So after the devastating news about the works planned to our reception venue  :( my OH has done some pretty nifty negociating & the events management firm are drafting up a proposal for us to consider.  Likely to include paying our wedding insurance as it costs a lot more to cover a marquee, drinks package upgrade, discount of evening food & canapes paid for as a minimum - I think we're doing pretty well out of it & it's gonna save us quite a bit of money so we can splurge elsewhere - I'm thinking fireworks ;)

I'm feeling a lot happier now about it, the pics they've sent us of the marquee looking pretty good & it's the same one that's used at events for Harewood House in Leeds so is of a very good standard.  A few perks of this is I can now have candles & there's no restrictions on how many photos we can have which include the main house now due to where the marquee is going to be pitched.  I'm just really praying extra hard now for good weather in Sept next year!!!

I'm now getting excited about the fun things of wedding planning & have been spending a fortune on various craft sites & ebay buying all the materials I need to do my save the dates & the rest of the stationary.  I'm not sure how to add pics on here but I'll try when I've done a few mocks ones so you can let me know what you think.

Sounds good. Nice one Gembo :-)

This is going to be a fantastic day.It's all turning out in your favour,hurray!

seems like its worked out pretty well for you in the end then :) and the marquee does sound lovely!

you must be getting so excited :)

A few more developments on the wedding, we've negociated an upgrade on the drinks package so all the guests can now have champagne & are having our evening food paid for.  They are also going to offer us the use of fire torches outside the marquee & coloured linen amongest other things free of charge. :) I know I was gutted to begin with but having seen pictures & videos of the marquee I'm coming round to the idea of it now, just hope we have a nice day weather wise.

I've got all the materials I need to make my save the date cards & am hoping to get them completed & sent out soon, I found some lovely teal coloured card on ebay which was a bargain.  Fingers crossed they'll turn out okay so I can feel confident enough to do the rest of the stationary.

I've had a few ideas for the reception that I was hoping for some CD input on:
1. As we are now having a marquee on the lawns at the front of the house I thought it would be nice to have some outdoor games, thinking giant jenga, giant chess that sort of thing - what do you think? Anyone know of anyone/where that does this kind of thing?
2. Instead of favours & deserts for the evening guests I'm thinking of having a sweetie bar - basically it's a table full of jars/vases filled with retro sweets with scoops & bags so the guests can help themselves. If you google candy bar wedding in images you'll see what I mean.
3. Flowers - struggling with this as I do not have green fingers - what flowers will be in season around late sept/early oct?  I've been told that it's cheaper to get flowers that are in season & I really don't want to spend a fortune on flowers as they are purely decorative & don't last that long.  I'm thinking of a bouquet for me, 3 small posys for my bridesmaids & letting my flowers girl give out flowers petals as a substitiute for confetti.  Button holes for the groom, best man, ushers & my dad.  With regards centre pieces I was thinking of having goldfish bowes with either calla lillies or gerbas (sp?) wrapped round a decorated church candle.

What do you think? Please be honest, these are all ideas at the minute & I'm open to any suggestions!

You may be thinking wouldn't a wedding forum be a better place to ask these questions & maybe you're right, but the ones I'm a member of a difficult to navigate round & plus it's full of brides if you know what I mean!! :) ;)

When my son got married all the bouquets, buttonholes, table decorations etc were made from wooden roses. The guests could take their flowers home with them and those who wished to keep them had a long lasting keepsake of the happy day.

The following link will show you a few ideas - we made the bouquets etc and they were beautiful :-)

http://www.iepwholesale.com/Order/WoodenRoses/tabid/70/language/en-GB/Default.aspx

At 800 roses for £36 it is also a very economical way to provide flowers. I can't remember which site my DIL used to purchase her  flowers but she was delighted with them. She had a sample sent to her before she bought them so you could perhaps do the same.

Gembo, honestly...

