Weddings

Right since we have hijacked the Hubbys topic I thought I would start a weddings post!!

So if your married - did you have a formal wedding, a casual wedding, did you spend money on certain things and got other things that weren't so "important" to you for cheaper?

Our wedding we are planning on $8000 - main spends are my dress ($900), catering ($4010), Photographer ($1500), Flowers ($500), Rings (tbd)
The Hall we are using for the reception is $100 for the whole weekend , Celebrant is $150, Hiring the groomsparty stuff (David wearing a kilt, groomsman wearing hired suits / tux) and the bridesmaids are paying half to get theirs made.
Cake we are getting a friend to make (1 tier chocolate, 1 tier banana!) and pretty much everything else in on the cheap!!

Ne one got ideas on how to save money at reception? We arent going on a honeymoon straight after the wedding as it will be calving season on the farm and is full on so thinking of going to Hawaii, Rarotonga, Fiji or Australia next June!!

**End of Novel**

Our wedding was about as simple as it gets, but not as boring as some people imagine registry weddings to be ! And it's not that there isn't part of me that would love a big fancy elaborate wedding, but there is a bigger part of me that "doesn't see the point" so to speak (have very strong feelings about how its so NOT about the wedding but the marriage that matters).

*ahem* Anyway...

Mum ended up helping out with a lot of things that I didn't even ask her for, because I think she was kind of hooked on the 'big wedding' idea and didn't want to feel left out. My dress was $200 from Mummy's Tummy, and is one I can wear again. She also bought me a proper wee posey of flowers in light pinkish colors, not sure what that cost. Oh ! She also bought my shoes, from Kumfs (not as daggy as that sounds) which I can also wear again as I already had a pair like them but in a different color (and loved to bits) - AND she made me pick out some dark colored pearls to wear as well, and used some money my grandma had put into a bonus bonds account for that.

The paperwork (registration) was $120 and it was an additional $50 to book the registry office in town, and if you do that you get the room for half an hour - it seats up to 30 people but we only had eight including us ! Sooo what else... Roland already had his ring, we just took it off him in the morning and put it in a box LOL And mine was very very plain, but it was really all I wanted, just a thin gold band about $75 from Michael Hill.

We had brunch at a restaurant in Mission Bay, De Fontein (and yes, I know it's a Belgian beer bar LOL), because they had a really excellent brunch menu as well as a balcony - the weather was fantastic and we had a great view of the water from where we were sitting. I think all up including drinks that cost us about $280, which was less than we were expecting.

*scratches head* As far as who was actually there it was me and Rols of course, my mum and her partner, his mum and her husband (she's a kiwi but he's American and they live in Colorado), plus our two friends (a couple) Alf & Anna (whom I met via police training... hehehe).

I wouldn't have changed anything really, I managed to cry only a little bit when Roland was reading the 'vows' he wrote (the legal part with the celebrant only takes about 15 mins tops), and had our own music that we wanted playing as well.

After brunch we went home and crashed, then got changed and went out to the movies - my surprise pressie to Roland was two Gold Class tickets to see Walk the Line, man was that ever fun !! Having drinks (ginger beer for me) and ordering yummy food right to our big comfy seats... hehehe

I can't believe it's been two and a half months, things are still awesome and have been since the day we met That's another thing actually, we met on Valentines Day, and so that's when we decided to get married - as corny as it sounds LOL

So to finish off my novel, and although I know you ladies have seen it before, here's a photo (*ahem* or three) !









Ok, so that's four, LOL My bad !

Ohhh I am so excited about this thread - I just looove weddings and can't to hear all about everybody's special day.

We got married in my home town of Molong a little tin pot one about 4 hours west of Sydney. It was actually Roger's idea to have it there despite him being from NZ.
The service was in a garden on a property called "Playtypus Hollow" which was just gorgeous. I had the service done by a minister that I knew really well through my work in Sydney even though neither of us are at all religious. (His wife worked for me) Cost $100 for the venue and I gave the Pastor $200, a bottle of local wine and paid for their accomodation the night before in the b&b on the property.

Photos done at the property, at and in the local pub (our favourite local), then at the reception venue. $1500 for photographer.

The reception was held at a place called "The Convent" which is again another local property that was originally a school, convent and church in the early 1900's. Very rustic, very romantic and very beautiful. It was in May so we had an open fire, and the only lighting came from lots and lots of fairy lights and candles. The catering was $60 per head but there were no other charges for the hall etc. We provided all the alcohol so that was a huge saving. We also stayed here on the night in this cute little cottage that was an old school house.

I lived near a wholesale rose grower in Sydney so bought 13 dozen roses and 3 kilos of petals for $160. I then had my mums neighbour (who was training to be a florist)do up all the flowers for the wedding party and parents etc. Then the remainder of the roses were used to decorate the reception, ceremony and the room we stayed in. The smell was amazing in the hall (ohh such lovely memories).
We had crisp white table cloths and gold organza runners the length of each table. (We only had 36 people so 2 long tables set up + the bridal table) Then 3 candelabra's on each table and rose petals sprinkled all over with lots of tiny glass bowls with tea light candles in them. We did the decorating ourselves so the cost was maybe $60 all up. My grandma -who died 2 months after my wedding at 91, did the majority of the flower arranging god bless her The candleabras, huge vases etc we used were supplied at the hall.

