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Help to organise surprise wedding.

  • 08-07-2009 7:53pm
    #1
    notmyname79
    Closed Accounts Posts: 47 ✭


    Ok. I am helping a family member to do this.
    Shes pregnant at the moment and due soon. She is engaged a long time but only her partner working and money is very tight .

    When she has the baby christened in november she is going to surprise everyone by walking up the aisle and get married and christening at the end.

    This is up to me to help organise as its a big secret but there is very little time to organise and a nonexistent budget,
    We were thinking send out invites and make the time a little early so people dont turn up in the middle.
    Maybe a meal for 30-40 people or buffet or party after?
    any tips on any aspect really appreciated.


Comments

  • #2
    ecaf
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 349 ✭✭ecaf


    Ok its hard to know where to start or how much you / they have done so far?
    I presume the H2B knows this is going to happen, and its only a surprise for the guests?

    Not sure where you are based or anything, but in regards meal / buffet for 30 / 40 people, I'm not sure which would work out cheaper, but you could approach a resteraunt or hotel and ask for a set price for a menu - say for a 3 or 4 course meal with no choice on main course, so you have a set starter, mains and dessert + tea or coffee.
    If you price with a hotel, the usually have smaller function rooms that you can take for Christenings or just say its a party. In the hotel you could have a buffet either, but I'm not sure if this actually works out cheaper, I think it depends on the hotel.
    I have heard of resteraunts doing a set menu too, and it would probably work out cheaper than a hotel, but everyone would have to leave after it and go to the pub / house afterwards.

    Another option would be to hire a football club / rugby club function room, I did this for my 21st. And get a caterer, this way you could have a choice of main courses, but you may not get a good table structure. In our rugby club they didn't have tables to eat at, but ours was more finger food - so maybe you pay more for that.

    In terms of paper work, they will have to registrer their 'intention to marry' with the state at least 3 months before they marry. Both of them have to sign it, and they need names & addresses of their witnesses, plus copies of their IDs. This costs €150. The couple & the priest & witnesses sign this on the day and then send it in to get their marriage cert.
    For the church you need your baptismal cert, confirmation cert (? I'm nearly certain), and if your living in a different parish now you need a letter of freedom from your previous parish.

    Hopefully this is a bit of use to you. I would advise for flowers, either go to Smithfield in Dublin and order you own flowers, but then you have to make the bouquets and arrangements yourself (which with a new born might be very stressful, even if you are helping out), or you could phone the church sacristan who usually does the flower arrangements anyway. Ours does the odd bouquet and wedding flowers, so she litterly just charged for the flowers and her time, it came to €380 altogether, but that included button holes for the bothers, flower girl baskets, 1 BM bouquet as well as my own, and alter arrangements, so maybe there are some things that you might be cutting out, that will reduce the cost?

    Best of luck, keep us posted on how you get on...


  • #3
    notmyname79
    Closed Accounts Posts: 47 ✭notmyname79


    Thanks, yes h2b knows :)
    We think a rugby club buffet would be a great idea, they have the licence all sorted too.
    We also have a family member who is a photographer asked to take snaps of the christening.
    Thanks for he reply


  • #4
    nk12
    Closed Accounts Posts: 42 ✭nk12


    hi there

    i was a photographer recently at a surprise wedding/ christening!
    it was so beautiful!
    they had church bit and video guy etc was hiding!
    then groom/father lol announced to everyone about the surprise!
    it was lovely!
    they then went across to a local pub where a room was decorated and they had a meal!
    it looked fab!
    pm me if you want to know where it was!

    also i was shooting a wedding in skerries last week and they had reception in the skerries rugby club! the room looked gorgeous as was set up exactly like a you would get in a hotel! so was the pub above i might add!

    there are many options and cheap deals/alternatives
    maybe get a sample dress, and decorations 2nd hand or something!
    do the flowers (if necc) yourself and cut out anything that is not vital!
    so basically you only need the 3 of you there lol! oh and witnesses! hee hee
    seriously though the buzz of the surprise will be the talk of the town for a long time! i certainly wont forget being a part of the surprise forever i feel!
    good luck with it all!
    it will be amazing!;)


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