Not sure on the idea of outdoor games. When people are dressed up smart they are less willing to get involved with this sort of thing. However, saying that, i've never experienced it and it could be a great way for everyone to get to know each other, will be quite amusing when people have a few drinks inside them and will be good if children are there - all if the weather is nice that is :-)

Love the idea of a sweetie bar, FANTASTIC much better than the sugared almonds :-)

I know nothing about flowers but i recently went to a wedding where the centrepiece was a glass bowl with things inside and it looked beautiful and original. Talking of original - a colleague got married at easter and had a wooden eggcup on everyones place( engraved with their names and date of wedding) with a creme egg inside. Weddings should be unique and individual so i love the idea of something different

RE: Candy bar and favours...What about these?

https://www.lovehearts.com/searchresults.asp?search_type=prod_cat&prod_cat_id=10

I love weddings, when my step daughter  married she made some lovely little box's in them were candies and they had a name on each box, all themes with springle things as well and ballons in contrasting colours Love the pick and mix type idea.

If your guests are young why not games, I think if they are older not such a good idea. But its your wedding and you may as well enjoy it, table centre piece should do it Im not sure (personally) about fish but keep a colour theme going as far as you can.

Have a wounderful day.

> Im not sure (personally) about fish

Lol, the suggestion was for a goldfish (type) bowl with a candle inside and some flowers around it - NOT an actual goldfish :-) 

At Son No 2's wedding, in addition to the usual disco in the evening, they had a black jack table and a roulette table!   Complete with croupiers/counters and "money".   Grandson No 1 and granddaughter No 1 (aged then 9 & 8) teamed up together and succeeded in breaking the bank at blackjack - egged on by loads of grownups!

Also, instead of the ubiquitous evening buffet coming out at about 9.p.m,, out came a grill bar - with sausages, bacon butties and chips!

> out came a grill bar - with sausages, bacon butties and chips!

That's a fab idea, we're hoping to do something similar with hot sandwiches they're offering foc!

> had a black jack table and a roulette table!  

Again a superb idea, saw this at house party but it's reasonably expensive to set up, think it's something that OH would like though so might suggest it instead of fireworks.

> Im not sure (personally) about fish

LOL!!! :) no definitely not real fish, although maybe we could give them away as favours at the end of the night...joking!!!

Just picked up some great pieces of glasswear to store the sweeties in! Charity shops are a great way to find stuff like that, also makes me feel a bit better about spending & means the pieces have a bit of character about them!

that all sounds really lovely gembo. i'm glad everythings working out so well now :)

giant games sound great but not a clue where you'd get them! pubs often have them so maybe if theres one local to you that does. the sweetie bar is also a cool idea and i think will be a great talking point for the guests.

it all sounds so lovely.

can we see the dress?

>> can we see the dress?

I'm not that far with my planning, I want to lose some weight before I try any on so am joining weight watchers on monday - anyone else in WW? is it any good? I'm sure I'll be posting some pics when I do go try some on though.

Managed to pick up some glass jars last night in Asda for a £1 for the sweetie bar!

Sounds great Gem!!

I'm soooooo gatecrashing!!! (Sweetie bar!!??? Fabulous! :-D)
I'm so over chocolate fountains! ;) (actually thats not true I'm usually to be found under them on my back mouth open!)

I love the idea of the Giant games (gotta have Twister!!)
It's all sounding fabulous Gemma, I'm soo glad it's coming good for you :) keep us posted and I'll put my thinking cap on re: the games.

> I'm soooooo gatecrashing!!!

As long as you bring Storm that's fine by me!!

> I'm usually to be found under them on my back mouth open!)

LMAO!!!! Me too, normally with a mouth full of strawberries & marshmellows!!! ;)

> As long as you bring Storm that's fine by me!!

Christopher Columbus!!! Nooooooooooooo!
Can you imagine the mayhem!?..... he'd pee up the Jenga, lick all the sweets in the sweetie bar and swim in the chocolate fountain.

The blog would be funny tho'!! ;)

Yeah true but....if you're bringing Storm then Rich has to let me bring Molly & they could lick the sweets together!! plus I think a teal bow would suit Storm's colouring!!!

> then Rich has to let me bring Molly

What!!??
Does that mean he isn't letting you??
Oooooooh I feel a Facebook group coming on!!! ;) :P

A friend came back from a wedding with two fish, they used real fish!!

Talking of games see your local scouts we have huge jigsaws that they do with a blind fold and a huge Jenga with wooden bits the size of long bricks!!