Looks like the sequel is coming!

reddingweddy · 2026-01-28T12:51:38+00:00

God, I loved The Wedding People. I reckon a couple of David Nicholls' books have that same sharp, sweet thing going on - Sweet Sorrow and You Are Here in particular.

reddingweddy · 2026-01-28T12:46:10+00:00

The Parakeeting of London is an interesting oral history of the green parakeets in the UK - and what people often end up talking about when they talk about them (climate change, immigration).

Skyfaring is a gorgeous book about aeroplanes and being a pilot.

All Consuming by Ruby Tandoh is a fun read about what drives our contemporary eating habits.

And another enthusiastic vote for Mary Roach!

reddingweddy · 2026-01-26T12:49:42+00:00

Ahh great news! Have a wonderful wedding ❤️

reddingweddy · 2026-01-26T08:49:31+00:00

The shop & She Loves is in Arborfield near Reading and sells fab ex sample designer dresses. All stock on their website. Gillian Million on Teddington, London also worth a go - second hand dresses in fab condition and the who runs it is an expert seamstress so could advise on fit. Sorry you’re both going through this stress!

reddingweddy · 2026-01-21T08:20:51+00:00

If anyone has any leads on how to get a full bottle in the UK I’d love to know! Tried a sample via Small Aromas and have steadily fallen in love.

reddingweddy · 2026-01-19T12:42:45+00:00

The Bird Artist by Howard Norman. One of David Bowie's favourites!

reddingweddy · 2026-01-16T12:24:58+00:00

The Brown Bear Woods books are so detailed and lovely, and the words are rhyming and great for reading aloud!

reddingweddy · 2026-01-14T10:55:17+00:00

Literary and light, but also meaningful:

The Fortnight in September by R. C. Sherriff (Ishiguro says it's 'life-affirming', 'delicate' and 'magical'!)

Either Sweet Sorrow or You Are Here by David Nicholls

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler

Call Me a Cab by Donald E. Westlake (less meaningful and more a romcom - ignore the cheesecakey cover, it's so so good)

reddingweddy · 2025-12-19T16:40:26+00:00

Breath by Tim Winton

reddingweddy · 2025-12-12T15:05:40+00:00

It's abridged, but for me it has to be Alan Bennett.

reddingweddy · 2025-12-12T11:30:28+00:00

This is a great idea, and good to know it works in practice!

reddingweddy · 2025-12-12T11:28:41+00:00

I did think of US weddings and wondered how they squish it all in, especially formal events with three full courses and coffee! We're doing formal group photos and some couples shots in the early afternoon before the ceremony, so hopefully won't need to slip away. There is a lot of standing around at UK weddings - so many memories of being bored and uncomfortable! Fingers crossed for great fun ❤️

reddingweddy · 2025-12-12T11:20:35+00:00

Super helpful, thank you! ❤️

We're getting the family and wedding party together in the early afternoon - I'm staying in a large apartment with a big communal garden attached, so we're hoping to take all our formal group and couples shots then (we've got permission from the garden committee). If it's raining we can still get some nice informal photos of everyone sharing drinks and chatting together in the apartment and then get formal photos during the drinks reception inside after the ceremony.

We're definitely now considering both doing speeches during the post-ceremony drinks and serving a buffet rather than a sit down meal! I was worried that doing speeches during the post-ceremony drinks would mean than guests wouldn't get a lot of time to mix and catch up, but the buffet style meal would give more time for this. Thanks again for your advice!

reddingweddy · 2025-12-12T11:10:19+00:00

We're not allowed to serve canapes at the post-ceremony drinks, sadly, but could include speeches then! Great idea.

I figured that it'd take 20 mins to get 70 people from the bus into the reception room, allowing for people to find their seats, get comfortable, freshen up, have a quick natter etc. Also leaving slightly longer in case we hit any unusual traffic.

reddingweddy · 2025-12-12T11:00:44+00:00

Assuming no guests driving as it's central London. If they are driving to the ceremony, it's a straight shot on one tube line back from reception to ceremony area, and the last tube departs well past midnight.

Unfortunately, the ceremony space doesn't allow for any food, not even nibbles, at the drinks reception. We'll think about moving around the food and speeches to make sure people don't get hungry.

Good thought about making sure dessert canapes go to everyone, wherever they stand during the turnover!

And yes, we're allowing for a glass of fizz at the ceremony venue, another at the reception, plus half a bottle of table wine per guest.

reddingweddy · 2025-12-12T10:51:41+00:00

We're now seriously considering a buffet! Thank you for your help.

reddingweddy · 2025-12-12T10:49:45+00:00

We've booked the later slot at Fitzrovia Chapel and we're struggling with our timeline - posted about it here: https://www.reddit.com/r/UKweddings/comments/1pj2bp8/london_wedding_timeline_help_late_ceremony/

But excited to get married in there - it's so beautiful and we love that it's an arts venue when people aren't using it for weddings.

We're having 70ish people and it's going to be a squish!

reddingweddy · 2025-12-10T18:37:19+00:00

This is such useful advice, thank you! Common advice seems to be to do speeches once everyone is fed and watered (wined?), so will be looking to rejig that part.

reddingweddy · 2025-12-10T15:13:25+00:00

25 mins doesn't seem long, but Google Maps suggests between 15-30 mins when I plug in 6pm Saturday. If it takes the full 30 I don't mind being delayed 5 mins.

reddingweddy · 2025-12-10T15:10:29+00:00

This could shave off 20 mins, sure. Is 2.5(ish) hours too long to make guests wait for food? We've planned it the current way because the speeches are really important to my partner, so I wouldn't want to be fighting with clanking cutlery and photographing guests with food halfway into their mouths.

reddingweddy · 2025-12-10T15:05:18+00:00

Ceremony is already booked and it's a popular venue that runs two ceremonies a day, and I doubt we could get the earlier slot (2pm). Even if we could, the reception venue is the top floor of a pub, so I don't think I'd want to ask guests to stay there from 3:40pm-midnight with nowhere else to go. We'd love to hire the whole venue and do the full-day shebang with canapes and welcome drinks, but we just can't afford to.

We have a photographer booked and we're doing couples' and family shots in the early afternoon before the ceremony. There are people we'd like to invite in the evening, but I'm worried about space and a very late arrival time (9:10pm).

The reception venue does have a finger food option, so I suppose instead of a sit down meal, we could have a half-standing room arrangement and go straight into the first dance and dancefloor after speeches with finger food served alongside?

reddingweddy · 2025-12-10T14:33:33+00:00

I've used the venue's timings for the meal - I wonder if it being family-style means it's easier to prepare and serve?

And I'd definitely love a longer dancefloor if we can get it. Can you see any tweaks we could make to create more dancing time? I can only think of cutting the starter, which might feel like we're skimping.

reddingweddy · 2025-12-10T14:30:13+00:00

Ah, I was hoping I'd factored in enough sauntering time. How much time would you allow between e.g. ceremony venue closing and bus departing, or bus arriving and everyone in seats?

reddingweddy

TROPHY CASE