I've just got engaged and for the first 5 minutes was so excited until i started searching for wedding venues! I have a really large family on both my father's and mother's side and have ended up with a guest list of 300 (that's after cutting it in half). I am looking for venues in either, London, Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes or Yorkshire (my fiances is from there).
Does anyone have suggestions on lovely venues that dont cost millions of pounds?! Also venue negotiating tips would be helpful. Most venue brochures give set costs including, flowers, place cards etc, can I negotiate and say just give me the venue at a flat fee and i will provide the rest (even the catering)?!
Tips and comments would really help! Thanks! H
CommentAuthorMrs (Dove) Pidgeon
Don't bother looking in London. We more than halved our reception cost by moving it from London to Yorkshire.
Now a extremely happy German housewife and now a Mother!!!!
Islay Jean born 24th June in Hannover.
CommentAuthorMina
in yorkshire : cave castle, beverley arms, dalton castle (think that's what it is called)
CommentAuthorHanousha
Ok so my fiance and his family will be happy!! I'll look at those venues Mina, thanks!
CommentAuthorkrazykitty
first of all congrats!! secondly yeah it can e expensive lol erm some venues wont allow outside catering others mite at a charge but always try to haggle at least you have tried! My OH always haggles for everything! Im in North Yorks in scarborough and for one venue looking out over the sea it was gona be twice what we paid for our venue nw and thats coming to £3500 at least for food and drink and ceremony cost (some put this in some dont tho it is ridiculous!!) i would just decide exactly what you want at what you have to spend and haggle for all you worth lol and decide on the location first as london will more than likely be a lot ore than y the sea but by the sea is a lot more than inland so yeah.
sorry if that not much help :s
i cannot wait to marry my best friend
i love you ry!!!
engaged midnight 2009
Mrs Ryan Sheader (to be) lol :D
Hi hun, welcome to ukbride. You dont need to spend loads to have a nice wedding. We are having out reception in a village hall. Its a really nice hall though. We have got 65 for the day and then an extra 100 in the evening. All in all, for the food and hire if the hall it will come in at no more then 2500. You will find loads of money saving tips on here.
I am now Mrs Stacey Stiles and loving it!
CommentAuthorGem1102
Congratulations! and welcome to ukbride! It does get really expensive but you just have to shop around. Like sbride said, you don't need to spend a fortune to have a great day.
CommentAuthorHanousha
Thanks Krazy, Sbride and Gem. I am going to shop around and I think a serious talk with my mother to figure out if I can cut out some family that i dont even know from the list!!
CommentAuthorMrs (Dove) Pidgeon
Only invite family you would recognise in the street. Is 300 all day, or just in the evening?
Now a extremely happy German housewife and now a Mother!!!!
Islay Jean born 24th June in Hannover.
CommentAuthornini
That is a huge guest list! I know what you mean about having a lot of family, as I do too. We have been really strict and only inviting family members that we have seen in the last 2 years, that way you are only having people that you are fairly close too etc. We also have cut out some aunties and uncles and lots of cousins. It's sad and if money was no object maybe we would have them there but you need to do what feels right for you and also what you can afford.
A good way to save money is to hire a field (you can do a google search on this) and then hire in everything you'll need. However it could play to your advantage of having so many guests, you may be able to negotiate down some venue prices by making it very clear that 300 people would spend a huge amount at the bar!!
CommentAuthorLaticschick Holland
Congrates and welcome. Don't worry you can easily find a venue which is a good price, many places will also do package deals, firstly decide if you want to get married in the venue or a church etc, then decide on numbers and whether you want sit down meal or buffet, then start looking, visit places, write down costs, etc and good luck
CommentAuthorpennieb-MrsRiley
Congratulations on your engagement :) When it comes to places in Yorkshire, I've found there are quite a few that are pretty reasonable - but obviously everything depends on your budget. I would say that you need to think outside of the box sometimes as well - our local racecourse and rugby club are both gorgeous wedding venues, but not necessarily places that people might normally think of! Good luck x
Now, finally, Mrs Riley
I hope you don't mind that I put down in words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world
I have the greatest husband!
CommentAuthorHanousha
Thanks guys. Mrs. Pidgeon, I know 300 is so large, i could invite some maybe 30 of them to the evening reception, but the rest are family that will be flying in from all over so it's a bit harsh to not invite them to everything! I have already cut out some family, but we are so close all of us that it's difficult to cut out. 300 is with cutting my list in half and being generous! Mother and other family have offered to chip in for the costs, but there is a nagging guilty feeling in me for spending so much on a wedding for 1 day when that money could easily go towards our deposit on a property. I'm looking into marquees, and i'm looking at my list of friends who have large houses with big gardens that maybe we can use. I still dont know who I can invite to everything and who I can invite to just the evening as it really depends on where the venue is. If it is in London then i can split it up a bit, but if I go out towards Yorkshire then I will have to invite everyone to everything as none of my guests are from there, it's only my fiances' 40 guests who live there!!
CommentAuthorMrs (Dove) Pidgeon
Family flying in from aboard can be difficult, and I agree should be invited all day ideally. However, maybe you can send out a preliminary invitation seeing how many can actually come? None of my family from abroad could make it in the end.
Now a extremely happy German housewife and now a Mother!!!!
Islay Jean born 24th June in Hannover.
CommentAuthorclareabella
well hun were in yorkshire iam from yorkshire and theres lots of places so if u could let me know i will help ya
