Tearing my hair out over looking for a venue!

Congratulations on your engagement!

I'm afraid I can't help on recommending a venue but I just wanted to say try to relax a little bit! I know it feels like the most important thing in the world but you've only just got engaged! Enjoy the excitement, take your time and research venues, go and see some and you might find that your views on what you want will change slightly too.

Conratulations!!

and as above dont stress yourself out about it, its meant to be a fun experience. Do you have your heart set on a date or do you have the option of moving the date back to enable you to save more?

im sure experienced brides will be along shortly to offer words of wisdom on how to save money ? x

I don't think you need to push it back another year but I do think you may have to look at ways to get what you want in your budget.

What day of the week are you looking at? Could you have a weekday?

What season are you thinking of? October-March will normally give much cheaper prices.

Could you look at providing a hot buffet - your guests could still sit down to eat but you'll save on table service.

Have you looked at hiring a pretty church/village hall and getting external caterers? I think you could do this for much less than £3500.

Also, the venue was my biggest stress too but it took me about 3 months to find the perfect one.

Congratulations!

I have the same sort of budget as you, and believe me I feel your frustration! All I can say is dont give up hope! Ive been searching for my venue since I got engaged in September! Ive still only found one that I really like, but my fiancee refuses to call it a lost cause, so im not either.

Your perfect venue is out there somewhere! Just keep digging

(Thats what im telling myself anyway lol).

Hey hun I cant really help with venues or anything cos Im up in Glasgow, but we're on a budget too. Im getting my dress shipped from China from ebay. It is only £99. My SIL got one from the same comapny and you would never have known it was only £60! Same with dresses, and Im doing artificial flowers too.
what we've done is hire a Burgh Hall, and an outside caterer, who do a package which includes the cake and car, centrepieces, buffet and bar. Its working out much cheaper than a hotel would have

AS for the registrar... I feel your pain, I could pay buttons for the registry office, but over £300 for them to come to my venure, plus £100 for a licence for the venue! What the lady from our venue suggested, as we're not religious (or even if you are) it could work out cheaper to have a minister (or in our case a Humanist) to marry us, we just pay the fee to them Plus they can really help personalise your words, vows and tend to get to know you better than a registrar.

Sorry I cant be much more help xxx

My SIL's dress came with 2 weeks! It was well packaged, fit well and also has a decent in seam to allow it to be let out as well as taken in

Ive just had a look at the Humanist thing, and I don't think it would be good for you, on the British Humanist Society it says it would have to be supplemented by a civil ceremony as they are not legally recognised, in England or Wales. They are in Scotland tho, :/ Sorry xx

Hi Shirelley

do you have the website for the dress company you're using? i've found one in the states but don't know anyone who's used it.

thanks

gillian x

Hey Its just an eBay seller. I checked all their feedback etc and never had any problem as I said

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/honey-kiss/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686 xx

Hello,

Congratulations on your engagement! I've just got engaged and am having the same issues with venues! We want to get married in Spring 2014 and I'm struggling to find a venue which a) I like b) isn't ridiculously expensive and c) is driving distance home for guests - doesn't sound to bad but there isn't that many places to get married on the Wirral!

I hope you find your perfect venue! Keep us all posted

x

Hi Multicat, you said that you had some info from Barnsdale Lodge, if you want to see a real wedding there I have a few shots here I think I am right in saying that they only have one wedding per day, so they need to maximise that one day inorder to stay in business. Have you looked over the road to Barnsdale Hall as that is a massive site and has a number of wedding venues within it all at different sizes and bugets here are some shots of that one

Hi, just wanted to say I'm in the same boat! I don't live near you but have been venue hunting for number of months and it is very disheartening! My tips so far (although I haven't found my 'one' yet, I have come across a lot of venues using different methods):

Post on here, people are so helpful

Use different wedding websites search engines

Go onto local authority websites for list of venues

Ask around friends and family, acquaintances etc

Good luck and don't give up! I keep getting so worried but keep telling myself it'll be out there somewhere!

Congratulations on your engagement! If it's any consolation, we didn't book our venue until November - we got engaged in February ?

