4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[KarenR]

Hi all,

 

I am a frequent lurker on the forum, who must say sorry for not posting more.

 

Anyhow I have just got engaged

 

Which is all very exciting, although I'm not really sure where to begin with this planning business.

 

I ventured onto one of those wedding forums and it was all pink a little overwelming for someone that would like to keep things pretty simple, cheap and as green/eco as poss.

 

the amount some people spend, made my eyes water.

 

So I am back here (I shall never stray again), hoping to pick your brains about weddings.

 

We are aiming for simple church wedding followed by village hall reception possibly with a BBQ (if its sunny).

 

So any ideas for anything even vaguely related would be very welcome.

 

Karen

 

Oops I have gone on a bit. lol

[stoice]

How about a small packet of your favourite seeds as wedding favours? Your guest can plant them and remember your day as they grow?

 

Congrats by the way!

[Egluntyne]

Congratulations. Lovely news.

[helenp]

Congratulations There are lots of sites on the web. www.greenunion.co.uk is good, just google eco weddings in the UK & up they pop.

[alih]

Congrats!

 

Depending on your friends you could do what we did and ask everyone (or a select few) to contribute to the wedding in some way...my first wedding I had a friend make my dress with material donated by my uncle from his textile business, a dj mate did the disco, my aunt made our wedding cake, my grandpa married us, mum did the flowers, artist mate the place names etc.

 

Second time around very similar - foodie mates did the cake/ pudding etc.

 

Not only is it a lovely way to celebrate and very personal it also saves on cost and allows your friends and family to feel they are congtributing a practical present rather than a "thing".

 

Just an idea, I'm sure there will be others along with more.

[KarenR]

Thanks for all the ideas, I love the thought of making the most of our friends assorted talents. I wonder if any of them are secret dress makers lol.

[BeckyBoo]

Congratulations, when's the big day? You don't have to spend a fortune, I did a similar thing to Alih, friend made my dress, had the reception in the local pub so the food was all done by mates, MIL bought the cake but family friend married us, another friend took photos, my dads mate video's it and everyone came as there was no "per head" for the food as it was a big buffet not a sit down do, it was one of the best days of my life.

Some people give all the guest or groups of guests disposable cameras and you could save on a formal photographer by getting two good friends to use sensible cameras to capture decent photos. Flowers don't have to be formal either, nothing like bunches of "in season" flowers bought from the market, or ask everyone to bring a bunch with them.

 

Ooh, I love a wedding, haven't been to one in AGES, must see some piccies after the big day!

 

BeckyBoo

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I don't have any clever ideas but just wanted to say congratulations . Make sure you keep us posted on your plans .

[Seagazer]

I've no bright ideas either but just wanted to say congratulations and I live in Sidcup so let me know and I'll come and wave you off at the church

[Plum]

Congratulations.

 

Chicken related wedding ideas

Could you incorporate little cadbury eggs on the cake made with your eggs of course? Feather in your garter.

Chicken as a bridesmaid

[KarenR]

Chicken bridesmaids has been suggested, and my OH said that he thought of getting chickens involved in giving me the ring, but was worried they would eat it. Then he considered the cats but had visions of them disappearing into the neighbors garden with the ring lol.

 

BeckyBoo, that is exactly what I was thinking for food, I want as many of my family and friends there as possible and don't want to be saying no because its another £££ a head. Wedding food is never exciting enough to justify the costs.

 

I think we are aiming for spring next year, but that will all depend on church and village hall availability (fingers crossed though, as its a small village that only had one wedding last year). I think spring would work really nicely with flowers and love the idea of people bring a bunch with them, then everyone gets some flowers lol.

 

Hey Seagazer I didn't realise you were so close, I love that picture of your dog, so cute.

 

I shall keep you posted on ideas.

 

Karen

[chickenanne]

Ooh, congratulations!!!

A friend of mine gave flower seeds as wedding favours (Love-in-a-mist, appropriately enough) which I think is a lovely idea. She just bought regular packets, and put some into each of a whole lot of lillte envelopes, wrote basic sowing instructions and photocopied them. If you have any annuals in your bouquet /table decorations you could use those seeds.

