Getting married-not where you live

I am getting married close to where I currently live, but I have booked my tog and DJ without ever meeting them (both are willing to travel for the wedding), ordered my invitations online, bought just about everything online really!

I am getting married 7 hours away from where i live, where i dont know anyone and its in the middle of knowhere lol!! luckily the venue provide most things like flowers, photographer and catering and have been able to reommend people for other things

Yep, live in London having wedding at "home" in North Staffs.

We go up even less than you (one every couple of months). I have bought lots of stuff online and have asked friends and family for recommendations. My fiance is going up this weekend to meet the caterer (we researched caterers on the net and have called and emailed our favourite to get a quote and disucss arrangements) and view the venue again for various reasons.

It can be done!

We are having jam jar table decorations and I have asked my family up north to collect the jam jars so I don't have to lug them up there. My wedding dress is at my Mum's too. I leave stuff there is is easier!

The internet makes the whole world a smaller place! You should be able to research on the net, talk to people on the phone, and if you need to see them in person you are visitng regularly anyway. Shouldn't be too hard.

Wow Naboo, what takes you there? xx

I'm getting married about 50 miles away from where I live so closer than some of you but I dont know the area - its where OH's family live. Apart from the venue and the caterer I've done everything online so you should be fine! Most companies understand and will be accommodating. Just make sure you do your research! xxx

We are getting married an hour from where we live, and all the bridal party live all over the place, so we tend to pick a date in advance and just book lots in in one day, to make the most of being in the right place together.

One of my friends is in your situation and she's done a similar thing, of booking a weekend there in advance and making lots of appointments one after the other, and her parents have been looking for things too. You will probably end up going there more often, but i found it fun and really rewarding doing loads in one day!

Yep we are!

We live in Rugby and are getting married in Devon where we are hoping to move to in the near future when we have sold our house....luckily we have some good friends who live across the road from the venue but without them we would be stuck!

I come from the Wirral (nr Chester) which is where my family are, I live in London (which is where OH comes from and his family are) and we're getting married in Derbyshire because it's kind of in the middle!!

I found my photographer after lengthy worrying and internet trawling (didn't really like the ones recommended by the venue), my TOG found me my florist. The venue found my transport supplier. My florist may have found my cake lady!! I'm kind of getting recommendations from each new supplier as I come across them, or getting pointed in the direction of the best local wedding fairs and attending those for ideas.

I agree it's hard though!

The one thing I worry about most is that the venue doesn't have acommodation on site and this is going to put people off attending when they are having to travel to get there. The nearest hotel is a 10 minute drive from the venue and I worry this is going to be off-putting. What if no one wants to come?!

We are getting married where i grew up which is 2.5 hours in the car much longer on the bl**dy train! luckily my mum is a district nurse and seems to know loads of people so she has done most of the asking around etc etc

I live in Stourbridge, West Mids and getting married in Teesside, the only thing I have missed is not being able to just nip to the town with my mum or sister for a spot of wedding shopping I've missed the getting together with my mates discussing what I've done etc but the main thing I find with going home every 4-6 weeks is the fact that I run around like a headless chicken its literally non stop with appoinments dress fittings, then I have to get around and see the family - sourcing supliers I've found really easy thanks to the net its the things above I've had the bigger issues with.

I'm about 3.5 hours away from where I'm getting married, and second what someone else said about picking a date in advance and doing stuff then.

For example we're going to Glasgow over Easter weekend, and on Easter Fri we are meeting Photographer, Humanist Celebrant, Hotel wedding co-ordinator and then the co-ordinator for our (on a different day) reception venue. Will probably visit a couple of florists too! Then on the Sunday I have my menu tasting....seems like such a hassle when you're organising this far in advance but but I know I'll be glad (and my head will be buzzing!) when that weekend is over ?

I'm about 80 miles away and it does make it difficult when it comes to meeting up with suppliers etc but we just tie lots in with the weekends when we are there.

Try and tie your next visit 'home' in with a weekend wen there is a local wedding fayre, you can get loads done that way.

I really worried about this too. We are gettting married about an hour and a half away from where we live - but the reason we picked it was because it was neutral territory - both families would have to travel - and all of our friends too - we literally don't have anyone local. Our venue doesn't have accommodation either - so everyone is staying dotted around Canterbury hotels.

Just as we sent our invitations I had a real wobble and convinced myself no one would come, that they wouldn't want to travel and stay over etc...... Now we are only 3 ish weeks before the wedding and we have only had 4 declines!!!

We did send accommodation suggestions, taxi details etc in with the invitations though so tried to make it as guest-friendly as possible.

At the end of the day people who love and care about you and your fiance will want to be there - wherever you go!

Hey, we live in Manchester but are getting married in OH's home town Belfast. Its been a bit harder TBC, but mostly I do the research online (I would do this anyway) and then shortlist a few and call them and then pick a weekend to meet with them ALL! You can also do a wedding fair and get suppliers in one foul swoop. You can also get recommendations on here and also from old friends from home? Its as hard as you want to make it - we found it a bit faffy at times but definitely not that hard!

