Ok, so, OH and I went to visit a place we liked, thinking that they might give us quotes for 2018, instead they gave us an awesome deal for THIS AUGUST - bank holiday! Bwaaaa! We discussed it a lot on the way home but the place fits us perfectly and we couldn't think of any tangible reason for delaying until 2018, so we took it.
So, venue visit was yesterday, and today we have the venue booked, the registrar, etc etc! Meeep!
Okay, so what's next:
Sorted by venue: - Accommodation - Food - Drink - Ceremony (we need to send off details to registrar, but that's it) - Decorations and flowers (unless we want to add more or go with something different) - DJ
What we need to sort: - Guest list - invites?!?! - Dress for me! - Dresses for bridesmaids, if I have them? - Hen do? - Suit hire/buy for groom etc - Stag do? - cake?
Okay, so I'm happy that our choice of venue has meant we don't have to do a huge chunk of the organisation (catering, decorations etc), but I've not idea what to do now?!
Timescale: nowish - 1. Appt. with registrar etc (booked) 2. Make a guest list (provisional) 3. Email all provisional guests to see if they are yay or nay 4. Make proper guest list and send proper invites
Timescale: Easter - 5. meet at venue to confirm menu choices 6. look for a dress!! 7. order a cake??? 9. Stag do? 10. Hen do?
Timescale: August - 11. Finalise numbers with venue (they want this 3 weeks before date) 12. Check fitting of dresses etc? 13. ...?
I dunno! Never done this before (obviously), is this looking okay? Have I missed anything? Everyone I know is saying that it's going to be "rushed" because we just booked it with 8 months to go, but I think we're okay?
EDIT: CATEGORY CHANGED. PLEASE SELECT A CATEGORY IN FUTURE WHEN OPENING NEW THREADS. MODERATORS
CommentAuthorPing
Sorry, new to forum and didn't see the categories when I posted from the main page. Can this be moved somewhere appropriate, please? So sorry for putting it in the wrong place :(
Hello, exciting stuff booking your venue and especially for this year too.
I would say that you need to start looking for your dress immediately. Some designers have a lead time of eight months from time of order and you might need more time after that for alterations.
I couldn't see a photographer on your list either and they do tend to get booked up pretty quickly.
Have fun X
Met: 2nd September 2012
Engaged: 3rd January 2015
Wedding day: 2nd September 2017
CommentAuthorTheNewMrsBarrett
Congrats hon, exciting times ahead!
I agree with Donna regarding your dress, unless you're planning to buy one 'off the peg' or from w3d2b3 or an outlet you need to be looking and ordering sooner rather than later. Also agree about photographer if you're having one. If you want to have hair and makeup done on the day I'd also look around at those now too as good ones get booked up early. Do you need transport to get to the venue on the day? Think my main piece of advice would be to get things booked and confirmed as soon as possible and not wait until Easter as so many suppliers get booked up early, for example the singer who performed at our wedding is already getting bookings for 2019! Xx
CommentAuthorPing
Yikes, okay! We hadn't thought about musicians being booked up so far in advance! We definitely want some sort of live music so I guess we'll have to start looking now.
We're not really bothered about photographer, I guess we'll look around and see who we can find. We want it to be fairly informal.
Dress: I'm not planning on getting one designed and made for me, so off-the-peg then alterations?
We have cottages at the venue to stay in the night before, so that should take the pressure off.
Regarding photos, you could contact your local college to see if there's any photography students who'd be willing to do pics in return for building a portfolio. I think a couple of ladies on here have done that. Or maybe you have a friend or relative who is good with a camera?
I got my dress from W3d2b3, bought it and took it away the same day, my friend did alterations for me and started them about a month before the wedding. When I went in bridal dress shops (I visited 4 different ones before going to w2b) they were advising to pick and order a dress 6-8 months before wedding as they can take that long to come into the shop! Also, a lot of bridal boutiques in my area are having sales in the coming weeks where they are selling off some of their samples, could be worth a look in your area to see if any are doing the same? Xx
CommentAuthorPing
Thanks for your advice!
I wanted to ask if anyone had been to this venue before, but I notice everyone disguises names with numbers, if I want to ask this do I have to do the same so as not to "advertise" the place? Bit confused, sorry.
CommentAuthorTiffany
Congratulations :) We get married August bank holiday as well.
Firstly don't panic. It's amazing what you can do when you set your mind to it.
Dress wise if you want brand new (one no other bride has tried on) I would start looking now. If you don't mind off the peg then you can wait a bit, bear in mind they say to do first alterations 6 weeks before the wedding.
Photo wise because you're not bothered about having a photographer you could buy disposable camera's and have one or two on each table. (The photo's could be interesting.) There are also apps you can download and ask guests too use so you get all the photos they take at your wedding.
