How to pay for the wedding

Over the last year it's been easy for both me and OH to put off our wedding because of other fnancial constraints. Yet again this month, money has been an issue just as we were thinking of booking a venue.

I very nearly put the wedding back again, until I realised what was important to me. One of the biggest parts of my wedding is to have my Dad there to walk me down the aisle (and to see him in a suit). He is 81 this year so I know realistically if I put this wedding back too much then he may not be able to walk me down the aisle or enjoy the day properly himself.

I thought of putting the deposit on a credit card and then saving up for the rest, but then I had a great idea of getting a 0% card. This is perfect for us as we found a 12 month 0% on purchases, so realistically the deposit can be placed on the card and then paid off, with everything else coming from savings and every day budget.

Roll on next weekend when we are starting to look at some venues.

My plans

I have been thinking a lot about what I want my wedding to be, and I have come up with some ideas that hopefully I can look back on as I'm planning to see if my ideas change.

• My colours are going to be teal green, silver and cream
• My dress will be cream with a teal green sash or something similar, maybe swarzoski crystals sewn into the base of the dress.
• The bridesmaids will also have cream dresses with a splash of teal green in there somewhere.
• I want a tiara instead of a veil.
• I think we may have something different instead of an evening buffet, maybe sweets and chocolate fountain.
• The cake is going to be cupcakes with a small cake at the top for us to cut. Everyone will then get a small cupcake.
• I want to be at the hotel from the night before my wedding, chilling out and making use of swimming and spa. This will save on transport and give me some pampering.

Setting the Date

You're engaged! You may already have a date in mind for your wedding, but if you're like me and you're not sure then before you can book the venue you're going to need an idea of when to get married.

Christmas? This would set a lovely scene, with plenty of design scope with glittery snowflakes etc, but venues may be booked well in advance for functions, and the price may be at a premium if the venue is in demand from other people wanting to have their corporate Christmas parties.

Summer? The scope for great weather is higher here, however you're not guaranteed blazing hot sunshine especially in England. Summer is a popular time for weddings so you may be competing against other prospective couples. Organisation may be the key.

Spring? Some venues may have a discount for spring months as they are not traditionally popular for weddings, so flexibility may be better here. You can have some great weather in March and April.

Autumn? Think of the beautiful colours falling from the trees. This would make beautiful pictures for your day. The weather may be colder in the Autumn but again you can't guarantee the weather at all.

I think I am going for a March wedding, purely because we have birthdays in May, June and July, and these months are hectic and expensive.
March is a very non descript month for us, and could be nice to look forward to it after the dip of January and cold weather.
Either March or December, but I am worried about the implications of Christmas and how it may interfere with my wedding plans.

The Venue

One of the most important decisions you will make and probably the first decision will be your venue. Do you want to get married in a church? Have a civil ceremony in a venue? Or a registry office?

There are many to choose from and all will depend on where you live and what you can afford.

I know I want a civil ceremony, preferably in a hotel where we can stay for the whole day. This will mean I don't have to worry about transport, hopefully cutting costs there, and I also had the idea of combining my hen night with the wedding by having a couple of friends stay in the hotel the night before with me and we could have a nice dinner and some spa treatments.
This means I have to find a hotel that has spa facilities, but also is within a budget, so the hunt begins.

Congratulations

So I'm assuming if you're reading this blog then you may well be planning your wedding. If so, congratulations.
We have been half heartedly planning our wedding for about three years now, but a house move, a baby and general life has always gotten in the way of us actually booking anything.

I have specific ideas about what I want and don't want from my wedding, but I think that makes it a bit more difficult for me as I am not conforming to the "norm" of wedding packages out there.

I WANT

- to have a lovely day that I will remember forever
- to enjoy myself
- everyone else to enjoy themselves

I DON'T WANT

- to spend a fortune
- to invite people I don't like just because I feel like I should, or I went to theirs etc.
- to spend nearly £2k on feeding everyone.

So my aims for my wedding is to keep costs down but enjoyment high.