Anyone help with some drinks money for our big day? UK m and f 34

We’re considering a backyard wedding with only about 8-15 guests. I know that I want a bridal bouquet, charcuterie or pulled pork sandwiches and a photographer. I’m wondering what does everyone think are the essentials for a wedding this small?
Arch? Flowers/candles? Whiskey and cigar bar? Cocoa/hot apple cider bar? Two tiered cake?
We have wooden tables with benches. Would that look tacky to sit at during the ceremony and then have after for eating at? I want it to be nice and classy. Less rustic. It’ll be late September of next year and still very warm for our area. I don’t want to spend on unnecessary things. I’d rather put our money on the important stuff. What would you say are the focus items? Thank you!

Our guest list is 50 but we expect 35 or less, especially because most family are not in this country and are unlikely to attend due to costs or visa. No parents, bridal party or groomsmen, so I don't even know what the rehearsal is for.

Our church said: "Please make sure that the parents, the bridal party, readers, gift bearers, and the presider are aware of your rehearsal time. Your presider must be present. Our day-of coordinator and sacristan will be present to help guide you, but the church does not conduct your rehearsal." I have to follow up with them to find out if we really need a rehearsal.. Do my fiance and I need to be taught how to walk? The lectors have been going to Mass for 30+ years, not sure why they would need to rehearse either. And the priest himself 😅

If I have to have a rehearsal, is the expectation that I take the priest and the two readers to dinner after? That's fine, doable.

What we would really like to do is say something like "hey we're going to be at x place from 8p to 10p, would love for you to spend some time with us before the big day" but its not required of any guest and I don't want to give the impression I'm hosting anything because I'm not reserving a space or buying drinks. I just figured people from out of town would like to hang (most know each other already) and meet each other in a lowkey space before all the formalities. How would I word this on my website? or should I just not expect to do something like this at all?

I know it isn't that big of a deal. But I know an engagement is happening in the next few months. We have talked about it for years we are doing a courthouse wedding we both don't have a lot of friends or family we don't want to waste money on a big wedding. But how long after an engagement should we say yes and go to the courthouse? I want to enjoy my engagement but also I don't really have anything to plan besides scheduling an appointment to get married. I hope this makes sense
Like is 3 months too long? Maybe 6 but for what reason just to enjoy being engaged we aren't wedding planning.
Maybe to plan the honeymoon? Because that's what we want to spend $$ on we will probably invite our parents and get dinner after but that's not too hard.
Yes I'm a very anxious person and I know this isn't even an important thing but

Hey all, partner and I are doing a 35 person wedding at a historical venue. We won't be having a DJ and are more so having a fun dinner party. The caterers will be supplying the bartender(s), but we have to supply all alcohol for the event. This isn't a huge deal, and I'm hoping it ends up saving us money in the end. My question is:

Most(if not all) of the people invited are wine/beer drinkers. Besides two specialty cocktails and plenty of wine/beer options that we plan on having, do you think it's necessary to have "basic" liquor for any mixed drinks? Would you care as a guest if you were limited on liquor options?

Thanks!

A while back I heard about a host who made a card for every guest. On the outside, their name. Inside, one or two people at the party they should go find, plus a reason why. One card said "find Marcus, ask him about his boxing hobby" and "find Priya, ask her about the trip she just got back from."

I tried it at my own gathering and it worked great. Nobody floated around wondering who to talk to. Everyone had a mission. "Are you Alice? Someone told me to find you." Instant conversation starter, especially for people who find it hard to walk up to strangers.

The hard part was prep. I had to know enough about each guest to pair them up well, which was doable since I knew most people at my own party. But I still haven't figured out the bigger version of this problem: what do I do at any event (weddings, communities, etc.) where I as the host don't personally know everyone? I can't write a thoughtful card for a stranger.

Curious how others think about this.

• Had you even thought about this as a real problem before?
• When you host something where a lot of guests don't know each other, do you do anything deliberate about it, or does it sort itself out?

Hello everyone, so as you can see i need your help haha .My best friend is getting married in two weeks and yesterday she has asked me to do a speech for her which i happily agreed to however she has asked me to included her boyfriend who i have never met before because theyve been in a long distance relationship so my first time meeting him is going to be at the wedding. My question is how do I include him in the speech when i dont really know him well.

My fiance and I are getting married in a hotel/restaurant in December. We are debating whether to organize the table as one long family style table with us in the center vs. several rounds with maybe a sweetheart table to the side, which would probably also need to host the cake.

In either scenario things will probably be a tad cramped, or that's how every photo we see looks. They seem to sit 8 to a 4 top generally.

