Please share venues to help me find one!

I've a sliding one upstairs, I'll go and have a check ?

The problem is most round here are very drab. There's Worksop but I hate Worksop, I work there and it's a very depressing place. It's next to the library and there are always problems with drunks and druggies having round. both my Mum and sister got married at Chesterfield, but I don't remember it being particularly nice inside and you come straight out the front door to the road full of bus stops as the bus station is a few doors down. I do like Chesterfield as a place, but the registry office just doesn't do it for me. I'm also on the lookout for somewhere where you can get really nice photos, since I do weddings, it's an important thing for me to get some Lovely photos. I know we can't afford the wedding of the century, but need more input from my OH with finding somewhere. My Mum said she reckons he wants to get married, but maybe not just yet. His excuse is that it's always the woman who sorts stuff out. X

Nice photos don't have to be taken in or at the venue. Anywhere close to a public space/park/river/a few trees would be fine.

This is very true! We're getting married at a registry office; will probably have some 'formal' snaps in the garden out the back just to keep the olds happy, but then we're off to the seaside for photos!

In all seriousness, even a grotty registry office would do the trick. A civil ceremony is what, 20 minutes? Depends if you want to shell out a large proportion of your budget on something which is over in the blink of an eye. This was a big factor in our decision, cos we're on a tight budget too. Decided we'd rather spend the lions share of our cash on the bit of the day which lasts the longest.

If you are paying for the wedding yourself, perhaps tell your mother that she cannot place an un-realistic catchment area on where you can get married. If you find somewhere which meets all your exhaustive criteria, she may well just have to lump it.

I'd suggest getting married in Scotland, since you don't have to even have a venue, just a celebrant.

I paid £1.8k for my wedding (2k budget) that was for:

My dress

Hs kilt hire

mums dress.

Brothers shirt and tie.

cake.

Registry Office (8 guest) and meal for six.

Night reception (inc. favours, decorations, buffet etc)

rings and flowers.

photography (a friend of a friend so very cheap.

Our DJ equipment was free to use from a friend and the car was a family friends. The money also paid for little bits like a meal the night before and the guest book. I was proud I didn't spend that much.

I honestly didn't care where we got married, I said from the day we got engaged I would go to a registry office, it wasn't some grand mansion or anything but we were in it for less than half an hour. We then had photos taken in front of the rail bridge which are gorgeous.

it can be done no problem but you will have to make certain sacrifices and to be honest, a registry office wouldn't be the end of the world, look and see if there is a local garden or pretty place you could get photos in. Apart from the ceremony itself we only have a few photos there and I walk past it in my way to college and its a nice reminder.

Sherwood visitor centre do weddings with lots of photo opps. The room itself isn't particulalry inspiring but the forest is.

Then find a viillage hall somewhere between there and Clowne?

Have you had a look at Bakewell Registry office? I've no idea about capacity, but it's countryside and has some lovely places for pictues.

Probably about 45 minutes from Clowne though.

MOMB we were originally looking at Sherwood forest as for thw whole wedding it was a really good price - but when I rang they said they were being taken over by new owners and until everything was settled they didn't know what would be happening with weddings so we weren't able to book anything as they weren't taking anymore bookings. I said to my OH we'd give it a few months and email/ring and see where they were at.

Sally Lou we have discussed this, and incidentally were there yesterday and I mentioned it as there is a lovely riverside garden 2 mins down the road from the registry office. I think ifwe were going to do any registry office, I'd like somewhere like that.

Does anyone know if you can go round and look at registry offices? Also does anyone know where you might be able to find photos of the insides?

I have to laugh as OH is all like 'I want somewhere special, not really a registry office' then when I mention about stuff we need to get he says that I have no idea about money and how much stuff is. *Shakes head*.

I got so bored of searching for venues that we're now going to do the legal bit the day before and then have a humanist ceremony/evening reception at The Hemsley on the Nottm Uni site, £600 for the whole day. I honestly don't see how you can afford ceremony room hire at all if your budget is that small. It's 20 minutes of your day; I'd rather spend the money on having a fun day than paying for somewhere pretty to get married...

We gave notice at Bakewell registry office (we live near Buxton) and it is in a nicer spot than Chesterfield registry office ( I am from Chesterfield), and from what I saw was very nice inside. There are some nice gardens nearby for photographs and lot and lots of nice places for your reception. I actually work in a lovely pub nearby that do wedding breakfasts and they have accomodation and there is a village hall over the road that I am sure you would be able to have a disco in. x

Thanks for that. We're not sure if we'll have the reception in the same place at the ceremony or closer to home. Xx

I am sure I read that if you get married at the registry office, you have to use the one that is closest to your home address. Does anyone know if this is correct? Just thinking, it's no good you looking at all the different registry offices if you have to use a certain one.

My understanding is that you can marry in any register office. You have to give notice at your local one though.

That's really good to know, I can't find the page I read that little bit of information so maybe I imagined it!

