wedding blessing

To keep it short and sweet, if you can't afford it (or would have to seriously compromise your day to have it) then you shouldn't do it just to appease your mum. Your wedding day is about you two, so any compromises should be for each other not a third party.

For what it's worth, we had a blessing first and will follow it up with a legal ceremony later. OH isn't religious and wasnt that keen on a blessing, but we both wanted some form of ceremony with our families present (we live overseas and couldnt legally marry in the uk) and the religious element was important to me so he was happy to have it. Our blessing and legal ceremony will be separated by over 6 months possibly up to a year, so the costs are spread out which helps.

You already know that your OH doesn't want a blessing as he's not religious. I think you need to figure out whether it would be important or meaningful to you, then if it is talk to your OH about how you feel. A blessing doesnt have to be a big expense, and doesn't have to alienate non-religious folk.

Thanks i will have a word with my family

In Leicester the blessings I have photographed have all been straight after the civil wedding and all at venues that have either an attached chapel or a church in the grounds and the bride and groom walk out of the room down the red carpet and then "disappear" into another room whilst everyone else walk to the place of the blessing. The bride and groom then walk in together to music (any) the blessing then takes about 20 mins this can vary but it is not as long as a Church wedding.

Why don't you have the blessing on your 1st anniversary, gives time to save, gives time for OH to come around to the idea and maybe also gives Mum time to forget the idea ?. But if you do go for it then it does not have to be massive and involve all the other extra costs like bells, organ, flowers.