A thrifty British couple have wed in the Scottish Highlands for just $121 – and that includes the rings, flowers, jazz music and even a vintage wedding gown.
Georgina Porteous and Sid Innes, who are devoted to living a self-sufficient life, decided they didn’t want a “big fancy affair” and set about recycling as much as possible. Apart from mandatory £70 (AUD$119) marriage license fee – and £1 (about AUD$2) for Georgina’s wedding gown, which she sourced from a freecycling website, they managed to get everything else they needed for their big day for free.
Georgina, 36, an artist told Express.co.uk, “I don’t see the point in these massive weddings. It takes away from what marriage is truly about…The day is supposed to be about marrying the person you love and for us all that mattered was that we were becoming husband and wife. We didn’t want or need a big, fancy affair.”
Georgina met Sid, a song-writer, at a Glasgow art fair four years ago. They’ve been inseparable since and, when he popped the question in Berlin last year, Georgina immediately accepted.
The bride said, “From day one of the engagement we knew we wanted a small and cheap wedding, it was a natural thing for us because we are so invested in recycling and self-sustainability. We were really excited to plan it all.
“We have always been a bit alternative and arty, so I enjoyed doing something a little different from everyone else’s weddings.”
The ceremony and reception took place in a barn behind the couple’s idyllic cottage located near Inverness.
Their wedding pictures were snapped by a local wedding photographer who ‘swapped’ for an equal amount of Georgina’s time (she is a freelance film editor) for one of his film projects and their rings (below) were lovingly hand crafted by the clever bride – from antlers found in their back garden, no less.
The local priest donated his services and guests were each asked to bring a plate, so their home-made wedding feast comprised of sausage rolls, fresh bread, salad and quiches.
Georgina’s aunt supplied a three-tier chocolate cake and her father, Harry, a musician blasted out some 1940s jazz on his saxophone.
“We had so much fun and it was exciting to see what dish everyone had brought,” added the bride whose groom wore a suit he purchases many years before.
“We all sat around after the ceremony and had a little picnic.It was great and all the food was gone by the end so we didn’t waste any of it.
“There was quite a relaxed atmosphere and everyone was chatting to one another, and then when it got later everyone was enjoying the music and joining in with all the dances.”
The couple may be thrifty, but they’re also smart with money. They’re using the money they saved to honeymoon in Germany near where Sid proposed.
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