I am getting married in Derbyshire at a hotel, and the fees for the registrar to come out are £349.00 + £70 to give notice. They are likely to go up next year as well. In your budget I wouldn't hesitate to get married in a registry office. How about Ashbourne registry office - look on google images, it looks lovely. I also think Sheffield Town Hall is very nice.

I'd travel a bit further to find a register office I was happy with. 1 hour is nothing, that's a morning commute for many of us. And if your mum moans, tell her she can pay for it.

A few people have said Ashbourne, but I currently work at Ryman Stationery and literally straight outside down the road is a Ryman - that put me off as I don't want to be reminded of work on my wedding day. Lol. I think I'm just thinking I'll spend more time getting to and from the venue than I will spend in it which seems a bit silly. Plus I thought of having the reception closer to home in a village hall or something so its easier for people to stumble home and they haven't got to drive/worry about getting home. Like I said before, we seem to be in the arse end of nowhere where there aren't many places close to us that are affordable!

Was there a reason you discounted Mansfield Registration Office? It's 21 minutes from Clowne and is an old Georgian mansion.

There aren't many pictures of it that I can find but this is it.

Hiya,

I can't really help as I live up in Scotland so not sure of places for you to get married etc. However I just wanted to say that when me and OH were looking at wedding venues, I intentionally ignored a hotel because its 5 mins from our house, 10 mins from my work, I walk past it every day and I book it a lot for work (I'm a travel coordinator) however OH said it was worth a look and he was right, it is gorgeous, the ceremony room is stunning with floor to ceiling windows and the reception room is a great size, with a stage for the band and again plenty of windows for natural light, fair enough the red and cream and gold curtains and carpet aren't to my taste but noones going to be looking at them anyways.

The thing is - with a small budget you can't afford to say you don't want to marry somewhere just because a shop will remind you of work or because you dont want to drive. You want a platinum or palladium ring - that alone will eat up most if not all of your budget.

If you want to get married on a certain day, which I believe you do, and you and OH love each other then thats all that matters, I mean will seeing a shop that reminds you work really ruin your day - I doubt it, at worse you might think of work for a spilt second before being jolted back to your wedding and everyone wanting their picture taken with the beautiful bride. ?

No, didn't really think about Mansfield. Would rather try and find somewhere in Derbyshire I think, but I think not knowing exactly what we want doesn't help! I'll have to look at hotels in Chesterfield, etc, although I don't think it's really 'us'. I'll have to have another study through places on the net. Thank you for all your suggestions though! ?

Why?

*wondering how on earth I managed to get through my wedding day being regularly confronted by people - actual people - from work, some of whom may have even talked - actually talked - shop at some points*

Your idea to have a reception closer to home to make travel easier is fine. But by your own admission, you can't afford to get married closer to home (or you don't like any of the places available). So you ARE going to have to travel for your ceremony. Silly or not, it's the only scenario you're making available for yourself.

What is "you"?

Sorry to thread jump, but I was just reading this.....you ARE kidding, right?!

Piestar - a lot of people have responded to this thread offering you practical advice and venue options. Each time something has been suggested you have found a reason why it isn't suitable and are going round in circles with unrealistic expectations of what you will get for your budget. I think this is pretty insulting to the posters who have clearly spent time and effort looking into options for you. Early on it was suggested to you that you would either have to increase your budget or compromise, both of which you dismissed, but this advice still stands. I suggest you come back to the thread when you have decided which of these options you are going to go with.

Um, no. I had several friends there, whom I met through work. Boy and I are scientists, and pretty much half of our guests were scientists from various workplaces. They didn't talk shop to me, but I can't guarantee the absence of work talk in conversations among themselves...

I don't understand what is odd about this either. I had people from a previous job at my wedding - I'm pretty sure they will have talked about work at some point, even if it was just to trade amusing stories.

This is getting silly.

You either need to compromise on the 'perfect' venue or location, increase your budget, or don't get married because you never find anywhere 'you' that is cheap enough.

Simples.

Agree with the above. I'm afraid the perfect beautiful venue just doesn't exist on that budget. I'm not sure the "perfect" venue exists at all to be honest, at least it didn't for me. Mine was a little bit further away than I would have liked, but as we were specifically looking for a small venue with no minimum number of guests our options were limited and something had to give. I really think you need to sit down, seriously work out what your priorities are and decide if "not having a Ryman's opposite" is really that important.

Piestar, please reread this over and over again and I hope you will come to realise that this is achievable even if you got married on a rubbish dump!! The occassion of the day itself and the love in the room will provide this, you do not need to spend thousands or worry about whether the room is pretty enough etc. Who gives a toss about the room, everyone will be looking at you!!!

Quite - I would rather marry my partner standing on that rubbish dump, wearing a bin liner than not get married.

Yes it'd be wonderful if we could all get married in that beautiful countryside hotel (or castle/registry office/whatever takes your fancy) but if that's not within your means then you have to have a good long look at what you want. The fancy wedding? Or marrying your partner?