Very Small Wedding

We're going to Gretna, and inviting 14 people (and probably only 12 will come). We're not having a reception at all - we'll go out for a meal afterwards if we can find somewhere that suits all my fussy eater family (which includes myself!) and hopefully plan a reception-style party once we get back (subject to finances!) But that said, even the most cynical person can find enjoyment in some aspects of wedding planning. I have some social anxieties and hate the thought of a huge wedding where I'm the centre of attention all day, but I'm still enjoying spending time choosing invitations, a bouquet and a dress. So yeah, once you figure out which traditional wedding aspects you definitely don't want, the rest will start to fall into place.

Hi and welcome ?

I know what you mean about formality and cost of things when you start looking. We didn't want anything formal so didn't look at the usual places people picked for weddings, such as hotels and the like. Plus a refuse to pay £40 per head for a typical 3 course wedding breakfast (which my OH wouldn't eat) so it took a lot of research (bless google) to find something we would like and were happy to pay.

Ours isn't as small as yours, but we are happy with the price, all day marquee, 2 lots of food, day (BBQ) and night (hot & cold buffet) for 180 people is working out around £6,000. One venue I looked at wanted £6,000 just to hire the venue for 5 hours and we would of had to pay for everyhting else on top. I know it may seem a lot to some people, but I know to others that just a drop in the ocean.

Think you will find a lot of more informal weddings out there than you think. ?

Hello

We are having a small do! We have invited immediate family only (which totals 30, 8 of which are children aged 5 and under!). We are having a registry office ceremony. Rings aside we are estimating our wedding to cost between £1500-£2000.

• The only reason I will be 'full bridal' is because I'm wearing my nanna's wedding dress - 1950s style, perfect fit!
• I've made my own flowers using felt and buttons from Hobbycraft
• We made invites using old seaside cartoon postcards and wrote the details on the back
• Meal is at a local restaurant/pub where we get a delicious 3 course lunch and reserved space outside
• I'm hoping to wangle to free transport for guests as I work at a bus company

In the evening we're inviting everyone back to ours where we'll serve jacket spuds with toppings, hopefully the weather will be nice and we can use the garden too. We are borrowing garden table, chairs and bunting.

Hi no fuss for me

I too am having a small reception with only 24 guests in total then having a much larger evening reception with 130 guests.

The main reason for us is cost. I t was one or the other. Large reception no night do or small reception with larger night do.

We have had a few comments from family. "well if cousin so-n-so can't come to the reception she isnt coming to the evening do" that kind of thing. But we stuck to our guns and didn't give in an invite them.

I will tell you how it goes in 3 weeks but we've got the important people there, so I'm not worrying.

Unlike you I am doing a full bridal dress. Not my first idea, I wanted a more informal, stylish little number, something subdued, but once I'd tried it on I was sold ?

Good luck I'm sure it will be a wonderfully intimate reception so don't worry.

x

Not just you! We have both been married before and had your typical 'package' weddings. This time we wanted to do everything just for us, and certainly didn't want to be buying dinner again for relatives we haven't seen in years.

We are having a small ceremony (25 ish people) at the local Guildhall, then the wedding breakfast at Pizza Express. It's our favourite place, and everyone can pick a meal they want rather than having the same for everyone.

I'm having a black Pagan Handfasting dress rather than a wedding dress as it is much more 'me'. OH is wearing a long gothic tailcoat. Our reception will be informal, just a room at a local golf club. My Dad's band are playing, and my Mum's friend is doing a retro finger buffet.

Everyone has been supportive, though OH's 84 year old Dad keeps making comments about it being a fancy dress party ?

Hi

We are having a small wedding too - just 14 of us in total. We are having our wedding at the Registry office and then going to a hotel for what was meant to be just a meal - however, the more I got into looking at wedding plans etc the more I got sucked in!!!

we are now having a photographer and cake and it has turned into a proper "mini-wedding" ? I am doing a mini sweet tray (not trolley!) and as I am a crafter anyway I have done the invites, and will do the menu cards etc and some little table decorations.

We have now moved to a slightly bigger room and have room to dance if we want (using our ipod music) - but there are still just 14 of us!

We don't have big families and although some friends wanted to come they have understood that we are keeping it small and respect that.

I think it is important to have the day that you want and not just do what other people expect.

We will be lucky if we pull twenty people. We are getting married at the regiistryy office and having a party for the same people at nice country pub. I have chosen the weddingy things very carefully. Basically anything we have done is to highlight something funny about us, usually at our expense! the printer at work got a good workout. But the list of things we aren't having ( no point to us) is long. My only must have was the honeymoon!

Just becasue our weddings are small doesn't mean we aren't just as excited!

I had a VERY small wedding. My only guests (apart from my 2 sons) were my 2 witnesses.

The 6 of us had a meal in the evening, which my Dad and his then gf came along to (my Mum was working).

I had a few people who were miffed that they weren't included or told (we didn't tell anyone we were getting married, apart from my folks), but my parents were fine about it.

Ours will be small. Neither of us really has many friends and he doesn't want his family there. We're also both pretty skint, so can't really afford much. As long as we get married and have a good party to celebrate it, and I look pretty, I don't really mind about the rest.

Off topic but this sounds fabulous! Any pictures?

On topic - a friend of mine had a small family only wedding last year, to be honest I was really disappointed to miss out on seeing the ceremony as I find it really special to celebrate the marriage part with the couple. We attended later on for a reception but for me, it just wasn't the same and the party didn't really get going as they didn't have a DJ or do a first dance. Not to say at all that smaller weddings can't be lovely, mine was just one experience and I'm sure my friend had a great day but for me as a guest it was missing something...

We're having a fairly small do. We're having a Handfasting with about 35-40 guests (I'm guessing about half of that will be kids) it's a outdoor venue set in woodland. The owner said our guests can bring a picnic and we're stocking the bar ourselves to help keep the cost down.

We will be having a bigger party in the evening with hog roast. All done on a tight budget. It will be special to us and that's all that matters :0)

The smallest I've shot is 6 and this Saturday I will be shooting for a wedding of 19. I do love weddings with lots of exciting details as a photographer, but for myself personally I will be pretty unfussy and down to earth I think. Maybe because I get the excitement of a lavish wedding every weekend, or maybe I will just go totally zillanuts when my time comes...