Sometimes registry offices can be in nice buildings, it just depends on area - might be worth having a Google if you haven't already? (Assuming that your reservation is based mainly on the fact that some of them aren't very attractive anyway.) At least then you wouldn't have to pay as much for the registrar. I think village halls/community centres can definitely be worth looking into - our local one is only £12 an hour to hire!

And just another suggestion on how to perhaps make a saving somewhere along the line - why not have your wedding cake (I think you said someone was making it for you?) served instead of dessert? You don't have to pay for another course, and all your cake will definitely all get eaten!

Just checked the Ramada out - it looks nice and airey and spacious! Definitely worth a look

Can't help with venue recommendations in your area, but just wanted to say don't lose heart. I was the fussiest bride in the world when it came to venues and visited about 19 before I came out of one grinning, knowing it was the *one*

Congratulations!!!

We are having an evening ceremony so we can go straight into the reception. This saves us having a wedding breakfast = saves us money!!

If you have your wedding in an out of season month (when its cheaper) it would be almost dark at an evening ceremony and you could really create a romantic mood with candles etc???

Hope you manage to find what your looking for anyway!

xx

I am having the same problem, but it seems to be OH and his expectations that are making it alot more difficult now, as he is a teacher so wants it to be in the school jollies and on a Saturday for whatever reason. I say hang in there, there are many options I have moved onto photographers websites they have some good venue suggestions.

I do feel like runnning away but the thought of marrying my OH keeps me going although I would like to nut him sometimes?

Hi

venues always have high prices that far out ... you get a better deal short notice. my venue was half price booking it within 6 months so i booked for 6 months exactly, we decided to bring the wedding forward instread of saving longer to spend on the same things

lucy

xxx

I forgot to sqy why not ask them for prices for next six months to see if they offer deals then you know the min you could try to negotiate to

Hi!!!!! A fellow Peterborough Bride- Finally! Welcome and congratulations. I will try and help with venues around Peterborough because we saw quite a lot and I know what you mean about the registrar- I naively budgeted £200 for this.

The first place I will recommend is my gorgeous venue- Orton Hall Hotel (near Ferry Meadows). The ceremony room is beautiful and as the registrar said to us- it is the most spectacular venue in Peterborough:

Here is a link for their package deals- 50 day +30 evening comes in at £4500 but you might be able to do less if you let them know what you want and do everything individually.

http://www.abacushotels.co.uk/pdfs/orton-hall-hotel-and-spa/wedding-packages-2012.pdf

My friend recently got married in Boston all in at under £6000 so it is doable. Golf clubs might be a good bet.

I've just got my ceremony guide out from the Peterborough registrar which lists all the civil ceremony venues in Peterborough. I've put a note next to each one if I have have viewed etc.:

• Bedford Hall, Thorney
• Bull Hotel and Conference Centre, Peterborough (Pretty on outside, ugly inside, right in city centre and expensive)
• Burghley House, Stamford (V expensive)
• Cresset, Bretton, Peterborough (do very good deals- v reasonable but you get what you pay for)
• Great Northern Hotel, Peterborough (lovely hotel but right next to train station)
• Holiday Inn, Peterborough
• Marriott Hotel, Peterborough
• Orton Hall Hotel, Peterborough (most amazing venue in the world )
• Peterborough United Football Club
• Ramada, Longthorpe Parkway , Peterborough
• Sue Ryder Care Centre, Thorpe Hall, Peterborough (beautiful building and grounds)
• Town Hall Peterborough (might be an idea for civil venue and cheaper reception elsewhere)
• The White Hart, Ufford

Other ones I know are:

• Peckover House, Wisbech (beautiful National Trust Property)
• William Cecil, Stamford (very expensive)

And just had another search and found this on Groupon (Wadenhoe House which is beautiful and just outside Peterborough) looks like it may fit your bill:

Wedding Package Including Suite of Choice For Bride and Groom and Three Course Meal for Up to 50 Guests for £2499 at Wadenhoe House (Up to 70% Off)

http://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/peterborough/wadenhoe-house/1441218

Sorry for the long post- I got a bit excited- hope it helps.

Please let me know if you need any other information about florists (I can recommend a really good, reasonable one) and photographers.

R xxx