money...

Oh dear I remember feeling like this,still do when everyone is talking about what holiday they are going on a we are going no where as we are saving for the wedding. the only wedding I know that has been under 10 grand was when they got married at 4pm and then just had a evening reception. If your brave enough places seem to do last min deals where are you based?

Hi hun ive emailed you some helpful advice

I dont want to count my chickens but I think I have found a venue for £3500 providing I hold my wedding Mon-Thurs. By the sounds of it I can still hold it in September so all plans are back on track..

I am going to have a look around it next week and will just double check all figures etc and make sure I am not dreaming....

I think its something I looked at a while back but discounted it as being not something I wanted but actually it seems great!!

I am not going to be able to sit still now until I go and see it!!!!!

We're in the 2014 club ourselves but for certain suppliers, there's no such thing as an off season.

I've 9 weddings to shoot in July, but last December I had 4.

November, January and February are my quietest months and I've stopped offering discounts out of season because I've realised it actually involves more work for me because of the severe lack of light.

October, that's still wedding season But the dropoff from the 1st of November is more like a clean cut. This november I have 1 wedding on the 4th, last November nothing at all.

Venues have also cottoned onto the Easter /April periods new found popularity and upped their prices to suit

Weddings can be done for under £10k you just have to shop around and also ask family and friends if they'd be happy to help out. You'd be surprised at how willing people can be. Also look on the internet for things, I it deeds the bridesmaid dresses and my dress on line and saved a fortune. I also found that doing a lot of the decorations ourselves and make the invites saved a lot of money. I had a church wedding and hired a local hall.

When liking at venuess, we found the different in price between midweek and the weekend to be around £2-3k!

When it comes to no kids, just let the parents know as soon as you can so they have enough time to arrange chilcadre. Some parents would love a chance to have a day and night to themselves. Don't give in if they start begging for kids to come, it's your day not theirs.

Good luck

I know that half term in 2013 in October end of Friday 1st November, as that was the date we were originally looking at before bumping it to the Saturday.

Our venue does cheaper midweek/off peak weddings (not cheaper if you do both though).

We're planning our wedding to come in at about £7k all in, but that has been a generous estimate, and is unlikely to be as expensive as that. But I do have the ability to shop around, as time is definitely on my side.

I think it really does depend on what you're after. Our budget is 5K (or thereabouts) for absolutely everything, but then we're not big on tradition - I won't be getting a traditional dress, my friend is making the cake (probably), we'll be getting fairly cheap rings etc. My friend got married last October and had a church/hotel wedding, big dress, the works, and that easily came under 10K, but they had a lot of family helping with bits.

Ok so we are 2 venues down, 1 to go..

The 2 venues we have seen so far are coming out at around 4K with the midweek/Sunday deal which is fine, we are happy with that. The one we saw today for me was really great value as they offered a 2 choice meal and they were happy to serve me Kir Royale as an arrival drink. Fiance prefers the first venue we looked at and I suppose I do as well. I havent actually spoken to anyone about menu/drink choices but I will be doing that on Saturday so I shall have to see what they say. The deal they are offering is for 60 adults during the day, we are probably having 54 adults tops but having to pay for the 60 so I shall have to use that to my advantage asking them for xyz. They way I see it is that they are saving half if not less of the price it would cost as an adult so surely they can throw in some creme de cassis in my sparkling wine instead of orange juice

However they only have 1 date available, dont know if the registrars are going to be available, if not I wonder if they could offer us a mid week day instead..

The other venue we are looking at works out at around 5K or more, I rang up and asked what they could do mid week and they emailed me and said "we will drop the price of the ceremony room hire from £750 to £400 and offer you a complimentary room hire for the breakfast...I wasnt aware there was a room hire charge for the breakfast and hadnt included it in my calculations so we arent actually saving anything. Will have to have words with them when I see them tomorrow and tell them what I have been offered elsewhere....

Hi oggers, hope you don't mind me asking, but what venues have you looked at? I'm a Derby girl too, and Breadsall Priory was the first venue I looked at. If you need any help with any other local suppliers, just give me a shout ?

Hello

Today we went to Horsley Lodge and Wednesday we are going to Makeney. Have also considered Morley Hayes but they as yet dont offer discounts so I havent looked around it.

I went to see Bosworth Hall and it was a definate no.

I think I am going with Stylish Events for chair covers and Glynn Harding as a photographer, just need to check his availability and meet up to make sure hes what I want. Found a DJ through my work if they arent included in the venue..

If you have any suggestions about cakes, dresses, suits etc then I am all ears

Hi girls,

i have an established venue decor/chair cover hire company in derbyshire and just wanted to let you know we are opening up a shop in heanor un the second week of june. We are also cheaper than stylish events.

Email me at ******************.****@*****.*** if you have any questions x

Cakes, I'm torn between Cakey Wakey, and Layers Cakes. They're both amazing, and I've got to know Jo at Cakey Wakey really well as I'm having my wedding car through her too. But I've tried lots of samples of Layers cake and they are to die for! Dresses, although I've not been yet, I will be going to Beau Belles in Borrowash as I've heard lots of good things about it, and I've dreamt about going there since I was a little girl! We're hiring suits from Brigdens, as their suits look good quality, reasonably priced, and my Dad had his suit from there 25 years ago!

I had my dress from beau belles in march they are all lovley and i still keep in contact as they recommend me for chair covers etc..

Update!

Today we went to see another wedding venue which isnt a golf club and we both preferred it!! Its really lovely, the views, hotel, ceremony room, breakfast room etc etc and I can really see myself getting married there. They are actually offering a summer package which initially seems too expensive but by the time you add stuff and takeaway stuff it works out very similar (maybe a bit more expensive but only by like £500 which in the grand scheme of things isnt a massive deal)

I am going to ring up tomorrow and just go through xyz and see if I can get them to match some of the things other venues are doing but I really think that it will be *the venue*

Their availability for September mid week days are good, the only niggle I have is that they can have another wedding on the same day but the organiser did say they would try and space them both out so there is no competing for things.