Ok, here’s my rough breakdown…
We hired the local Liberal club, it was a bit scummy, but TBH with the lights down it looked like anywhere else. That was free to hire, but we gave them £50 for cleaning up for us. Paid £200 on balloons, streamers, glitter stuff and table cloths to make it look nice (and it did). Ceilidh band cost £300 and played a three hour set. DJ was an Ipod through the bands PA for before/after the band/ first dance etc. Venue had their own basic disco lights (ball, three colour flashers etc)
Food from local curry restaurant, £500. More food than our 300 guests could eat, delicious and they provided all their own staff to bring food and take it away again. Only cost so much as it was Eid, and all the staff were on triple time.
Plate and Glass hire cost about £200 all in.
My dad bought loads of cheap champaign from Marks and Spencer (join a wine club/ check offers with credit cards etc) can’t remember how many bottles but there was plenty left over and that lot cost about £300.
Put £250 behind the bar so ushers/ best man were able to “buy” people drinks. Mother in law paid for fancy Bently from church to venue so don’t know how much that cost. other bits and pieces soon add up, probably about £2500 all in.
booked wedding night hotel last minute (£250 room reduced to £80) dad paid for honeymoon to Maldives, but anywhere can be nice depending on what you two like.
Good luck and don’t forget, wedding mgazines will lie to you to make you spend money and you don’t HAVE to spend thousands. People will tell you “if you don’t spend at least X ammount on this, the whole day will be ruined.” they are lying.
At the end of the day, its about you, your fiance, your friends and families getting boozed up, having a dance and celebrating the begining of your life together as a married couple. Flowers/balloons/fancy cars/silver service/ expensive champaign do not make or break the day.
We chose a crap venue as it held lots of people, had a stage and sold cheap beer. It was also close to the church and not in the middle f no where so people could get taxis home or stay in a range of hotels.
Cost about US$3000 if I remember correctly. We did it off-season so things were cheaper, the hotel gave us a great deal on accommodation because they were basically empty. We did get a photographer as a favour from someone but they didn’t turn up, so my best man who happened to have his nice camera took a few - plenty good enough for me.
