Small Wedding ideas and experiences
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
Forum Description: For mums, dads, parents-to-be, grandparents, friends -- you name it! And you name the topic you want to chat about!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=26445
Printed Date: 01 October 2025 at 2:20am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Small Wedding ideas and experiences
Posted By: xLUCKYx
Subject: Small Wedding ideas and experiences
Date Posted: 11 May 2009 at 10:01am
|
Hi, I am really interested to hear from anyone who had or has been to a small wedding and was wondering what went well, what didn't etc etc anyones ideas...
We are in beginning stages of planning a small wedding to have in my Nanna's garden. It will only be close frineds and family, and I would like the kids to be there too. The time we are looking at is around July so taking weather into account as well... I definitly want outdoors so might have a marquet or something on standby.. Also reception ideas would be awesome :) Thanks anyone who replies to this! |
Replies:
Posted By: Mama2two
Date Posted: 11 May 2009 at 10:20am
|
We had a smallish wedding (gosh nearly 8 years ago now!). We just invited close family & friends. I think in total we had around 25-30 people in total.
I would definitley recommend some cover in case of rain. We had ours in August and there was a major storm the night before. Also some hard ground (you don't want to be wearing gumboots if it all turns nasty  ).
We ended up having our reception at the local Lions Club hall. It cost us $50 + $100 refundable deposit, and it came with chairs & tables which saved us heaps of money, and meant nobody's house ended up a wreck. We had the Spit Roast company come and cater it which was lovely, although initially we were going to have a pot luck (in lieu of presents people bring a plate) which would have been really nice too I think. Good luck. My best piece of advice is just do what makes you happy. Don't worry about what family or friends think. In the end it is your day and no matter where or how you do it, it ends up being the actual ceremony that means everything and you remember very little else  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: YvetteandElla
Date Posted: 11 May 2009 at 10:52am
|
Hey Hun,
Well we had a small wedding only about 25 guests, it did cause some problems with family who were not invited We had it out at my parents who have a very nice house near the bush, we got maried in the bush. For the reception which we had at my parents we had a chef who catered fancy orderves (sp) so it was very relaxed but also really nice It was still a very traditional wedding just very intimate, I would not have chnaged it for the world ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: xLUCKYx
Date Posted: 11 May 2009 at 11:07am
|
Mum2Sam - thanks for that tip - No I do NOT want to wear gumboots lolol!
Yvette!! Hi! I am quite sure some will end up upset here too, but we would end up having over 100 people if we invited everyone (Sunz family is huge) and we want small and intimate like you - 25-30 people tops... The other option we are thinking of is eloping but I think it will be nicer to have a small wedding with loved ones. |
Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 11 May 2009 at 11:07am
|
My friends had a gorgeous small wedding. They got married at the beach, then went back to the brides parent's house, where they hired a couple of tables and had a caterer come and serve them. They had the dinner (for about 18 people, I think) on the veranda, but could have moved into the large dining room if necessary. It was a beautiful old farmhouse.
Just a note with marquees - we thought we'd hire one for ours in case of bad weather, but they are expensive! Was going to cost around $1500. So we just scheduled it for mid January in Gisborne, and figured we'd squeeze into my parents house (big farmhouse) somehow if need be. It was a lovely day so we didnt have to in the end. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: YvetteandElla
Date Posted: 11 May 2009 at 11:10am
|
Oh and we had a waitress to serve us and they did the cleaning up afterwards whch was really nice.
We also saved money as one of my best freinds who is a photographer did our photos, she has great prices though check her out at www.momentz.co.nz ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: MichellesCrew
Date Posted: 11 May 2009 at 11:14am
|
I went to a wedding that was very small and they had one big large table and we all had dinner together, it was nice to all be sat together and so cozy.
They had an evening ceremony with candles and fairy lights everywhere and it was so romantic and intimate. |
Posted By: Turtle
Date Posted: 11 May 2009 at 11:21am
|
My SIL had a small wedding. They had the wedding in the Botanic Gardens and photos there too. They hired out a part of a nice restaurant and we had the balcony to use during the reception too.
