We are planning our wedding for next year and have booked our venue. There was initially a mix up from the registrar and they emailed us back with a different date to the one requested, so we started looking at our options - would we have to change the date with the venue (if we did it made it around £750 more expensive) Or, we keep the same date, do it for £50 at the registry office and ask our friends to officiate the ceremony. We started to like the thought of this, thinking it will be more relaxed and personal, nothing formal. I've since had clarification from the registrar that they can do our originally requested date after all.
We can't decide what to do now, whether to have the registrar, as orginally planned, or have our friends do it and do the legal bit separately. Having our friends do it would save us £735 as it costs £585 for the registrar and we have to pay the venue £200 for having the ceremony there (an attendants fee). My partner can't get over the price difference and thinks we could put the money to better use, which I totally see too, however I also like the idea of our guests seeing the whole, real thing and then it is all wrapped up in one ceremony.
I just wondered if anyone else had been in s similar position - used friends as celebrants / done the legal bit separate to keep costs down?