This sweet DIY wedding comes from Smithville, Tennessee and has a lovely spring color scheme. This couple saved by choosing a date in the ‘off season’ for their wedding and by working with new, up-and-coming vendors to keep their costs down! I love the aqua and pink color scheme and all the fun details at the reception! Jessica & Todd pulled off their wedding for just under 100 guests for $6,000! Well done! Thanks for sharing your lovely wedding with us!

What was your budget?

Everything total from stockings to catering less than $6,000

$400 wedding gown
$50 photography — a guy I found online that does them as a hobby with his wife, he gave me rights to all the photo files!
$600 site rental from 9 am-midnight
$1600 food including 3 appetizers, full dinner and dessert beer & wine with servers and cleaning crew
$170 three tiered polka dot wedding cake and Patriots helmet grooms cake
$269 for all bouquets and boutonnieres and orchards for center pieces
$550 DJ with 2 set ups one each for ceremony and reception plus dance floor lighting
$200 officiant
$2000 misc ceremony/reception décor… center pieces, linins, rentals, coordinator…

How many guests did you have?

96

What creative or personal aspects did you include in your wedding?

We did TONS of DIY.. polka dotted water bottles which cost $20 for 100, bubbles, napkins, and my favorite being votives with wraps I designed, printed and put together myself with all materials total = $45 for over 100 personalized

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

LOCATION!!! First from morning to midnight the site was ours for only $600 since our date was the off seasons. Second Smithville is really far from where we live and most friends and co-workers live. That alone cut our guest list dramatically. With the site being so far away only true friends and family would want to make that drive and cut out all the people coming just for the food and alcohol! It’s a BIG SAVER if you can cut your guest count!

What's the best advice you have for planning your wedding now that you're on the other side?

For all the vendors that aren't as important on your list… look for graduate students. They have some experience and can show samples of friends and family they have worked for, but not enough experience to charge you outrageous prices. I got my cake and grooms cake $170 and they both turned out awesome!!!

What was your biggest splurge?

Decorations by far, still relatively low cost compared to other local weddings, but next to everything else I paid for the decorations and “little add ons” here and there really add up.

What was your favorite detail?

A tie between the votives I made for every table and the personalized water bottle wraps.. They're what made it “my” wedding.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

Our first dance. Everyone was watching in awe and we were surrounded yet the moment seemed so personal and ours. It was perfect!

VENDORS:
Venue: Lake Side Resort
Planner: I Do Weddings TN
Catering: Wildberry Catering

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