Wedding type? Hotel, marquee or abroad?

roseym

Am new to this and at very very early planning stage, not even a date set yet but it'll be summer/autumn 2010. My fiance is quite keen for a massive hotel shindig with full trappings, but I'm more for the smaller wedding with a twist. I must admit though that my motivations are partly financial - I don't want to have a fantastic day and then spend the next ten years paying for it! Plus I'm a poor student at the moment, even the price of a pint is a struggle :rolleyes:

Thought we had hit on the ideal compromise with putting a marquee on my parents land (which is in quite a scenic area) and then inviting as many people as he wants to that, feels intimate to me cos it's "home" and he gets to have his football team. Win win. But it turns out that it is actually even more expensive than a hotel to go that route, not to mention the logistical nightmare it would be between sorting out caterers, heating, loos, lighting, generator, bar.......:eek:

So now we're looking at going abroad. Obvious drawbacks are that not all nearest and dearest will be able to make it, but we're broke so at the end of the day if getting married abroad will keep cost down while still being able to have a decent enough crowd over with us then that option wins. We've been looking at Garada Castle in Italy, apparently it's more reasonably priced than other parts of Italy for weddings there, but haven't had any responses to price enquiry yet. Has anyone heard anything about wedding planners called Dream Academy? Again, I've no price back from them either but am bracing myself for a shock.

Can anyone share their experience of weddings in Garada, or anyplace else abroad for that matter?

ecaf

Sorry cannot answer your question for Italian weddings, but on Marquees I looked at the prices on 1 or 2 a few years ago and seen that they are €15k and you have to buy food on top of that.
As well as that you have the unpredictable weather, and as you said a lot more would have to go into organising it.

You could opt for a later wedding and have a buffet after, or hire a function room for a party with finger food in the evening, and just feed close family at a restaurant earlier on in the day.

Otherwise you could try and have a 'normal' sit down function but limit numbers to what you can afford, and maybe factor in cutbacks in other areas.
For example I am not having chair covers (I don't like them anyway), no cars (but a family member is driving me in a BMW - they offered afterwards), no champagne / toast, no video (hate them too!).
I've done a lot of research on invites and am getting printed / personalised ones on ebay for £0.40p each

There are ways to cut back on what you spend without having to cut back on the major things. Remember too that about 20% of people you invite may not be able to go. Negotiate with the hotel on corkage prices, and maybe make a deal with them for a meal price? You could also think about taking out 1 course (soup / starter) or use your cake as dessert.

holly1

My niece got married in Crete two years ago,it was the most wonderful wedding I have ever been at.She rented a Villa (a big one)and family stayed there,we rented a Villa also and three couples stayed there cutting the cost big time,most peope who travelled to the wedding made a holiday out of it,she had her recption in a lovely greek restraunt and it was very cheap with about five courses,music. The whole week before the wedding was brilliant we had BBQ,s,partys,lay in the sun and everyone looked lovely and tanned and relaxed when the big day came.
If I were to do it again thats the way I would have to go.
Best of luck in whatever you choose.

roseym

Thanks a mill for the cost cutting suggestions - I think they could be applied whether at home or abroad! Especially things like the chair covers and professional video can go. Think I saw a suggestion someplace on boards.ie too that you could bring a laptop to the reception and have guests upload their photos before they leave, that way you can pay for a minimum of professional ones and then pick out faves from the rest. I know that would be particularly useful at my wedding as two of my cousins are studying photography!

My niece got married in Crete two years ago,it was the most wonderful wedding I have ever been at.She rented a Villa (a big one)and family stayed there,we rented a Villa also and three couples stayed there cutting the cost big time,most peope who travelled to the wedding made a holiday out of it,she had her recption in a lovely greek restraunt and it was very cheap with about five courses,music. The whole week before the wedding was brilliant we had BBQ,s,partys,lay in the sun and everyone looked lovely and tanned and relaxed when the big day came.

That sounds absolutely fantastic, pretty much exactly how I would hope mine would work! Did many travel over? We're thinking of inviting family plus maybe 10 good friends each, but obviously not everyone will go when it is abroad. Renting the villa for the wedding party sounds like a good idea to help keep cost down for everyone. Do you know if she had a planner for it or did she just sort it out herself?

holly1

The Villa is the best part as you have your own space to do as you want,most people rented Villas as it can work out cheap if people are prepared to share.As far as I can rember they sourced everything themselves.They based it near Chania and it is a wonderful area not big in tourists.We were at another family wedding in Toucany(Italy) last year in June,they had wedding planner the lot,weather was terrible,we stayed in a castle but it was very isolated and had to drive everywhere,not a patch on Crete.Also be very very careful with wedding planners.Hope I was some help.

holly1

By the way there is hundreds of Villas all types and sizes if you look up google,prices very reasonable.You pay for the Villa not per head.
Again best of luck,let me know how you get on.

