Wedding at short notice

Crikey! Ok so first thing is first make a list of everything you want - There's another fellow hitcher that planned everything in a few months she recently did her report and she pulled it off it all looked great! At least you dont have the endless months of stress to contend with, alot of the time I wish I only had months to plan I swear I've gone grey! Good luck with it and there are plenty of helpful HIBs on here should you need them no to mention the lovely hitchers who will help you as much as they can.

Approximate location please - we'll see what we can do to help!

Near Edinburgh

What sort of band are you looking for?

There is absoloutely NO reason why weddings can't be done anything under a year. Just cos the majority of people book 1-2 years in advance, don't worry.

first things first, and idea of numbers and available budget. Then you can look into venues, etc.

First of all: Breathe!!

Ok it's not a lot of time but the great thing about that is less time to mull over decisions and decide to change things!

I live in the Scottish Borders, about 25 miles from Edinburgh. What sort of band are you looking for? I could take a look through some of the info I collected at wedding fairs late last year (we got engaged in Sept last year and have been married nearly a month already!) to see if there's some bands you've not considered??

Hitchers are great, lots of people to bounce ideas of and remind you of any details you might have missed. Use us as much as you can over the next few months and good luck!!

Congratulations! I started planning my wedding 8 weeks ago after accepting a job offer in Abu Dhabi (fiance and I have to be married to live together over there). We are getting married in 3 weeks. Arghhhh! Plus I've got 2 small children and work part time. Needless to say I'm fairly stressed. I don't have much advice as feel a bit overwhelmed at the moment. Once you get all the big decisions made and booked, you will feel much better. I am also doing my wedding as cheaply as possible, and have found ebay a lifesaver. I bought my Caroline Castigliano wedding dress (unworn), adult Monsoon bridesmaid dress and 3 year old daughter's dress for under £200, so there are bargains galore out there. It can be done! We are using the talents of friends too as they don't tend to say 'we're booked up till 2012' etc...

My Mum did the invitations, my work colleague is doing my cake and my photographer friend is doing our photos for £150 (he's just giving us the unedited photos as my fiance is good at using photoshop etc). I didn't realise I had such talented friends and family!

Try not to panic and good luck!

Sarah x

Don't worry, if you are organised you will be fine.

As others have said, the first thing you need is a list. Then I would say prioritise to make sure you get the things most important to you sorted first.

There is lots of help on here so I would get ask for recommendations!

Anna

Remember too that "a wedding" can consist of you, your partner, a registrar and two witnesses in a registry office, which can take about 20 minutes (plus the "giving notice" time) - minimal expense.

Everything else - expensive dresses, bridesmaids, uncomfortable overpriced shoes, big cake, fancy venue, loads of food and drink and partying etc - is extras that have been added to a basic legal procedure.

Just because everyone else expects all these things, it doesn't mean that you have to have any of them if you both don't want or can't afford them.

Unless either of you have your minds set on a big expensive day, you could have a small intimate wedding with just close friends and family, and then go for a meal afterwards - then have a "bigger party" for everyone else at another time.

Make the wedding your day and what you want, not what your friends and family think you should be having.

Is there anything driving his desire to get married so quickly?

I don't know why he suddenly wants to get married. I did wonder that myself and even wondered if his ex wife had organised her wedding and his kids had mentioned it. I have such a suspicious nature ?

We are intending having the wedding ceromony at home as we live on a sporting estate.

I immediately thought of humanist but where do you look for retired ministers etc to carry out a ceremony?

Party is intended to be held the next day and still looking at options for that. There is a venue on our doorstep but its a golf club and they said they wouldnt look at our social membership application til the end of the month then after acceptance we would be able to apply to have the reception there but thats bringing us nerer and nearer the date with no confirmation!

I just want a ceiledh type band.

A few suggestions would be fab.

I'm in the Boders about 20 miles from Edinburgh too.

Ceiledh band as i love all the dances!

I'm pretty sure humanist ceremonies can be done by anyone as they're not legally binding - you'll need to go and do the legal bits at a registry office in order to be legally married though.

They are legal now so no seperate legal bit.

Hello!

We recently had a humanist ceremony in scotland, go tho this website and it will direct you to all the celebrants in your area and help you get it set uphttps://www.humanism.scot Humanist ceremonies are not legally binding in England but they are in Scotland so no need for seperate registy office bit.

Re bands we looked at http://www.rsamd.ac.uk/ the students will privode wedding entrtainment, not sure if they will travel to you but they might or may be able to diect to to an organisation more local who can help!

maybe put a shout out for shelley74shelley as she was the hitcher someone else mentioned who pulled off an amazing short notice ceremony, she might have some tips

Hope this helps

Thanks so much for all that info.

Ah, you're in Scotland, and apparently they're legal there but not in England.