Music was by a group of local young guys who are Jazz/soft rock - cost $200
Our bridal waltze was to Eric Clapton "The way you look tonight" and then Van Morrisons " Someone like you"

My dress $2000 made by a "Joseph" (gay designer in Sydney). I only went to look for my dress 8 weeks out from the day expected to pull one off the rack at
ohhh say $300 ish.................. nah ah!! Mad rush to find one as after the 1st dress I tried on I burst into tears cause I felt like a princess and just went I don't care cost I just want it to be perfect!!!!. Shoes $90, accessories $150 + make up, hair, nails etc. In a nut shell a bloody lot of money to feel gorgeous for 1 day!!!! In hindsight it seems such a waste but on the day "priceless".

We honeymooned for 2 weeks in Thailand got back and moved to NZ 3 days later. Had a major family feud on the day of the wedding because of a sh*thead brother that probably did ruin the day in some respects. But hey, how many weddings go off without a hitch?

So that is my very long story "sorry" - that has certainly brought back so many lovely memories for me. The lead up too and the day (until the fight) was the most exciting and wonderful time of life. (yes even more so than having my chidren shhhh..... don't tell them though! It is our 2nd anniversary next week and we are hopefully going to have our 1st night away from Sam over in the Wairapa - can't wait for a nice night alone with my gorgeous husband. Ohh and we married on exactly 1 year to the day after we met.



Taken on the road just outside where the reception was held "out in the wop wops"

wow that is lovely!!!!

Jezsika - Where abouts in Palmy are you talking about the dresses? My b/m are all over the country but one is in Taranaki (where i live) one in Palmy (where i use to live!) and one in hamilton and chch... (Yup i got 4!)
So if it means a road trip to palmy to save good $$ then I think I will do that!! Pm me if you want

Jeszika I love your flowers. We had bright orange gerbras.
We got married at the band rotunder in the CHCH gardens then had our reception at the Papanui Working mens club restaurant which I might add was soooo cheap but really nice. I think it was only about $22.50 per head for a full buffet and of course the drinks are cheap at wmc's
My wedding dress as I said before was only $300 off trade me my father in law paid for the guys hire and we paid for my bridesmaid. our flower girl had a matching white dress like mine and she looked so pretty. On the tables we put little fortune chocolates which everyone liked cos they were a bit different and was a great converstion starter (can be found on the internet and I think they have them all over NZ and are really cheap)
Apart from food and booze we spent the most on the photographer because really thats all you have after the day and Im really happy we did, in saying that she was only $800 and we got to keep the negatives. another idea for something a little different, instead of everyone signing a book or teddy we had a big frame and aisle made by my MIL and have everyone sign it and then put our favourite wedding photo in it, its a black and white picture and i had the flowers coloured so its really cool, well I think so anyway.
Oh and we walked down the aisle to Enyas 'only time' and had Van Morrision ' I'll be your lover too' as our first dance, what did everyone else have?

This is what I would like, still haven't set a date yet, though.

Evening wedding, around 8pm, lots of candles and fairy lights. For food, continuous supper of finger food - antipasto platters, cheese, breads, dips etc, fresh fruits, chocolates, pastries and my fave, devils on horseback.
A dj, or Juke box, although I plan on making CDs for some part of it, I am a music nut so I have definate Ideas about that!!
For up the asile I'd like "love not given lightly" by Chris Knox, "have I told you lately" by Van morrison or "she's the one" by my idol Robbie. For the dance "some one like you" by Van the Man or "love your ways" by Salmonella Dub or "don't want to miss a thing" by aerosmith oOR (long list) Fatih Hill's "beathe"...oh, yeah, i just remembered, Rod had better have an input for that too...He'd probably pick some epic by pink Ffloyd or a cold chisel number...
I will probably hire mine nad the bridesmaids dresses. Rings and Bridesmaids jewellery will be cheap as i get a wicked good discount at work.
The colour I like is paua, so I'd like the theme to be that, with bits of smashed up shells etc. Rods sister will do the flowers, and I would like paeonies,a nd we will probably get married in her MONSTER garden, or on the beach at her holiday home in the marlborough sounds. No idea where the reception will be, or photos, can get free HSV jholdens, although I would liek a Damlier, but would have to pay for that...
Phew. Novel. ideas etc appreciated!

oooh lots of typos. Looks like Rod has no input, but this is his second time, and his first weddings reception was at a RUGBY CLUB, and he wants ours to be a bbq at a rugby club.. I actually hate rugby, so NO.
He's happy to go along with me as long as it's not to dear or falmboyant. I want simple and elegant and classy. Night time, as his mates are big boozers, so lesss time for power drinking if we have to be out of venue by 1am (fingers crossed) so cheaper bar tab... I have 2 tearaway neice and nephew, and don't want to cause a stir by not inviting them, so I figure a night time wedding will be adults only (except Jacob) Sounds harsh, but I want everyone to enjoy our day. I will be able to organise heaps of sitters through Parents Centre. Also, lots of people will be coming from ages away, so I figure we will have all day to spend with our friends and family, children included, as I am planning on having a big shared lunch for them all. phew!

Ours costed about $12k
$6500 - Reception at Rydges Hotel (work)
$150 Chapel fee - Rose Historic Chapel
$150 Bridesmaids Dresses
$520 My Dress
$400 Hiring of the Suits
$150 Flowers
$100 Tablecentre peices
$100 Cake (Our MC payed the rest)
$300+ Accessories
$1900 Photographer
$1500+ Rings

     

     

     

     

Trish you and i have exactly the same the shoes!!!!!
The photos and stories are just lovely, I looooove weddings................... think I may have already said that a few times?! can't help it I am such a romantic.