barbiegirl

We got married last year in Villa Baroncino. Check out www.romanticitalianweddings.com. It was absolutely brilliant and Marco the owner/wedding planner very efficient, in fact couldn't be better. Everything is costed out and he can work around your budget. It cost us 1/3 of what a similar wedding here would have. We gave everyone notice and most made it their holiday.
Where ever you go make sure of a couple of things
1. It's on a Ryanair and AerLingus route
2. There is a good range of accomodation in the area for all pockets
3. There is plenty for guests to do in the days before and after the wedding as in you pick an area of interest to people.
4. Bring tea bags there's no use fighting it the aunts will want tea not coffee and only Lyons/Barrys will do so just give them to the caterer who will take it from there.
5. Remember not everyone can make a wedding abroad and be prepared that some people you really want there won't be, don't fall out with them or put any pressure on.
6 With the way things are financially keep all costs to the guests to a minimum.
Enjoy your time, the planning and organisation and congratulations and have a great life together :-)
Of course though a wedding here can be done cheaper, just look at other options. Think outside the box

roseym

The Villa is the best part as you have your own space to do as you want,most people rented Villas as it can work out cheap if people are prepared to share.

Brill idea, have mentioned it to the future inlaws and they think it's a great way to get to know everyone,and chill out. Could completely backfire of course, but I reckon the two families would get on like a house on fire for a few days anyway.

Bring tea bags there's no use fighting it the aunts will want tea not coffee and only Lyons/Barrys will do so just give them to the caterer who will take it from there.

Not to mention me wanting tea not coffee! I always bring teabags with me when I travel hahahaha

Thanks a mill - some great advice. This is so exciting!!!!

legalmillie

Hey there,

Congrats for a start. Weddings away are a great way to cut down on cost. Only the people who really want to be there will travel for you. A friend of mine got married in Kerry though, the weather was fab and they rented out a restaurant for the night, which was cheaper than a hotel. Wine is a lot cheaper away too and you can give your guests a bit of extra drink.

My boyfriends brother got married last year and they asked a friend to recommend someone in her professional photography class to do the photos for the day. It only cost 150 for her time for the day and then they paid for developing the photos. They pics were great, as good as some albums I've seen that people have paid 1000's for and the photographer was delighted to have real subjects.

Instead of a wedding list you could ask for vouchers for a travel company and put it towards your honeymoon rather than expensive glasses that just sit in a press somewhere.

Do some internet research on invite design in the US - they are a lot cheaper over there.

If you do get married here in the Marquee. You can cut down on costs like chair covers, flowers on the tables and paying for wine/champagne in a hotel. You can do a run to France for wine and champagne or even up North.

Hope this helps.

olympia1

Hi

We have just been married and went to Tenerife for our romantic Honeymoon - and it was great. Tenerife is a lovely Island and the cheapest place to get married according to a newspaper.
You may read about our Honeymoon under Wedding In Tenerife - Suggestions/Info/Comments


Olympia1

davgtrek

lads. where do some of these budgets come from on weddings. i have been to a good few marquee weddings and TBH they are the best by a long shot. much less formal and relaxed and different. if the weather is great then its amazing. i have been to ones in torrents aswell and do ya know what. they are good crack too. forget about all this hollywood wedding planner stuff.
forget chair covers, make your own invites ( keep them simple ), dont mind this "perfect pair" presentation on tables. Guests are there for the crack & sitting on bails of hay in a field beats the generic red carpet anytime...
hire a decent band and have a side act also. get a decent dj. pull the band after an hour or 2 max ( in fairness most wedding bands i have seen are muck and the good ones will rock it if its a shorter set ) let the good dj then gauge crowd and finish the night off ( DO NOT LET BAND PROVIDE DJ- IF BAND ARE CRAP THEN DJ WILL BE CRAP ASWELL ). If OP is in scenic area then go marquee, catering food can be fairly simple but have plenty and some decent dessert and a cheap bar in tent and away you go.
Most of the good local cafe's would now want businness of catering as we struggle to maintain the celtic tiger mallachino fests.

get a mate to drive you in a decent car or an uncle ( he'll be delighted ) take a pre reception trip to france and load up on sparkling wine, you'll get quality stuff for €4 per bottle. after all its champagne but from a different region.

main issue nwith mquee seems to be the toilets.
one i was at opened up the main house and it was great but risky. another one had a few of those portaloo's. can be nasty things.

good luck with it anyway.

olympia1

Hi

You do really have a very negative view on life!
It´s the bride to be´s greatest day - and that is all you can come up with ?
Yes if you want a headache - do buy a wine at 4 € a bottle :eek: !

bangersandmash

olympia1 wrote: »

You do really have a very negative view on life!
It´s the bride to be´s greatest day - and that is all you can come up with ?
Yes if you want a headache - do buy a wine at 4 € a bottle :eek: !

Not sure about sitting on bails of hay. But €4 will buy a perfectly good bottle of wine in France in most reasonable (i.e. non-tourist) locations. The same bottle with a label will cost you about €15 in an Irish off-license, and €20-30 in an Irish hotel or restaurant. On the other hand many Irish hotels are quite happy to charge a premium for poor quality new world wines that are likely to give you a headache