More Centrepieces anyone?

Sorry, but Google Images struck me with pretty pictures once again. And I just love books.

Found here.

I like that cheeky little bird poking out the top cut out of sheet music. Not so keen on the tin can in the middle, but I would substitute that for something floral, maybe a little jar with just one flower rising above the top of the upright books. Although I do like this idea...

Which could work if the books were all stacked flat. It would also make the centrepiece more versatile as there wouldn't be just one 'good side' and the majority of a circular table could see it fully as opposed to just one side.

These are just cool:

And I love the idea of incorporating quills and ink...

And finally, talking of Harry Potter themed weddings, this wedding here just has to be mentioned. Such a gorgeous and classy take on the theme.

Catering

Since my previous post, I have come to the very sad conclusion that I could never go through with paying over 10k for just the wedding reception venue and some food and drinks. Unless I get very lucky that is! Especially when there are so many other bits of the wedding to add up and break the bank.

I'm not a marquee girl, so I was wondering what other types of venues you can choose your own caterer for. I haven't actually come up with anything yet, aside from the village hall. Probably even worse than a marquee.

But I've found a nice-looking, local catering company's website so here it is: Taste Inc.

I'll get back to you on those venues...

N.B. I found another venue...that is slightly more affordable! Unfortunately it is nowhere near being a country house (sad face) but the photos of the interior look very sweet:

The Old Vicarage Boutique Hotel

It's basically £4,000 to £7,000 (depending on the day of the week) for the venue, 3 course meal, evening food, some drinks, table centrepieces/decoration and a bridal suite.

But looking at the details now, apparently it's actually in Nottingham. Which is far away and decidedly unhelpful. Hopefully I can find something like this near me though!

Venues

Come the big day, I think I would like to get married in my village church (which is gorgeous), but I have a whole list of reception ideas. Well...they all kind of centre around the same idea, which is country manors I'll probably never be able to afford. But a girl can wish, right? At least I have many years to save up as I don't plan on getting married any time soon!

I also get confused by wedding packages as they all assume you will hold the entire day (the ceremony, that is) at the venue, and the prices reflect that. I haven't yet seen an option for just the reception...do they even do that? Am I missing a trick? Anyway, here are some of my favourites:

Hothorpe Hall

However, from the photos, the inside doesn't seem as nice. They do have an offer for choosing any available date within 9 months though...if you can call £5,500 an offer. It does include food and drink I suppose.

Hambleton Hall

So expensive that they can't even up tarrifs up on their website. Ouch.

Rushton Hall

Sooooooooooo pretty but soooooo expensive (of course)! Bonus: has a spa! Not that I have ever been to a spa or would ever be able to convince myself that spending an extortionate amount to be wrapped in seaweed/mud/something of the sort would be worth the money.

Orton Hall Hotel

Now I had never heard of this before looking pictures for my original list and finding another list of wedding venues around a similar area. Not to shabby, though, so on the list it goes! Not very practical though as it is quite a trek from my home village. Luckily, the rooms inside aren't as to-die-for as the outside (though I did find thispretty picture, most of the function rooms seem to be of the horrible-curtains-not-to-mention-the-carpet type) so I won't get too disappointed!

Rockingham Castle

Yes, yes, I've always wanted to get married in a castle. And yes, I'm not afraid to admit this is so I can pretend I'm at Hogwarts. But realistically, I don't have infinite money or any friends who own castles. Oh wait. The couple who live at Rockingham Castle have a daughter who was in my little brother's class at primary school. He even went to a birthday party there. Unfortunately, I doubt they'd remember my family, but it's a thought!

"Walker's House has a dining area, and separate bar and dance floor and further rooms are available if required."

However, I've just noticed that they shockingly do have prices for just the wedding reception on their website. Hurrah! Well yes, it is £2,500...or £3,500 if you want to use the Great Hall as well as the Walkers House (which is the same price as if you were to hold the ceremony in the Great Hall anyway). It says you have to use their list of suppliers too, which would annoy me. And that price doesn't cover anything but room hire, so catering....okay okay I'll never be able to afford it. Excuse me while I go and sulk.