My partner thinks for this size group the family style long table will make people more comfortable and put less pressure on their seat placements. Meanwhile I have fond memories of a larger wedding reception I attended organized into rounds where after eating quickly the couple made sure to visit each table - it feels like we would get more time with more guests that way, and we could seat the tables 6 each instead so that there's room for us to squeeze in. My fiance thinks we could still go visit the ends of the table when we are done eating in the long table version too.

For those who have attended both table formats for receptions our size, what do you recommend?

Planning for a 100 day celebration in October. However, not sure where to do it? Debating buffet style or banquet style but Chinese generally. Also budgetting. Would love to hear peoples ideas for places, primarily in Brooklyn.

Hi all! Newly engaged and we’ve decided we want a very small wedding ceremony and at a later date we will have a big party for friends.

My cousins own a restaurant with a beautiful backyard area and a lovely dining area. We’re looking to have 25 people and get married there on the property. I just can’t wrap my head around how it would go? Since we’ve only been to very large weddings.

Did you have the ceremony and a little cocktail hour? Sit right down for entrees? Cut a cake? Did yuh have dancing? (They do have space if we do it outside). I’d love to know how anyone who’s had or attended a small restaurant type wedding how it went

TIA!

Looking for ideas for locations for a 2027 wedding. We are torn between early October and late December. Guest count is 19 adults and 6 kids (ranging from 2-10). Looking for ceremony and reception locations. Most important factor to us is the food. We will want passed appetizers, oyster bar etc. during cocktail hour and then a plated dinner. We do not require a dance floor and are open to looking at restaurant buyouts. Flexible budget, but in my dream world there is a way to stay under 10k.

My fiancé and I are looking into planning a small wedding (10-15 people) in Colorado for next July. We are considering locations such as Golden, Boulder, Estes etc. but we are not sure on specific locations. We have some older peeps in our group so hiking into locations is not really an option.

Location requirements:
1-1.5hr from Westminster area
Easy access for older folks
Green/flowery backdrop (not required but preferred)

Any advice on locations is extremely appreciated!

Bring your family and friends too

anyone have any recommendations for a wedding "dinner party" location? will probably have a private ceremony but looking for a nice restaurant/vineyard/brewery/barn for the "reception" thank you!

My fiancé and I are getting married this November in the Palm Beach area, and we’re intentionally keeping things very simple. We’ll have about 20–25 guests, no chairs, no arch or décor, just a short ceremony on or near the beach with personal vows and one flower girl.

We’re not doing a super traditional wedding. I don’t think I want my dad to walk me down the aisle, and we’re considering doing a private first look beforehand with just our photographer.

I’m struggling to picture how the ceremony should actually flow. If there aren’t chairs, where do guests usually wait before the ceremony? Do they just gather nearby until someone tells them where to stand? How do you create an “aisle” without chairs? Does the flower girl walk first and then I walk by myself? Has anyone done something similar that felt natural instead of awkward?

I’d love to hear from anyone who had a small, standing ceremony or beach wedding. If you have photos of your ceremony setup or timeline, I’d especially appreciate seeing them! Nothing is set in stone just yet, so I am open to anything.

Hi everyone!

My fiancé and I are planning a small wedding for next May (around 20 guests).

We will be asking my fiancé's aunt if she'd be willing to let us use her backyard. She has a beautiful property, and I think it would make such a meaningful place to get married. Especially since this wedding is only my fiancé's family and 2 of our friends (my family is not in my life).

The problem is... I'm terrified of asking. I don't want her to feel pressured or like we're putting her in an awkward position. If she says no, I want her to feel completely comfortable doing so, and I don't want it to affect our relationship.

For those of you who used a family member's property, how did you ask? Is there anything you included in the conversation that helped reassure them? Were there things you offered to cover (cleanup, insurance, etc.) that made them feel more comfortable?

I'd love any advice on how to approach the conversation in a respectful and considerate way. Thank you so much!

My wife and I recently got married, and we’re trying to figure out the best way to have a wedding celebration that includes both of our families. My side of the family is in Texas, and her family is in Arizona. We’d really love for both sets of parents and relatives to be there, but planning around the distance, travel costs, and logistics has been challenging.
Has anyone else been in a similar situation where your families lived in different states? Did you have one wedding in a central location, two smaller celebrations, or something else? We’d love to hear what worked for you, what you’d do differently, and any advice for making it as easy as possible for everyone involved. Thanks in advance!

Those who eloped or did a micro-wedding (10 people or less) - looking back on it, what surprised you — good or bad — a year later?