Did it. Krissie is finally MRS W!!! 5.7.14

[kmbabycrazy]

So we haven't booked anything yet, I'm waiting for people to get back to me with availability for dates to book etc. But DF wants it as close to our anniversary as possible. That is the 2nd July but since we would like a Saturday wedding as a lot of our families will be travelling a long way so would be likely staying over, the Saturdays either side are 28th June and 5th July so we're hoping one of those.

We are finally done telling people and we announced it on Facebook after my dad left last night. Who also told us that he would pay for the entire evening reception food,venue,dj etc which we didn't expect so it was a lovely surprise.

We have been looking at a hotel as the do outdoor catering for events in the summer with a big marquee in their beautiful gardens. I have just emailed them for costs, date availability etc.

I have dresses that I've seen and loved but both were online so I will be going to try on wedding dresses to check the styles i've picked suit me. I will also be losing as much weight as possible too.

My colours are going to mismatched pastel colours with my bridesmaids all in the same dress but different colours.

I'm just so excited and have already got a spreadsheet going on and everything haha

 

[xemmax]

Haha spreadsheet! Well it's good to be organised! Congrats hun, any pics of the venue you like so we can have a nosey? I really like mismatched bridesmaids, I may well do the same as my bridesmaids have such different skin tones and body shapes!

 

[Mummy May]

I'm not as organised as a spreadsheet, but I have a wedding book full of lists, costs of everything, phone numbers of important people etc... a folder with all my receipts etc in, a box with invite stuff in, and a bedroom full of beautiful things for the big day hahaha! I'm also on a weight loss challenge, but I had a baby 4 weeks ago so I would like to get back to pre baby size!
Yes, get pics of the venue up Were a nosey bunch on here haha xx

 

[aly888]

Another vote for the pics

You're all way more organised than I am. I couldn't tell you where half my contacts are, or paperwork/contracts I had to message our photographer through Facebook yesterday because I couldn't find his email address So very professional of me!!

 

[kmbabycrazy]

I am on my phone at the moment but will definitely put a picture up later. I will of the dresses too xx

 

[Lauren25]

I try to be organised but I end up having the many lists I loose what I'm doing haha.

Can't wait to see pictures

 

[kmbabycrazy]

So these are the pictures of the venues for the reception

This is the one my Dad had suggested and it looks really nice, and it gives us the option of only having an evening reception if it is too much to have a sit down meal too (I know prices for this one, just need to discuss them with my dad). It is of the outside/enterance and the room with tables set up



And there's here which has been my dream venue for ages. I'm not sure of costs yet, they're going to ring me tomorrow to talk about it, but like I mentioned it gives us the option of the marquee. I had my prom here, my friends mum got married here a few years ago, it's a lovely place. But we would have to have both a sit down meal and an evening reception. I don't have a picture of the inside room but here are pictures of the hotel outside and the gardens with the marquee



The hotel is also on the esplanade so we can have pictures with the sea in the background

 

[kmbabycrazy]

The dresses, like I said I have a bit of weight to lose and need to see whether they suit me but have fallen in love with these dresses.





And this is the suit I've found for OH



And these are the kinds of colours I'm looking at for the bridesmaids dresses

 

[kmbabycrazy]

After looking at the prices I'm just not willing to ask my dad to pay that much money so it's back to simple venue and finding somewhere that's big enough for us (as we'll have about 150 guests for the evening reception due to both me and OH having big families) that we can get on a self catering basis. Going to have a look at one tomorrow, I have a couple of friends that work there too and it's a nice place. My dad told me "not to rush into anything" when I said I was going to look at it (because they have just opened a new function room, I have been in their smaller one quite a few times), not sure what he means by that though. We don't really have another option unless the rugby club allows us to cater for ourselves (which I'm fairly certain I have been told that they don't).

 

[kmbabycrazy]

So...the hunt is continuing for a venue big enough and cheap enough for us. I am waiting on one hotel to get back to me. It's about £400 cheaper than the rugby club and my OH's brother works there so we might be able to swindle some discount (fingers crossed). So I'm hoping we can get it to about £1500 and then the venue will be sorted.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the things I have to do haha. I don't know when I'll need to do what. I've looked up wedding planning timelines and loads say to send out invitations 3 months before, that seems like leaving it a little late to me...but I'm not sure if it's because it's american and assuming people are sending save the dates...when would you send if you weren't using save the dates?

I'm just eager to actually have something booked so that it will actually feel real haha. It's taking a while to sink in, but I'm guessing that's because I don't actually have the ring on my finger yet. It's still being made.

