Diary of a Boho Bride: Fay & Graeme (Entry 4) – Planning a Tipi or Marquee Wedding

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday! I am seeing posts all over Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and it looks like most of you lucky lot have finished for Christmas! Fear not, Kelly and I are still here and we are still sharing posts until Christmas Eve and we have some great features and amazing weddings all lined up for you all in the New Year.

Today we are back with our weekly Boho Bride feature and I am pleased to bring Fay and Graeme back to the blog. Last time they chatted all about Wedding Planning and today it’s all about being Engaged a year, as well as their advice on Planning a Tipi or Marquee Wedding.

I’ll pass you over to Fay….

Hi guys!

It’s hard to believe that it’s almost a year since Graeme popped the question. We’re both excited about this special year to come which we’ll be starting off by celebrating our engagement anniversary in Graeme’s home town of Edinburgh at the Hogmanay Street Party (not quite Marrakesh but still pretty exciting)!

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We have definitely stepped-up the wedding planning throughout the past month with a real focus on the practical details. Although I’m excited at the thought of our teepee wedding reception,(especially after revisiting the Christmas teepee at the Oast House in Manchester) we are starting to realise just how much there is to think about (and pay for!) when you have a non-traditional wedding venue.

Image Source Via Andy Li Photography

Image Source Via www.johnhopephotography.com

For anyone considering a teepee or marquee reception, I would urge you to look at the costs beyond the initial quotation. Initially, we thought this approach would bring down the overall cost as we could source a smaller venue for our number of guests, providing it had a large enough garden for a teepee. Unfortunately, the savings we have made have been spent elsewhere as there are lots of additional things to consider; a catering tent, a stage for the band, a generator to power the sound system and kitchen appliances, a bar, portable loos, and hay bales for our guests to sit on during the outdoor ceremony. We are even considering hiring heaters in case it’s chilly on the day (you can never rely on British weather)! On the bright side, we’ve been able to source all of our own suppliers thanks to an easy-going owner at our lovely venue,

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We’ve now come to realise how important it is to stay on top of wedding cost and Graeme has started meticulously logging every expense and payment date on a very detailed spreadsheet. It’s not very glamorous or exciting, but it really is essential! I try my hardest to avoid looking at the spreadsheet, but Graeme’s ensures me that everything is order. Despite the additional organisational and financial considerations, there is nothing I would change about our wedding plans. We always wanted a non-traditional wedding and I think that what we’ve planned so far will result in the perfect wedding for us – unique, personal and fun!

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Till next time and Merry Christmas

Love Fay xxx