I just know you’re going to love this unique budget-savvy wedding as much as I do!! They did lots of DIY and chose a venue that was not only original but also personal as well! Kyle is a pilot so the venue was perfect for their reception! I also love how they made their programs into paper airplanes… adorable, no? Congrats Brittany and Kyle, and thank you for sharing your wedding with Budget Savvy Bride!

Where did you get married?

The Tulsa Air and Space Museum in Tulsa, Okla. Kyle is a flight instructor, so the venue was the perfect, unique venue for our wedding. Plus, we wanted something fun, and our guests didn’t have a lack of things to look at!

What was your budget?

As cheap as possible! We ended up at around $6,500, and we were able to get everything most important to us. Plus, I had tons of fun with the DIY projects to save money. At the end of the day, we were just so excited to be getting married, and we accomplished an unforgettable day for ourselves, our family and our friends, which is exactly what we wanted.

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

One of my favorite details was the guest book table. I filled it with photos from the weddings of our parents and grandparents, and our guest book was a photo book of our engagement photos (which I designed, and then ordered from artscow.com for $9). We also had a slideshow of pictures playing in the lobby as people walked into the museum. Pictures speak a thousand words, and our guests loved seeing them all. Another of my favorite details were the programs. We printed them to match our wedding stationery, and then folded them into paper airplanes.
Also, the ceremony was really important to us, so we made sure to spend time on really thinking about elements we wanted, or things we wanted our pastor to share. It was perfect, and so special for us, our families and our guests.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

OK, I have three.
First, we did all of our own flowers. I ordered the flowers in bulk for the boutonnieres, bouquets and centerpieces, and for the flowers and all the supplies to put them together, (which was super easy, by the way!) we only spent $200!
Second, I designed my own invitations, and did a lot of searching online to find coupons for percentages off and free shipping to get them printed for cheap. I also fell in love with paperandmore.com. The invitation was mounted on a solid card stock, and when you order paper from them, they can even cut it for you for only a few dollars! That saved me TONS of time and money.
And third, Wedding cakes are EXPENSIVE! So, we decided to do a cake buffet instead! I love cake plates, and it gave me a chance to use all my favorites, and I borrowed others from family and friends. My aunt volunteered to make our two-tiered “wedding cake,” and the others we bought at Sam’s Club for about $10 each. We had a big selection, so there was something there for everyone, and all for less than $150.

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

Three again
First, When it comes to making a guest list, you and your fiance need to make the list of who you want to invite, and divide the amount left between your parents. We wanted to invite no more than 200, so we just gave each of our moms 100. Well, we didn’t take into account our own friends, and ended up having to do some last minute cutting before sending invites out. It all worked out, but I could have avoided that stress early on with my own advice.
Second, the internet is your best friend in wedding planning! I found tons of good deals online, including our photographer. I found him on Craigslist, and he was amazing! There are talented people out there that just need a start somewhere, so give them a try! We did engagement photos to make sure we meshed, and we were hooked after that.
And third, just enjoy it! It’s a time like no other in your life, but when you do have slight moments of stress, just remember that after it all you get to be married to your best friend, and begin an amazing life together!

What was your biggest splurge?

My dress. Granted, it was only $600, but it was a larger percentage than all the “wedding calculators” told me I should spend. And ask about special discounts at bridal shops–I saved on my dress by buying the dress off the rack, rather than ordering. It fit perfectly, and saved me 20%! The thing is, it’s your wedding, and you need to feel as beautiful and glamorous as possible.

What was your favorite detail?

The candy buffet. My aunt has a business doing candy buffets, and she did one for us. It was beautiful, and the guests absolutely loved it! She even put our names on the little bags they took home with them, which was a fun extra detail.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

Seeing Kyle for the first time. It was the moment that I was finally like “OK, we get to do this!” And it was a really special moment to spend a few moments with just him before the whirlwind of everything started.

Vendors:
Photographer, Scott Zeier |

This week’s wedding comes from sunny Orlando, Florida. I just love the unique bridesmaid dresses- those colors really pop! Of course I can get over that Meghan’s a Gator Fan… but I love how they incorporated their love for college football into their wedding reception. I just love it when couple’s personalize their weddings with interesting things about them! I hope you all enjoy these lovely photos as much as I did!

Where did you get married?

Our ceremony was at the Orlando Florida LDS Temple. We had our reception at a restaurant in downtown Orlando called Citrus. We were looking for something with great food and a unique atmosphere. I had already chosen oranges and yellows as our wedding colors and knew I wanted flower arrangements with sliced fruit; so a restaurant called Citrus was a perfect fit!

What was your budget?

Our original budget was 5k. When all was said and done, we were closer to 7k. That included all the big stuff (restaurant rental fees, food, photography, hair/makeup, invites, dress, cake, flowers) straight down to all those tiny details you aren’t considering when you make that original budget (out-of-town gift bags, bridesmaid gifts, ties for the groomsmen, vases, candles, etc).