Was nice a casual and meant everyone got to sit around and talk afterwards, and most imporantly it was the type of wedding SIL wanted. Hope your wedding planning goes well! |
Posted By: clover
Date Posted: 11 May 2009 at 12:00pm
|
I went to a lovely small wedding. It was at a home and there were 6 tables on the patio area. No name tags and you could just sit where you liked. It was catered but not fancy, just really nice food. Was all over by 8pm, no music or anything but I still think it was one of the nicest weddings I've ever been to. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: palomino
Date Posted: 11 May 2009 at 2:17pm
| Great ideas, this is my sort of wedding. But my family think im crazy not wanting to have every man and his dog invited. So hence we are still not married lol. |
Posted By: xLUCKYx
Date Posted: 11 May 2009 at 2:17pm
|
Wow thanks for all of the great ideas! I am now starting to form something in my mind! I LOVE the fairy lights idea so see an eveing wedding, garden kitted out with fairy lights. Standing ceremoney with a couple of patio heaters to keep everyone warm (marquet on standby if ness - can't believe the hireage costs but lucky we know someone who owns one and can loan it to us). I would like to involve the kids somehow but don't know yet..
After ceremony inside, roaring fire, coffee, liquours and dessert! I am excited now :) What is the polite thing to do for those that you couldn't invite? |
Posted By: xLUCKYx
Date Posted: 11 May 2009 at 2:20pm
| HUNTD, so with you! I have freinds who will think I am mad too but hey, ya want what ya want! |
Posted By: NZCupcake
Date Posted: 11 May 2009 at 4:58pm
|
I had a very small wedding at the end of Feb. 28 people - family and close friends.
We got married on the grounds of the institution we both worked at where we met - had it been sunny it would have been out on the campus fields under the trees. It poured with rain, but we had a backup covered area which worked really well. We involved both my young (9 and 7) children - they were our 'attendants' and held our rings. We didn't have any bridesmaids or groomsmen, and had two very dear friends be our witnesses. Also didn't do the dress and everything, but we all bought 'new' outfits which the kids enjoyed. We mentioned them both specifically in a very brief speech of thanks which DH gave at the lunch afterwards. And our 'words' had them in it too. -------------  Cameron 10 ~ Sophie 9 ~ Nov08 Angel
http://lilypie.com">  
|
Posted By: BaAsKa
Date Posted: 11 May 2009 at 6:02pm
|
We had a smallish (60 people) wedding (over 3 yrs ago).
We had it on our farm and hired a huge marquee and all the bits and bobs from party hire (tables, table clothes, glasses, plates hot boxes etc) we also hired a jutebox for the music. We set up the ceremony outside but had the marquee for back up and we set up the marquee for the reception. We had a few hicups due to weather even though it was early feb!!!! - the day before was the huge Matata floods, We were in Tauranga at the time but all our family and friends were comming from kawerau, Matata, Rotorua etc, those people also included out celebrant (comming from Kawerau), our inlaws who were doing the catering (comming from Matata), my mum and uncle - mum had the dresses, my ring and my uncle was the one walking me down the isle! (comming from Kawerau)....all the roads were closed off through rotomas and Matata so needless to say we were a little stressed that the wedding was not going to happen!!! our poor guests had to go back and forth from rotoma to matata trying to get through! with them opening and closing the roads ALL the time!!!....then when they finally got through i tried my wedding ring on that had only arrived at mums the day before - and it didnt fit!!!!  so i had to go and buy a cheapo for the day!......the wedding was meant to be at 3pm and it ended up being at 5.30ish...but it did happen and was great apart from a few other hicups!! (sister being a drama queen and people sinking in the soft grass and the marquee sinking! lol)....
|
Posted By: BessieBear
Date Posted: 12 May 2009 at 11:03am
|
My cousin had a small wedding I think 30 people. They had it on the grounds of a motel type thing and went to a buffet restaurant for dinner. with other random peopole dining. ------------- Sarah Mum to, Boy 07/2008, Girl 03/2010, Boy 05/2012, Angel  07/08/2014
|
Posted By: clover
Date Posted: 12 May 2009 at 1:55pm
|
Oh, I've just remembered that I went to another small one. It was at her parents house, they got married in the garden with everyone just standing around casually. She didn't 'walk down the aisle' she and he just sort of made their way to the the front. Everyone just stood around anywhere and watched. Afterwards there was canapes that her mum had made and drinks, then later was a bbq (everyone brought a plate and their own drinks) although some drinks were put on from memory. She had also asked everyone to bring their digital cameras and take pictures, then when they were leaving gave them a blank CD and envelope with postage already on it for them to download their pictures and post them to her.