So if venue hire is £3,500
Wedding Breakfast (3 course meal) is £40pp
Canapés: £7.80pp
Drinks: buy per item - expensive
That means for 80 people, it's £7,324 + drinks.
(And that's just venue, feeding and watering.)

And I still can't even find a picture of this so called Great Hall.

Stapleford Park

Another new addition to the list, this one's a good'un! Oh no...the minimum spend on a Saturday in August is 15,000. Maybe I'll stop looking at pictures then.

Scalford Hall

Finally, this looks like it might be a slightly cheaper option. But I can't for the life of me find any photos of the function rooms. Probably a bad sign, but then again probably also worth a visit.

Kilworth House

I am very impressed! Seems like room hire is around £425 with a HUGE choice of rooms, and catering around £30pp (based on 3 course Sunday lunch, it doesn't list prices for the banqueting menu) and there's a BBQ menu for £25pp. Cellar bar for dancing afterwards is £1000.

They also have this offer:

all inclusive wedding for £10,000

We are pleased to offer the following special offer on selected dates

Glass of Bucks Fizz or Pimms after the Ceremony
2 glasses of house wine with the Wedding Breakfast
Glass of sparkling wine for the toast
Four-course menu
Silver cake stand and knife
Red carpet
White or cream linen
Evening Finger Buffet
Garden Room for Bride & Groom on Wedding Night (Upgrade to a Luxury Room for £75.00)

This amazing deal also includes Orangery Room Hire for a Civil Ceremony, Orangery Room Hire for the Wedding Breakfast and Cellar Bar Room Hire for the evening

Dates Available: Friday 13th August 2010, Friday 20th August 2010, Friday 27th August 2010, Friday 19th September 2010, Friday 24th September 2010, Friday 1st October 2010, Friday 8th October 2010, Friday 15th October 2010, Saturday 30th October 2010, Saturday 6th November 2010, Saturday 13th November 2010, Saturday 20th November 2010.

This offer is based on 80 adults in the day for the Wedding Breakfast and 100 adults for an evening buffet. Children’s package from £26.00 Any additional guests will be charged at £90.00. Civil Ceremonies must be booked direct with the Registrars. This offer is only available for new bookings made after 6th April 2010

Burghley Hall

By far the most comprehensive and easy to navigate list of packages/tariffs. My favourite option has to be the 'Great Hall Reception' which is £129pp including canapés, drinks, a 3 course meal, use of the great hall for the meal and the Orangery (overlooking the Rose Garden) for dancing and shenanigans. Seeing as it's a minimum of 80 people, that's pretty expensive. As in, over 10k.

But I LOVE THE TUDORS. (Not the television series, might I add, but this is an Elizabethan house.) I am literally about to cry, this place is so beautiful. I think I am going to have to get married here even if it means saving up until I'm 50. And getting my wedding dress on Ebay. And I'll be saving money on everything else by making things :).

Incidentally, to have the weddding ceremony there as well (in the Great Hall or Orangery) including tours of the stately rooms, it costs just over £1,000 more for 80 people (£142pp). I'm not sure how that compares to the cost of getting married in your parish church (I hear fees vary between parishes and whether you are a member or not) + decorating the church, and other things like that. Plus transport to the reception. Hmm, something to think about anyway. In fact, I've found this...

There is a relatively small legal fee for marrying in a church. It is £321.50*, which includes all legal necessities. This is set by the Church of England nationally. It may vary slightly for you depending on your circumstances. 

But you may want more. Flowers, an organist, a choir, bell-ringers, etc, are optional additional services that can be provided by your church. If you ask for any of these, then this will add to the final cost 

*This figure is based on a couple living at the same address and marrying outside their own parish and includes: 

• the fee set by law payable to the church: £262 
• your marriage certificate: £3.50 
• having your banns read at the home church: £22
• having your banns read at the church where you will marry: £22
• your banns certificate: £12

Total legal fee: £321.50

Confetti Cone Tutorial

 I will shut up about confetti iminently, sorry! But I've just found another confetti cone tutorial by Style Me Pretty. Oh okay...and another one (with butterflies!).