Book everything ASAP.
The best bit of advice I was given was to let others help! It's cut our costs and stress levels loads.
We've got family and friends doing food. BM's have offered to pay so much towards there dresses. Friend is doing the cake and using his car as wedding car etc.
Yes hun everyone has to disguise venue, website, shop names etc so not to advertise.
Not sure if you have seen there is a 2017 thread that you can join in on for any advise.
Good luck!
CommentAuthorPing
Ok thank you! Sorry, I've used forums before but I'm finding this one really difficult to navigate >.< I'll try and find the 2017 thread. Our venue is Cl3arw3ll C4stl3 - did I do that right? :)
CommentAuthorTheNewMrsBarrett
Hi hon, yeah you did fine. I usually just substitute A for @ or 4 , I for 1 or ! B for 8 and so on, I'm sure you'll get used to it lol. Just had a peek at your venue, is it in Gloucestershire? The one I looked at looks amazing! Xx
CommentAuthorPing
Yes, that's the one :) We both just fell in love with the place :)
CommentAuthorElinor Claire
I would agree about the dress, sometimes it takes a little while to find the right one. The first things we did were the things that could get booked up, so photographer, car and DJ (or other entertainment) spring to mind. Cake probably goes in that list too, although we had a friend do ours. Also worth looking into honeymoon at this point, bookings for August/September will just be opening now. Good idea to contact guests promptly, as people will be booking their summer holidays. If you are having bridesmaids they need to know soon. Partly so they are available and partly so you can delegate to them. You can give them the hen do to organise, and maybe even ask them to take the lead on looking for their own dresses. Delegate to other people as well where you can. You haven't mentioned the stationary for the reception (menu cards, seating plan, place names etc). I'm assuming the venue will do those unless you want a particular design.
30th August 2014 was the best birthday ever.
It was the day that I became Mrs. Dixon.
CommentAuthorMichelleC961
edited
Hey- just looked at venue- looks lovely- such a good package too!
Instead of emailing guests if they can come I would just make a list and send invites as not actually got that much time!
Def get dress sorted, photographer- hair and make up and musicians and cars- with it bring bank holiday everyone gets booked-
We are getting married bank holiday nay in 2018 and people are booked up so you were really lucky to still find your dream venue free!
Happy planning xx
CommentAuthorWizbit89
PING!! We very nearly went for that venue but it was a bit above our budget buuuut it looks stunning and I hope you have an amazing day! xxx
CommentAuthorPing
Thanks for all your replies!
I'm booked in with a local dress shop for initial consultation the Sunday :D Just to see what sort of thing they think will suit me etc. then I'll probably got for something off the peg if I can.
I've been in touch with a cake maker I saw at a wedding fare last October, and I've got a meeting with her next Saturday!!
@MichelleC961: We're really stuck with our guest list at the moment (I posted a while ago about our unbalanced families!) so at the moment for 80 guests it looks like 65 of his and 15 of mine, unless I can think of anyone else lol... this was our plan behind just emailing friends to see who potentially *would* come, then send out the proper invites.
@Elinor Claire: I hadn't even thought of stationery O.o It's not really my thing... I guess the venue does menus and placecards, we'll sort out seating when we figure out who is coming!
@Wizbit89: I love it! I looked at loads of places online and we went to visit this one. It's a bit expensive but honestly, apart from my dress and cake, that's pretty much all of the big stuff out of the way and covered by the venue, so I don't think it works out a lot more than other places we looked at.
CommentAuthorPing
Heya, sorry, just been reading over the forum rules (finally found them! This place is seriously a maze..), and it says we can't advertise websites so have to disguise them, and also have to disguise any other sites that offer the same service as here..... in that case I don't get why I can't mention my venue by name? I'm not giving you the link?
Can someone possibly explain these weird rules that require us to talk it text-speak even when mentioning literally any brand ever? ???
CommentAuthorMichelleC961
I suppose it's because uk bride doesn't want to be seen to be advertising a putting its name to anything, it wants to be neutral about anything and everything, therefore by disguising names you are not directly advertising any brand or venue or anything that is deemed to get advertising- I personally think a name should be fine- I get the no direct links etc but a name is just a name!
CommentAuthorPing
Thanks :) I guess it sort of makes sense?
Anyway, I've sent some design ideas to a cake maker and have an appointment with her to sort that out...
I booked myself an appointment last weekend to go to a local bridal dress shop... I tried on a few just to see what style I actually liked, and it was really useful.
Following this, I've made an appointment with a dressmaker, and I've sent some ideas for what I think would be nice.
Does anyone have any experience to share about getting a dress made?
