I am fed up with this wedding thing already
Each of Mark's papers need the Hague Appostille, at £30/each, which can only be done in Milton Keynes, from 9am to 3pm, so we'll have to take holidays for that.

Each of his papers again need translation, at 10pence/word

The priest of the Anglican Church where he got Christened told him yesterday that nobody in the church is going to sign a paper saying he's single because they don't know him. That rules out a wedding on the Church almost completely.

We've started to receive budgets for the reception afterwards. A very good menu, that is true, but for 90€/person (including drinks during the meal). That doesn't include the DJ, or any music. That doesn't include the 3h open bar afterwards (Spanish tradition, the couple pays for your drinks and food during the whole celebration)

I'm so tempted to just go to the register in Manchester with a couple of friends and get it all sorted in 10 min. My mother would try to kill me, true, but I think it's worth the risk.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:04, 4 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

Do it, I was sorely tempted to alope
but I fear the rentals would never have forgiven us...less than 3 weeks now!
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:06, Reply)

That's the only reason why I'm giving it another chance
If in 2 more weeks we're still having stupid problems with bureocracy, I'll give up.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:24, Reply)

Bugger tradition and bugger fine food for the guests.
Make the guests pay for drinks and do a buffett.
( girlinthehole, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:06, Reply)

I suggest volauvents, chicken drumsticks, cocktail sausages and cheese and pineapple on sticks

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:08, Reply)

I can never understand why people put themselves into so much debt for one day's festivities.
I'd rather keep the money for a house or holiday. Bugger the guests. If they don't like it then they can stay away.
( girlinthehole, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:11, Reply)

^ this
£5k on food and drink for spongers (sorry, guests), or off on a trip to the other side of the world?

No brainer.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:16, Reply)

I do want a big wedding
but I aim to do everything that I can on a budget.

I want to get married at a castle, so that will cost like £5k, which is unavoidable really. But the dress, cake and food I can do quite cheaply. I reckon I'll do all that crap like the table decorations myself as well.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:23, Reply)

I'm so bad with my hands :(
I wish I could do it all, although the budget includes all the decorations already, and the hotels don't let you do it yourself, because they have arrangements with the flower shop.

I'm going searching for dresses at the end of July. I have the feeling I'm not going to like any and I'll end up getting someone to do it for me.

On the plus side, we found in ebay really beautiful invitations, for less than 30pence/invitation.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:31, Reply)

that's pretty cool
I plan to make everything like that but I've heard that when you're writing the 100th invitation you start to hate your guests.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:37, Reply)

Yes, I thought about doing them myself
But as I said, I'm crap with my hands. And these are very pretty, with a ribbon in the colour you choose and a little accesory, like a butterfly or a flower or something you choose.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:40, Reply)

Using my mad photoshop skills I'm making my own invitations
we're intending to get married in a cool looking greenhouse basically, so am getting a pic of that, making it into a black and white line drawing and using that
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:52, Reply)

Aye, we've done our own invites.
I'm going to get them printed on postcards from Moo.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 10:02, Reply)

How much each?

(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Tue 22 Jun 2010, 10:09, Reply)

£28.99 for 60

( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 10:12, Reply)

Not bad
It's good to know, in case this woman on ebay says she can't make the Spanish ones.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Tue 22 Jun 2010, 10:21, Reply)

I'm thinking getting them on compliments slips
because it is the right size and shape. should be cheap enough I reckon
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 10:26, Reply)

That sounds really cool
I wish I was better at all this.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Tue 22 Jun 2010, 10:05, Reply)

If my ebay dress doesn't fit post-baby
I may have to come looking for a corset instead. (I can make a skirt but not a corset.)
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 10:04, Reply)

Why everybody can make things but me?

(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Tue 22 Jun 2010, 10:07, Reply)

Bugger the guests. Repeatedly.

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:20, Reply)

I never wanted fine food
I want something filling and nice tasting. It'd be wrong not to pay for the drinks. I'm hoping my father goes along with tradition and pays at least half of it.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:25, Reply)

do a massive paella
/stereotype
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:28, Reply)

Hahaha!
That's exactly what I want. A big filling plate of rice or pasta, and some meat. I don't want pumpking cream in caviar sauce with wild berries, ffs!
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:32, Reply)

I read about a couple whose caterers fucked up and got the wrong day
so the wedding had started and they had no food. The bride's father ran to the chip shop down the road and got 50 orders of fish and chips. Legend.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:36, Reply)

That'd be great
My mother is going for all the posh restaurants. I need to talk with my father and explain him what I prefer. At the end of the day, he was going to sort that out, but my mum is too impatient to wait for him.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:39, Reply)

Don't go to Milton Keynes,
Chompy will be waiting for you.
( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:07, Reply)

Yeah! he might want to snog you.

( girlinthehole, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:08, Reply)

Now he's got the taste for it, they'll be no stopping him.

( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:10, Reply)

I had forgotten about that
I'm going to have to send a messenger with the papers (£60/paper with the lawyers, only to get it sorted, the appostille price goes apart)
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:26, Reply)

Do it a cheaper way in Spain and claim it's an English tradition.
We're not having an open bar at our wedding. We're providing post-ceremony mulled cider and putting a few bottles of wine on each table for the meal. Any other booze will have to be bought by the guests. I come from a long line of Irish alcoholics so this is my way of avoiding bankruptcy.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:16, Reply)

we're going to do similar for booze
we're not made of money!
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:27, Reply)

To be fair
It's Spanish tradition as well that the guests ask you how much you're paying for head (only food, not the open bar later), and give you a pressent that covers it and a bit more. But I don't want anyone spending that amount of money.

I think £30/person in enough for a more than good meal.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Tue 22 Jun 2010, 9:28, Reply)

Listen, I was wondering, CH[more letters], could you do us a favour.
I'm never sure when the right time to spark up at the wedding is, some people say I should take the opertunity at the bit where he says "If anyone has any objections, speak now, or forever hold your piece", and that's fine, I don't mind, but it's all a bit public, it would be awfully embarassing if you turn me down. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to ruin anyone's day, so can't really say before the church bit. I could wait until the First Dance bit, but ideally if I'm going to take over the role, I'd have learnt the chicken dance just in case. Also, if I leave it until you've signed the legal papers, then I guess that'll be a whole lot of hassle that could be avoided.

I was just wondering, that's all, when's the best time?
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 10:17, Reply)

Best do it before the actual vows.
Distract the bride with a cute puppy, have a quiet word, promise more puppies in the future.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 10:25, Reply)

Cool, and what's the rules about paying for it afterwards?
It wouldn't be fair to take over and expect him to still pay his share, but it's not fair that I pay the full price and don't get to choose things where the ball is set in motion. Sure, simple things like the song for the first dance is an easy one to change, but surely I should be able to pick what we have for the meal and all that if I'm putting..... oh', wait, it's the parents of the bride that pays, isn't it? Oh, fair enough, don't worry about that one.
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 10:33, Reply)

Nah, these days it's the couple that pays.
I suggest you quit uni, get a job and consolidate all your debts into one easy monthly affordable payment plan.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Tue 22 Jun 2010, 10:40, Reply)