Flowers for weddings can really mount up, so for tables you could use a row /circle of single ones in taller tea-light holders: dead cheap as you could buy flowers from local supermarket/shop and put one in each holder easily yourself, and looks really effective (I did this!!!).

OOH, what would be lovely is if you could get all the guests to bring flowers with them to the ceremony, hand them to one of your closer freinds, who tied them up in ribbon /rafia /etc to form a bouquet, which you could then have for the walking-up-the-aisle part.

Or else get in touch with everyone green-fingered and explain that you would like lots of spring flowers, and ask them if they could spare a patch of ground int ehir garden to grow -whatever, so long as is easy going enough - tulips in red, or whatever you like - to bring to the wedding as decorations.

I made my own wedding cake: the baking part was easy, the decorating part I wouldn't recommend trying.

 

Most important: don't get hassled and pressurised into spending a fortune or having a really formal day, or whatever, if it isn't you. It's lovely to get lots of people's ideas, but you can pick some, all, or none of them, even if the ideas come from your mother-in-law.....

[theherd123]

Just wanted to add my congratulations! You will have a fantastic day no matter what so enjoy it

[badgerbluebadger]

Wow I am in bexleyheath too! I love the seed idea!

 

I also have loads of tealight clear holders which I used for my wedding tables which you could borrow if you would like? pm if you want to use them

[Bassett]

CONGRATULATIONS!

 

I'm also in Bexleyheath!

 

I love all of the ideas - sounds like you're going to have a brilliant and very special day.

[badgerbluebadger]

wow it's good to know so many chicken people are in Bexleyheath! I am not the only mad one then!

[Janty]

My friends had a hog roast at their wedding. The pig came from a local free range farm.

 

They were lucky as the bride's father is a farmer so they put up a marquee at the far end of his duck pond at the back of the house. It was beautiful. They made their own invites out of recycled paper and requested that instead of presents, the guests donated to a charity.

[little chickadee]

Congratulations I love the seed idea too

We gave pots of lillies as presents to thank people who had really helped, then they planted them out into their gardens and could think of us each year when they came up.

 

I wanted to have a marquee in my mums garden but she wouldn't let me. I think it's shocking how much some people pay for their weddings. Have a lovely lovely day.

 

I love the bouquets which Wiggly Wigglers make.

[*mummy_hen*]

Congratulations!!!

 

We got married last October and as wedding favours we gave bulbs in little favour boxes to the ladies and little tree seedlings with the roots wrapped in fabric and tied off with persoanlised ribbon to the men.

 

We also had our cake made and asked that it be used making eggs from our girls. We then made a little notice that stood next to the cake with their photos on, explaining that the eggs were freshly laid by our lovely chooks. Husband even thanked them in his speech

 

 

Happy planning!!

[Couperwife]

wow, and congratulations.

 

a green wedding would be great.

 

have you looked at the "its not easy ebing green" website? im sure someone had a green wedding on there once

 

cathy

x

[KarenR]

Wow I never knew there were so many chicken people in Bexleyheath. Thanks for all the ideas, think I might have to have two wedding to use them all. I love the seedlings as favours idea.

 

Karen

[Old Speckled Hen]

When I got married 2 years ago I had this painting done by one of the guests who is an artist and whose style I liked, having other paintings already.

I realised it would be costly ... though she did give me a hefty discount so I thought that instead of giving us wedding presents (we had everything we needed from two houses) our guests could contribute. Most did.

The result was a wonderful personal memento of the day; a huge painting hanging in our upstairs snug. It has all our friends in it and she even put my two dogs in.

If I'd had chooks at the time then they would have had a place too.

We had a brass band and a reception at our local pub.

[kitchens]

You could use bunting to decorate (sort of Darling Buds of May style) and how about a Hog Roast. My friend had one and it was fab. I know its not necessarily chicken related but sort of country style. When we got married my MIL made our cake. I made my own invites, we didn't have a car .... not because I didn't necessarily want to spend spend spend but I didn't think it was necessary. We had a lovely venue and no-one could really believe how little it cost us I think I was just sensible with what we spent it on.

 

Enjoy the planning its so exciting the possibiities are endless.

 

Congratuations

[Plum]

DA your painting is fabulous. What a great momento of your day it has real atmosphere.

[Old Speckled Hen]

Thanks Plum

We both really love it.