The Wedding Advice Thread

[murdoc]

Do what YOU want to do. Weddings quickly become about the "other" people and keeping them happy. Keep yourselves happy and it'll be a success.

[apocrypha]

If you care about photos, a good photographer is worth it. Get one that gives you the rights to the photos so you can print them without tracking his ass down later.

Check out the photographer's prices first though - any decent photog will want to charge quite a lot to provide you with digital files of high enough quality to print well, since for most of us the bulk of our income from a wedding comes from the prints. Personally I know that I can provide far higher quality prints than 95% of people can produce themselves, so I'm loathe to let work with my name on it be badly printed. It's not good advertising.

I would strongly advise meeting your photographer well in advance though and making sure you all fully understand what you're wanting and getting and how much it's going to cost.

My wedding was similar to how you sound like you want yours to be - a very small, low-key affair. I think we had about 30 guests in the end, and it still ended up costing over £1000!

One small thing too, however non-trad and small scale you're planning on making it, having a competent best man is a really good idea. You need someone who is prepared and capable to deal with any stupid shit that happens on the day so that you & your other half don't have to. The job of a best man is to ensure that no silly stress of any kind comes near you and that they intercept and deal with it before you're even aware of it. Don't make the mistake I made and get your flaky and unreliable brother do it 

[Paelos]

Do what YOU want to do. Weddings quickly become about the "other" people and keeping them happy. Keep yourselves happy and it'll be a success.

This is terrible advice. Weddings aren't about you. You THINK they are about you, but they are in reality about your friends and family celebrating WITH you. If you make it about you instead of making it about having fun with your friends and family, you will never hear the end of it.

If you want to make it all about you, plan a vacation, have only the closest of close family, and don't throw a party.

[Lantyssa]

That's what the honeymoon is for.  Eloping is for you.  The wedding is for everyone.  A reception is for friends and family.

[Nebu]

Do what YOU want to do. Weddings quickly become about the "other" people and keeping them happy. Keep yourselves happy and it'll be a success.

This is terrible advice.

I think it's great advice.  If the wedding is about other people, let them pay for it.  Since you're the one footing the bill, do it the way you want it. 

My only advice is to get married the way that will not only bring you the greatest joy, but also that will bring the fewest regrets.  (I guess I'm somewhere between Murdoc and Paelos)

[Bunk]

There has to be a balance. I went to a wedding once, Italian Bride - Scottish Groom, and the bride decided to have her favorite restaurant cater it entirely. 100% Indian fare, for about 100 people of which three were brown. She had to be talked in to including Butter Chicken on the menu, as she initially was going to go all vegetarian. I loved it personally, but there were an awful lot of people with just a big pile of rice on their plates.

I like your plan Morph - my favorite reception was held in a big backyard, tents up, everyone just playing bocci and other games. Great time.

[Ingmar]

I'm with Paelos on this one. You're throwing a party. The whole point of a party is to entertain your guests. Pretty much all the decisions we made around our reception were done with that in mind. /shrug

[Paelos]

If the wedding is about other people, let them pay for it.

I bet your Super Bowl party is fun with that attitude. Geez.

[Sjofn]

That's what the honeymoon is for.  Eloping is for you.  The wedding is for everyone.  A reception is for friends and family.

Yep.


Like several people have said, the whole point is to celebrate WITH other people. You're hosting them. I mean, don't completely go insane to try and make everyone happy, but there's no reason to be a poor host just because you're the ones getting married.

Oh, if you do a buffet, be a giant pig and take everything you would POSSIBLY want to eat during your first pass. You probably won't have time to go back for seconds if you want to see everyone you invited. :P

Also, Sand, it's cool you enjoyed cooking for your guests, but that sounds like my own personal hell. Catering4lifeyo.

[Morfiend]

So, we just got back from a short honeymoon. Our wedding was fantastic. We had an amazing caterer and photographer. The ceremony was super fun and not overly serious. I just wanted to say thank you for all the good advice given. We really did have a blast.

[Sky]

Glad you had fun!

Sorry I missed the thread, could've recommended a redneck reception: pig roast + ice cold kegs. Don't git no better. Throw some CDB on the stereo and git you to boogyin.

[Paelos]

So, we just got back from a short honeymoon. Our wedding was fantastic. We had an amazing caterer and photographer. The ceremony was super fun and not overly serious. I just wanted to say thank you for all the good advice given. We really did have a blast.

Did you have a good potato side dish?

[Draegan]

I had shredded pork puffs at my wedding. OM NOM NOM NOM so good.

[Morfiend]

So, we just got back from a short honeymoon. Our wedding was fantastic. We had an amazing caterer and photographer. The ceremony was super fun and not overly serious. I just wanted to say thank you for all the good advice given. We really did have a blast.

Did you have a good potato side dish?

We ended up having Bacon wrapped plantains, Mango Brie Quesadillas, and Chicken Satay with Peanut sauce for appetizers. Then BBQ Tritip and chicken for the main course with two different type of salad. A normal salad and a warm sweet corn salad. It was amazing. The Caterer cooked it all on site so it was super fresh. I am trying to recall if we had potatoes, and I dont recall.

[Paelos]

Bacon wrapped plantains is close enough. Sounds good!

[Yegolev]

Real Demon's Marriage begins now!