Originally Posted by MadRad

I know it's trendy to slag off big weddings these days, but I don't necessarily agree.

I had what most people would consider a big wedding (and it was expensive), but 10 years later, we're still happy. All of my friends and family who had 'big' weddings are all still married too.

Incidentally, I've never heard of black forest gateau being served at a wedding!

Originally Posted by Bob

Sounds lovely.

Last wedding we went to was for a cousin, and only because we're family that we got the invite...we only went because we knew it was $100 a head and it'd annoy them

Food weren't bad, but not brill and portions were shite and it took forever, it didn't start till around 9, but when the wedding was at 5, but of a mare...especially when there wasn't any AC and it was 100F and swamp weather out....and we had to fend for ourselves to find a slice of wedding cake.

Still, weren't a bad do and at least we didn't have to spend the night there like some folks did

Originally Posted by Kaffy Mintcake

They vary dramatically!! I've been to an outdoor wedding that was ultra casual, with music played on a cd followed by food served in a picnic shelter. I was a bridesmaid in a wedding that began with a traditional Vietnamese wedding in CA, followed by all of us going to Las Vegas where the couple had a western wedding at Bellagio, with everyone in formal dress and Elvis showing up at the reception.

I really liked our wedding, actually. We got married in Sedona, Arizona at Tlaquepaque chapel. http://www.tlaq.com/ The chapel held about 40 people, only our closest friends, family, and two longtime co-workers who flew out to join us.

The men wore Mexican wedding shirts and black slacks and my bridesmaids wore sundresses from Ann Taylor Loft. (Everyone was comfy and not out an arm and a leg as a result.)

The reception was held at my parent's house and really was quite special. Because it was not a huge group we were able to really mingle with everyone. My mother made the food and hired caterers to serve/clean up leaving everyone to enjoy themselves.

We also had a brunch reception in Cincinnati afterwards and that was a disappointment in comparison. If I had to do it over again, I'd skip the second reception, but we were trying to host everyone who hadn't come to Arizona.

Another fun wedding I attended was one of my girlfriends. She grew up in the Polish part of town, and all of the food was Polish as were many of the dances, etc. at the reception. Everyone danced around and had to go before the couple and do a shot of whisky (blech!) to wish them luck in the future. It was a very inexpensive wedding but was one of the best I've attended.

Weirdest/worst wedding memory? Hmmm ... I attended a wedding in which the minister had a dangling band-aid hanging off his chin that wobbled as he married the couple, that was a bit off-putting. I also attended a wedding once in one of those new-age churches with plasma tvs ... maybe you know the type ... the bride was chewing gum during the ceremony and that blew my mind.

I do think people blow so much money and get so worked up about weddings sometimes and it's a let down for them when it's over.

Originally Posted by lisag8070

Jayzus, that a lot of $$$ per head..I'd expect all singing all dancing for that price..

what did you get, the rubber chicken or the rubber beef for the meal..

Originally Posted by Englishtart

Is that really a lot per head? I was wondering because even 23 yrs ago, we paid almost $40 per head for our guests at the evening 'do', surely at today's rate that would be more than $100 per head?

Originally Posted by dbj1000

I knew someone would take my comments personally. I'm not being "trendy", and I'm not "slagging off" your wedding. Good on you if you had a big wedding and are happy in your marriage.

Originally Posted by lisag8070

OMG you cannot be serious...its a staple dessert on a Evening Wedding buffet up North..

Originally Posted by MadRad

LOL totally serious - I take it by up north you mean north of England - I'm from further north again and have never seen it at any wedding!

Good thing too as I can't stand the stuff!

Originally Posted by Duncan Roberts

This is our year of weddings.

First one was great. Nothing fancy, appetizers of meatballs, fried mashed potato balls, satay chicken on sticks and some other stuff. Dinner was a buffet, DIY pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, cheesy potatoes, sliced beef and gravy and salad. Free wine and "domestic" beer. It was a bit weird when I first saw it but it was great.

Next one is Fri/Sat and is an Indian one. I know it's vegetarian but we'll see what they have.

Nov I have one in England with a formal dinner plus a late night fun buffet and a few "traditional" ones along the way. Went to one a couple of years ago where the bar was 2 kegs of miller lite with DIY pump, some boxes of wine and a stack of plastic cups.

I have to say, I like the less formal ones with proper food that doesn't need to be cooked to specific times in order to be good!

Originally Posted by lisag8070

Jayzus, that a lot of $$$ per head..I'd expect all singing all dancing for that price..

what did you get, the rubber chicken or the rubber beef for the meal..

Originally Posted by Englishtart

Is that really a lot per head? I was wondering because even 23 yrs ago, we paid almost $40 per head for our guests at the evening 'do', surely at today's rate that would be more than $100 per head?

Originally Posted by Bob

It's quite a bit per head when the venue costs $10K on top and there's a minimum 100 guests plus the cost of an open bar...

Originally Posted by Englishtart

Yeah, I can't remember what my room cost, certainly nothing like even 1k pounds, so maybe that is where the food costs differ.

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl

I think the per head price is the total cost of the wedding...divided by the number of guests. That's why you often hear 'x' hundred dollars per head...or even 'x' thousand dollars per head.