Also struggling to find the style of bridemaids dress I want that comes in different colours. But I found out a couple of days ago that my friend's mum is a recently qualified dress maker. I've seen some of her costumes and dresses that she's made and they're fantastic, so have asked my friend if she'll speak to her mum, and I'll likely give them a visit and speak to her myself. Even if she can't do the bridesmaids dresses, I could also go to her with any alterations I need on my dress as I'd rather send business a friend's way if you know what I mean x

 

[kmbabycrazy]

Oh my god. Only been engaged a week and I'm already going crazy. Finding a venue big enough in this stupid town is proving a nightmare. There's none we can afford. People keep suggesting "can't we cut back on the guest list?" but we barely have any friends coming as it is. The ones that are coming are like family. And not even all of OH's family will be coming and that's still around 150 people.

Still waiting on OH's brother to go back to work to ask about prices there (he works in a hotel) and to see if he can get us a bit of discount. I just want to book something so it feels a little more real!!!

 

[aly888]

Yikes, how many people are you looking at catering for? Most venues should have a 'marquee' option that can cater up to 500+ people, obviously depending on the size of the marquee
Hopefully your BIL can get a good discount for you. Do you like the hotel he works at?

 

[kmbabycrazy]

I do yeah, and I've heard good things about it from people who have been to weddings there. We are wanting 150 people but we are hoping to cut costs by not having a sit down meal, just an evening reception and finding somewhere that is big enough with that option that we can afford is proving quite difficult.

The only place was the rugby club which is gorgeous but would cost £2500 for an evening reception alone for just room hire and food and the food was sandwiches, quiche, chicken drumsticks, sausage rolls and crisps. Not something I think is worth £12 a head to be honest. This one (if they do evening receptions alone) is looking around £1700 which is a vast improvement and hopefully we may be able to get some discount on top of that and their menu seems a little better x

 

[kmbabycrazy]

So my sister has been a star. Her friend is a wedding planner and a few hotels owed her a favour so she got in touch with the hotel we were going for and they've offered us two deals.

Just an evening reception for 150 people for £1400 (it will go down if the numbers are lower)
A wedding breakfast for 50 people and an evening reception for 100 people (with an allowance on a few over) for £1999 and that includes a welcome drink. Problem being though this is a really good deal we have more than 100 people and I'm worried OH won't budge on not letting his whole family come in the day and just having cousins and aunts and uncles at the night do with just immediate family, grandparents and close friends at the wedding & wedding breakfast. They've said we can have a few days to decide so we need to get on it. I need to talk to my Dad too as he is putting a huge chunk towards the reception and I need to give OH a kick up the backside to speak to his parents about whether they are willing to put anything towards the wedding. My sister has also said that if we have the wedding breakfast too she will dress the room as a gift so pay for centerpieces and chair covers etc xx

 

[aly888]

I would ask how much it'd be to increase it to 150 and drop the welcome drinks. Welcome drinks are an unnecessary extra and the hotel will see an extra 50 guests as extra income. Venues make a lot of their money on what people drink in the evenings (trust me ).
It doesn't hurt to ask

 

[kmbabycrazy]

Yeah she's going to try and get more guests for the evening. Hopefully she can get us 150 evening guests and then the venue will be sorted x

 

[kmbabycrazy]

WOOP WOOP!!!

My sister's friend got them to keep the same price for 150 guests at the evening reception. Just need to make sure OH is okay with it (which I'm sure he will be) and speak to my dad about paying the deposit.

So hopefully I will finally have something booked in the next couple of days x

 

[aly888]

That's brilliant news. And a fab price too. Fingers crossed OH likes it

 

[kmbabycrazy]

So OH is along with the idea and we've sorted numbers, but my dad wants to see it first, which is fair enough as he's paying for it. She has put the date down in the diary so it is being held for us at the moment so no worry of losing the date before we've been to see it as once we've been to see it (even though OH and I already have and OH even used to work there) he's going to put the deposit down. They've also offered us the bridal suite for the night of the wedding for half price which is great. Giving the church we want a ring tomorrow so I can hopefully get that sorted and I can finally have booked something.

My sister has also offered to pay for the chair covers and centerpieces as her friend does them and is offering her mates rates, a barber friend of mine has offered to do the men's hairs for the wedding, and my friend is doing my hair and make up so I've saved in those departments too.

 

[kmbabycrazy]

Just booked the church too and going to meet the priest that will marry us next weekend. I think it's going to interfere with OH's fishing plans lol but tough, it's the only time he could do and he wanted to meet us before the end of the month x