That was a great wedding also. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 12 May 2009 at 7:05pm
|
I must have had the smallest wedding here..
We decided to get married at 38 weeks pregnant with Tom (call it nesting). We had originally planned a wedding 5 months after he was born but it was growing bigger and bigger and I hated that so we cancelled it and put it on hold. One night we were talking about what is MOST important and that was our immediate family so in 8 days we planned our wedding. Had 6 guests! Our friend is a celebrant and she offered her house as the venue. It was beautiful. Then we all went to a flash restaurant for dinner (fine dining degustation menu) and then stayed in the hotel that night. Breakfast together the next morning. All up including suit for DH, dress for me, makeup, hair etc, dinner for everyone, accommodation for DH and I and my parents (who were paying) and photographer (friend of a friend) it cost just under $5000....which suprised me...so I can only imagine how much "normal" weddings would cost. I wouldnt change anything about our wedding except the weather. After just being involved in my BILs wedding...I am SO pleased we had ours as we did. |
Posted By: LeahandJoel
Date Posted: 13 May 2009 at 6:31pm
|
We had 25 adults and 15 kids. Did it in our small back garden and had photos in the reserve next door. Bought some nice organic meat and did a bbq. Had a couple of trestle tables set up on the deck for the food (had all the salads and the cake made for us). Got a bouncy castle for the kids, and everyone was happy. Did wedding and baby naming in one hit. Started at 11.30am and everyone was gone and the place cleaned up by 4pm. Total cost was under $2500, and everything was what we wanted. -------------  
 
|
Posted By: busyissy
Date Posted: 14 May 2009 at 1:28pm
| What about a garden party for the reception. You coul get a small marque, round tables for that slightlyinformal feel, loose formed posies or small pots of live daisies in the centre for your flowers, hire some standing heaters for warmth, packets of your favourite flower seeds for your guest momentos. It could be very pretty & elegant without being too expensive. |
Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 14 May 2009 at 1:36pm
|
We eloped .. it was stunning! I highly reccomend (sp) it lol
http://www.freewebs.com/nashwedding - Our Wedding Elopment ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year  http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
|
Posted By: xLUCKYx
Date Posted: 14 May 2009 at 1:44pm
|
Hey Saffron love that idea too! Have been talking to DP or should I say DF and we can be more flexible with our dates now. We wated to tie the knot before he goes to police college but now we have changed our minds to do it afterwards in late summer.
I like the night time idea with fairy lights, candles, lanterns etc... but since it would be warm it would be totally appropriate to have an outdoor reception too and maybe still keep the gas heaters anyway for added cosyness ;-) Awww lilfaty that is so special I love the way you have documented EVERYthing for your families! I am so tempted now lol! Was anyone mad? Not that it matters!!! |
Posted By: xLUCKYx
Date Posted: 14 May 2009 at 1:47pm
| Still looking at your blog! Wow! I am really thinking now..... |
Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 14 May 2009 at 1:52pm
|
Hmmm I dont think "mad" was the right word ... some were sad (although some of DHs family were probably none too pleased, but that was more a me thing than an elopment thing lol)
We thought it was perfect! And it made it amazingly special because our vows (which we both wrote) were just for each other to hear. ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
|
Posted By: xLUCKYx
Date Posted: 14 May 2009 at 1:56pm
| Every last detail looks truely beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing that!! |
Posted By: Daizy
Date Posted: 14 May 2009 at 2:42pm
|
lilfatty you wedding looked beautiful!!! And all this time I couldnt work out why you wanted to get married at a rehab center (also with the same name) ------------- 
 
|
Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 14 May 2009 at 3:36pm
Bahahaha! Well a rehab centre could have been pretty rocking ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
|
Daizy wrote:Posted By: palomino
Date Posted: 14 May 2009 at 6:07pm
|
awww gorgeous blog, thank you for letting us look.
You looked gorgeous btw :) |