Sorry - also meant to say that although it took a bit more planning (we did as others have said and had a whole weekend of scheduled supplier appointments) it has been fine finding people. And you can always put a shout on here - that's how I found my fab hair and make up lady when I was beginning to despair!

Oh thank you for posting this Twickers. It's made me feel a lot better.

I'll definitely make sure I send the accommodation/taxi details in with the invites, always good to make it as easy for people as possible.

I live about 2.5hours from where we are getting married, but I also go back every other weekend.

My best advice would be - wedding fayre's are your friends - you can cover a lot of supplier in a small amount of time in one building which would be most convinient. Even though we don't live anywhere near our venue etc we haven't booked one vendor without meeting them at least once. (other than the videographer who only I have met as OH was away for 12 weeks on a course and I was getting worried about his availability).

I've also sourced what I can from home - our wedding rings for example, honeymoon was booked nearer home than nearer the venue - TBH once you've got the big things booked it's a hell of a lot less stressful as i've found my venues wedding coordinator is more than happy to communicate via email. I wish i'd have done the same for my dress but my mom wanted to be involved so now i'm having to take a day off or "work from home" to go to my fittings!

Another tip is to use recommended suppliers - not sure if the area has changed since you moved but they will know the best photo oppurtunities etc as they are there more than you IYSWIM?

HTH - but don't worry, it's very do-able.

Just wanted a small wedding somewhere away from where we live so well meaning friends and rellys couldnt just turn up for a look etc and this place is beautiful and can do just what I was loking for, round me all the venues just cater for the more popular big wedding, didnt really thik through the logistics at the time but hasnt been too bad plus ecause it is in scotland the laws are different and we can get married on the beach doesnt have to be a registered structure which i really love x

We live in Reading, have parents in Nottingham and Newcastle and got married in Bristol!

I didn't got to Bristol very often, did most stuff over the internet & phone. It's easily done!

All our guests had to travel and as the venue wasn't a hotel I phoned around some hotels and found a nice one close to the venue which would do me a group rate. I included the details in our information pack, along with a few other hotels.

All this has made me feel much better. I am not alone, and many of you are getting on just fine!!! I guess it just takes a bit more organisations as a lot of you say, to get appointments booked for the weekend we are back etc. I could ask my MIL to look out for wedding fayres locally in the paper....I like this idea. I think it will be easier once the TOG, florist, DJ and cake has been sorted, as everything else will prbably be bought online xx

I'm glad it's made you feel better ?

Though I've just scared myself by realising it's just over 2 weeks til the wedding - not 3! Where did this week go????

Eeeeeeek two weeks wooooo hooooo Twickers xxx

Hey.... Don't worry.

I live in Hampshire and went back to Wales to get married. I basically booked wedding weekends down there so I could get as much in as I could when I was there. Do your research online. Find your TOG/VOG/Cake and anything else that needs to be local to the venue and visit them when you are down there. Most stuff can be done online. You can dress shop and things where you live currently. Invitations etc can be ordered online as most stationers cater UK wide.

Its certainly doable as long as you plan it well.

Nat

Snap! We live in Surrey but going back to where i grew up to 'home' in Norfolk!

It is a bit of a pain i have to say but nothing changes the fact that i really want to get married in Norfolk so i have to lump it!

I find i have to do SOOO much into one weekend and cram everything in and then i find i dont have time to see friends up there!!!

Oooh - Snap! I live in Surrey but spent my teenage years living in Norfolk. Still have my grandparents there, also my closest school friend and her family. I love Norfolk - didn't appreciate it at the time but love the countryside and coast now.

Really?!! how wierd. I adore Norfolk now and exactly the same didnt appreciate it as a kid, i grew up in Burnham Overy Staithe if you ever heard of it?!

what about you? and where abouts in Surrey are you?! artrghh so many questions ha x

I don't 'know' Burnham Overy Staithe but have been there - it's inbetween Wells and Bracaster isn't it? Used to go to the beach at Holkham sometimes - then walk for miles trying to get to the sea!

I went to boarding school in Wymondham - so the otherside of Norwich to you. I suppose the closest town to my grandparents and friend is Swaffham - they both live in tiny villages.

I'm in a little village near Reigate in Surrey - whereabouts are you?

Oh what a small world and soo close to your big day i see!!!

Yep i know Wymondham and Swaffham both well - my OH cant understand how Wymondham isnt pronounced why-mond-ham haha!

We are Surbiton, near Kingston. xx

It is a small world isn't it bls14!

Sorry to hijack the thread by the way Chidders.

Yeah opps sorry Chidders!

Can I also hijack the thread to say I'm also getting married in Norfolk - near Bircham Newton if you girls have heard of it

I'm just over half hour away from the church and just under an hour away from the venue and it's been fine but a bit of a pain for appointments