And lastly, I've been thinking of ways to hold the cones (again). It seems as if a basket is the cheapest and most common choice, decorated with ribbon and sometimes with a flower girl handing them out. Sounds pretty good, as you'll probably know someone with a basket or two you can borrow (for example, I know my Mum has plenty) so don't necessarily even have to pay for one!


Other options include pre-made confetti cone holders (i.e. a cardboard box with holes in it to slot the cones in and hold them upright). A basket might be more quaint, or cheaper, but after thinking about it I've come to the realisation that once you take a few cones out of a basket...the rest are likely to topple over and spill. You could also decorate the plain cardboard to match your cone design! However, I've only seen them for about £25, and each one only holds 25 cones...so it could get very expensive depending on how many people are attending! Maybe it's worth risking them toppling over. Or if you're really clever and crafty, you could try constructing a layer of card with holes in as per the box,
but to fit in the basket!

I'm also quite keen on the three-tier cupcake stand idea as seen on one of my previous confetti cone posts. Again, a more expensive option, but you might know people who you can borrow one from!

More Confetti

Continuing on a similar theme, I have just encountered an article in the Daily Mail on a confetti farm in Worcestershire. Interesting to read that delphiniums and cornflowers are their petals of choice. And it seems like the average amount of petal confetti brides buy is 5 pints. All useful information if you're thinking of making your own confetti!

'The Confetti Fields of England'

Using tissue paper (I was thinking it would be nice to cut your own shapes out with one of those cutter things...butterflies perhaps) would be far cheaper and less effort than growing flowers from scratch. BUT (and it's a bit but) of course when it gets wet, the colour comes out of tissue paper, and I'm pretty sure nobody wants that thrown all over their white dress! Many venues demand biodegradable confetti too, and whilst you can buy biodegradable tissue paper, I imagine the dye problem would remain the same.

Confetti Cones

Some gorgeous confetti cone ideas from VintageTwee on Etsy

PaisleyPeepers on Etsy

and artchicnj on Etsy

and especially this by pinkcherrymama on Etsy

as well as this wonderful tutorial on Once Wed by Livy from A Field Journal

...and creative ways to display them!

From Confetti Direct

From easyweddinglist.co.uk

From iweddingdecorations.com

Tree Centre Piece

Okay, having just been looking at book themed wedding decorations (see post below), I've been thinking that this kind of tree based centre piece could go amazingly well with the book theme.

From this beautiful bird themed wedding featured on The Bride's Café

I think the main problem with this is that it would be very hard to prevent the centre pieces from being way too loud and over the top. I'm not sure if I would combine the drop-crystal idea with strings of pearls hanging from the branches or choose between the two and have so many flowers (or any flowers at all - however you might need the colour and femininity they offer). Hmm.

I definitely think, though, that with one or two books (with the number cut out of a page) under a couple of branches (I would have them growing out of the cover of the top book) with a couple of blossoms stuck in the branches themselves and added 'fantasy' beads (crystal and/or pearl) could make a really sweet decoration. I could go on about how every bit of that is metaphoric for books and fantasy and my love of both, but I'm sure you can use your imagination.

Book Themed Wedding

Today I stumbled across a couple of pictures of book-themed centre pieces, which I must admit excited me a bit too much...

From The Knotty Bride

 

Both from Your Wedding Support

Eco-DIY wedding ideas from PoppyTalk

So in my quest to find more of these gems, I came across this page of book themed wedding ideas. I wish I could copy every image, but that wouldn't really be fair (or legal?) as I love love love them all. But here are my absolute favourites:

This next one is less imaginative but ridiculously pretty, and I adore the strings of pearls, they just go with the book theme so well.

And one more, just because it's so darn cool.

And those are only the centre pieces! There are loads of invitation ideas there too, and even place mats, napkin holders and bookmarks as escort cards. I do like the idea of invitations in hollowed-out books, but to me that kind of negates the idea of making your own invites to cut costs - imagine the price of posting dozens of hardback books! Perhaps it would work if you could hand-deliver all the invitations though.