hopefulheidi
Shiny_Rock
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2005
- Messages
- 335
No, I'm not engaged, yet. I'm simply a planner to the very core of my being and since there isn't a lot left for me to plan in the way of an engagement, I'm just going to push onward and start dreaming of the wedding.
I came across an interesting thread in Diamond Hangout: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/how-many-of-you-have-gone-into-debt-or-are-going-into-debt-for-your-wedding.29189/ The topic is something I’ve given a lot of thought lately and I’m hoping to get some opinions on my current idea for a wedding/reception plan.
Originally I fell in love with a “castle” 1.5 hours between my hometown and HIS hometown. It’s beautiful and elegant and a bit special because I first learned of it while traveling between his house and mine. Every time we’d journey between the two places, I’d mention the sign for the castle, always vowing I’d look it up on the Internet when we got home. Eventually I did and I was thrilled to find that it was well known for hosting weddings. I’ve priced the entire day there a number of times and it always exceeds $20K (of course there is an $8000 min on sat. and $3000 on sun). I’m sure it would be a fairy tale day but I’m beginning to feel like it’s a bit of a wedding factory and a lot of money to spend for a few hours of enjoyment. This past fall I threw a surprise 60th birthday party for my parents and I barely got to talk to a handful of people so I can imagine our wedding reception would be even more hectic and tedious. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s really worth spending all that money to throw a party for so many people that we honestly won’t have the time to really visit with.
One of my coworkers escaped the US and was married on Grand Cayman the year before last. Every time she speaks of her beach wedding she just glows. Not only does she describe it as a relaxed and intimate experience, but she and her fiancé were also able to save a ton of money. Granted, money isn’t my only motivation, but I honestly like the idea of spending such an important day bonding with my new husband and my nearest and dearest friends and family. It would certainly be a memorable experience and quite different from the typical wedding you’d experience in our small hometowns. My biggest concerns with going this route are 1) Upsetting those guests who wouldn’t be able to afford such a trip to see us married 2) Not having enough control over the details (since I am a bit of a planner hehe) 3) Experiencing a wedding day that doesn’t quite live up to the dream I’ve always had in my head of that special day.
My current plan is to have an island wedding and invite anyone and everyone that we know. I understand not everyone will be able to attend but I know we’ll be able to spend much more quality time with those that do. It will be a great vacation for us and our families and we’ll be able to afford it much more easily since we’d be selfish and only pay for our stay. After the fact, I’d really like to do a small reception in my hometown and one in his for anyone that wasn’t able to join us on the island (or anyone that feels like celebrating with us again hehe). I *think* it would be a lot more convenient for our relatives and friends if they aren’t forced to drive across the state to attend one big reception. For my parent’s birthday party I was able to rent a hall, hire a caterer & DJ, and decorate for a little over $1K and it was a lot of fun. I have no doubt we could do the same in my boyfriend’s hometown. Granted our extended families wouldn’t have the opportunity to mingle, but breaking the guest list into 2 halves would leave us a little less overwhelmed and allow us a lot more one on one time with our guests.
Castle Wedding (or local park wedding) = ~$20,000-$26000
Island Wedding + 2 small receptions would cost under $10,000 thereby saving us $10,000-16,000. That’s certainly not chump change!
Sooo…what do you think of this as an option?
For those that had island weddings, was it different from what you had always imagined/were you disappointed?
Do you think 3 receptions is overkill?
I honestly appreciate absolutely ANY feedback you have on this…just be gentle