We’ve just seen the most beautiful horse and carriage go past our window, all done up with white and pink flowers and looking as though it was on its way to collecting a blushing bride and take her to one of the most special days in her life.
It made me think about my wedding day (not that we had a horse and carriage) and I decided to hunt out some of my wedding photos to show you….
Our wedding was a bit of a last minute thing, we’d been together for almost five years and were trying to decide what to do for our fifth anniversary – we were thinking of a night away or a nice meal out…. Somehow we went from that to deciding it would be good to get married on our fifth anniversary!
So we had less than three weeks to arrange a wedding on an almost non-existent budget. We’d only just moved into our first house together and because we’d got lots of help from our family, there was no money left over to pay for a big wedding. Even though we knew we didn’t have the time or money to arrange a big wedding, we still wanted to do something a bit different so I looked into the possibility of us getting married at Gretna Green. I rang them and they’d actually had a cancellation for the Saturday we needed so we booked it there and then and were all set to get married in front of the anvil at Gretna Blacksmiths Shop in the original wedding room. I’ve just had a look at the website and even though the prices have gone up since we got married you can still do this for around £230.00.
We invited about 15 of our closest family and friends and booked a really small reception at the hotel over the road which, with a few bottles of cava (no budget for champagne lol) and a small buffet was all we wanted.
I bought my dress, a nice little burgandy velvet and chiffon number, from Principles for £50 and Mr Frugal bought a suit from Littlewoods for about £30.00 (he even got staff discount) and with my mum’s help, we organised cream and burgandy flowers for me and buttonholes for everyone else. My dad ended up giving us £250.00 and luckily that covered the whole wedding…. Bargain or what!
The week before the wedding was a nightmare – it was the week when half of the UK was completely flooded and I worried about everyone managing to get there safe and sound but on the morning of the wedding we looked outside and the sun was shining (hmm cliche anyone). I was so excited and I don’t remember feeling nervous at all, I had complete confidence that I was doing the right thing and I couldn’t wait….
I walked down the stone corridor (there’s no aisle) to Westlife’s ‘ Flying Without Wings’ and took my place at the Anvil next to my rather nervous looking other half to be, I think his nerves were more from the fact that since I had last seen him, he decided to have a haircut and had it all shaved off so I was marrying a skinhead! Why, why would you do that the day before your wedding.
I can’t remember much else about the wedding other than when the minister said ‘Do you, Mrs Frugal…’, I said I do at that point rather than waiting for the rest of his spiel which everyone thought was hilarious and Mr Frugal loves to remind me even now of how eager I was to marry him!
We were given a minature version of the Anvil we got married at by the minister and I have treasured it since – It’s kept in my favourite things cabinet.
After the wedding, we moved to our mini reception where we had our Cava and little buffet. I hate fruit cake but my mum had said you had to have a wedding fruit cake so I ended up with two cakes, one fruit and one chocolate. When it came to cutting the cake, Mr Frugal and I took up the official holding the knife together pose and cut it. I turned round for a second to wipe the knife before resuming the pose whilst cutting the chocolate cake and when I turned back he was gone! I had a pretty good idea where he was and you’ll be relieved to know it had nothing to do with the worlds shortest wedding – he’d just popped in to the bar to check on the Boro score as they were playing Man Utd that afternoon and there was some particularly exciting activity going on so he thought he would stay and watch it for a minute….
We had a lovely day and I’ve just seen on the website that you can renew your vows there for £120. Seeing as its our tenth wedding aniversary this year, might just try and talk him into it 😉
We’ve not had the easiest ten years since we got married but we’re still very happy and in love and we have two beautiful children to show for it so I wish the bride getting married today as much happiness as we’ve had….
Whitfield & Ward is a one-stop shop for both tweed wedding suit hire and bespoke tailoring services, offering a personal experience from start to finish.
I have just found your blog and I am loving it! My husband and I also had a wedding on a budget, he got his suit from matalan, I got my dress from preloved, hubs sister made our cake (choc cup cakes – yummy), my friend did all hair and make up, our other friend took photos, I made our table plan and order of service etc, we had one limo which I travelled in with my bridesmaids, mum and dad and we got this cheap as it was my hubs friends buisness. We go flowers from a fruit and flower shop as opposed to a wedding florist and my bridesmaid dresses were from the debenhams sale! Finally we booked a 'grand wedding' for a grand which inlcuded a sit down meal for 50, 2 drinks and an evening disco! 🙂 xxx
thank you for sharing, i wanted to share, i brought my wedding dress from a charity shop for £150. Its super modern and elegant, my other half’s sister recently started up a cupcake business and is making us a wedding cake-cup cake tower. His aunt makes prom/bridesmaids dresses and is making our waistcoats cravats, flowergirl and maid of honour dress, a co-workers daughter is doing a photography degree and will be doing all our photo’s for a bragin price, we’re making our favors from baby food jars (as they are tiny) some twine, grease proof paper and white jelly beans, wilko’s sticky labels that l be writting our wedding date and guest names on (so it doubles up as a place card).. We’ll be doing our own food. My mum is buying my tiara as my xmas present and my shoes as my birthday present. I found a tutorial online to make some floer free bouquets and buttonholes (using feathers buttons and card backed fabric).. Like you we’re having cava not champayne. We’re saving our tesco clubcard points for vouchers at the jewellers for our rings- tho we are considering asking family to give us a ring each they no longer wear as a hand me down, keep it in the family type keepsake. My maid of honour (my little sister) is a total make-up head, hair style mad gal so she’ll be doing my hair and make up. We’re planning it for november so its not during peek wedding season and we can get things a bit cheaper. The longer in advance you plan your wedding, the more you can plan for it and be frugal about ! I hope some ladies find our tips useful…
You are now my heroine!! Well done you:) It would be lovely to renew your vows this year, look forward to hearing about it if you do. Thanks for joining in blog gems:) Jen
That's a fabulous story of what can be done and how the whole consumer wedding doesn't need to happen
Go on, renew your vows and set up a webcam so we can all watch!
Thank you… Hubby is surprisingly keen on the idea so I may have photos to share soon lol
aaaaw thank you x x
I'm impressed that you did it on a budget and in 3 weeks – wow! I'm getting married next year and haven't arranged anything yet so I know who to come to for advice!
It's easy lol.
I know people in the UK don't really hire wedding planners and things but I think if I lived in America, that would have been my ideal job – you should watch that film Bride Wars
I think getting married again is such a wonderful idea! I love your photos. No matter what the budget weddings can still be beautiful!
Thank you x
All that really matters about a wedding is that you and your partner are there, anyone else is just a bonus (or possibly not lol)
Delighted to read your story of your wedding day in Gretna Green. Perhaps you will come back and see us one day, maybe on your anniversary and have a blessing over the anvil. As you say we cater for all budgets, we can arrange weddings as simply or as extravagantly as you wish it is your day….. Anyone else out there planning to be married soon?…. why not have a look at our website http://www.gretnagreen.com and see how easy it is to arrange your special day.
Best wishes from us all in Gretna Green
What a great post, you are so happy and radient in the photos
Aaaw thanks x
I love looking at peoples wedding photos…. wheres your Mrs 😉
What a great place to get married and a great story to tell the children. I hope you do manage to get back to renew your vows
Surprisingly hubby read this and is reasonably keen, might not have to try hard to persuade him x
Sounds lovely Mrs Frugal. The loveliest weddings I have been to have been similar affairs. -HM x
I know what you mean, I loke small weddings where everyone knows everyone x
how lovely!! I had a biggish wedding with the horse and cart etc and it was a gorgeous day but i would have married him whenever and wherever and thats what matters the most. I remember sitting at a table with him during the reception and we just held eachother, it was a perfect moment.
That's so romantic I just nearly cried (feeling a bit emotional and tired today lol).
What a lovely post! I was trying to think of something different to do to renew our vows – not sure if we'll be able to manage a trip to Scotland for our 20th but the 25th would be manageable. I'll be checking out the Gretna Green website – thanks!
Oh you would love Gretna Green – it's beautiful and steeped in romantic history x
What a great post and proves that you can do it on a small budget xx
Thanks very much – we had a lovely day and didn't get into debt for it (that came later lol)
Ah that's such a lovely post! Made me laugh when you didn't know what to do for your anniversary so decided to get married, so not what I was expecting you to say and such a great idea!
My sister went to view a venue today and it's over £5k for the hire and food so god knows how much it'll end up at once she gets the dress, flowers etc. Funny how people think you need loads of money to get married when you proved you don't and your day looks wonderful, you never know I may persuade the other half that the Botanic gardens in Gibraltar would be nice for a wedding, I can but dream! x
Aaaw thanks very much 😉
I bet your sisters wedding will be gorgeous (wants to be for that price lol) but the Botanic Gardens in Gibralter sounds gorgeous on a lovely sunny day, wait till you get to Spain and you can slowly start dropping subtle hints lol
what a lovely post. We're getting married next March and am desperately saving hard for it now.
It can be so expensive can't it – I can see why people choose to elope on their own 😉