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

Personal details were really important to us, so we had a ton. The fabric around my bouquet was a piece of lace from my mother’s wedding dress and our table numbers were made using our engagement photos. Florida girls all love citrus so I wanted the vases for the flower arrangements lined with sliced fruit. But my favorite personal touch was our “guest book”. We are both huge college football fans, but for opposing teams. Rather than an average guest book, I found a seller on etsy.com who hand painted a football with a Florida Gator logo on one side and an Alabama Crimson Tide logo on the other. We had a funny poem instructing guests to sign the ball (…and once and for all, prove which team is greater) and it ended up being a huge hit. Now rather than having to pull out a guest book, we have the football in a case and can read all the hillarious comments when we need a laugh.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

The biggest thing decision we made to cut costs was to keep the guest list intimate. We had 40 guests at our wedding and keeping it close friends and family was perfect for us. We were able to spend a bit more on dinner and the reception space because of it. We also skipped the DJ and went with a playlist on the restaurant’s sound system.

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

#1 – Eat! I had a migraine the night before, so the morning of the wedding I was battling a lingering headache. I kept taking Excedrin while getting my hair and makeup done, but before I knew it we needed to be at the church and I had never eaten. Luckily I was fine during the ceremony, but during group photos I had to keep running back into the church to throw up. All I can say is thank goodness for airbrush makeup and strong hairspray!
#2 – Don’t sweat the small stuff! At the end of the day, that’s all that matters.

What was your biggest splurge?

My dress was my biggest splurge. After ordering the dress, having a custom lace bolero made, fittings and alterations….I spent well over twice what I had originally budgeted.

What was your favorite detail?

Definitely the bridesmaid dresses! All of the colorful details of the wedding day were born from those dresses. I was walking through the mall and saw it in a dress store. I called my maid of honor and within the hour we had full bridesmaid approval from my girls all over the country! All the other details fell into place after that.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

My favorite memory was when I saw Allen for the first time on the wedding day.
The thing I will look back on and just laugh….being really sick after the ceremony and getting so upset trying not to kneel on the bathroom floor in my perfect clean white wedding dress. So my maid-of-honor pulls it off of me and tosses it out into the carpeted hallway of the church, closes the bathroom door and is back to holding my hair like it was an everyday occurence. Allen said people kept walking by like “why is there a wedding dress laying here?!”

Reception: Citrus Orlando |

I am so excited to share this wedding with you!! It’s such a sunny, happy color scheme and they pulled it off spectacularly for their budget! I just love their reception decor- especially the cupcake tower! Too cute! Hope you all enjoy this one as much as I did!! Congrats Brandy & Kevin, and thanks for sharing your beautiful wedding with BSB!

Where did you get married?

Treviso Restaurant at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, FL. We were married on the patio and held our reception inside the restaurant.

What was your budget?

$10,000 from my mom and step-dad.

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

What I loved most about our wedding was that is was so personal. Our guests commented to us over and over again about how it was so us and how HAPPY we both were. My husband was not very involved in the wedding planning; he was a little disenchanted by the whole wedding process but, when he saw what I had put together, he was truly touched. And also surprised that my mom and I managed to put together such a nice and personal wedding!

We sent out 75 invitations and had 65 guest RSVP. Our wedding party included my best-friend, Andrea, as my maid of honor and my step-dad, Bud, as best man. One of my good friends , did a reading from “The Alchemist” which summed up our relationship so perfectly. We didn’t do a bouquet or garter toss. We didn’t have a formal send off. It like just an intimate celebration with family and friends instead of a big show.

What was your favorite project or DIY item?

My favorite project was our wedding favors! I was inspired by this project at Style Me Pretty. My mom and her friend, Connie, baked more than 75 bundt cakes and packaged them in small boxes with ribbons and a sticker that said “A Sweet Thank You”

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

Everything we did was to save money!! But here are the majors:

• We got married on a Thursday. It was the 9.5 year anniversary of us meeting, and two years since my husband moved from California to Florida. It was a special day and made things very cheap!
• We got married at a restaurant. We had the wedding for free outside and only had to pay for the food! It tasted amazing and cheaper than all the catering quotes we had gotten.
• No alcohol at the reception. My husband is LDS and we don’t drink. It was an easy decision that saved thousands. Since he is a member of the church, our bishop performed the ceremony for free. We had a signature drink: San Pelligrino Limonata and everyone had a glass of sparkling cider for our toasts.
• No DJ. We rented stereo equipment and had an iPod wedding. I hand picked every song and it was so worth it.
• Centerpieces were white bowls from Bed, Bath, and Beyond with lemons bought that day from Sam’s Club. Also, small vases (borrowed from my florist) with yellow roses.
• DIY. We made our own table runners (we bought the fabric online). We made tissue paper pomanders for the ceremony decorations. We printed our own place cards that we got at Michael’s.
• Cupcakes instead of a fancy cake. It cost less than half the cheapest cake quote I got.
• I hired a good girlfriend to do the photography for the wedding. Unfortunately, she was put on bed rest right before the wedding! She saved the day though and found us an awesome photographer who honored the great deal she was giving us!

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

Take a day, the week of your wedding, to relax and enjoy all that is happening! The Monday before my wedding, my mom and I had a special day together. We got a massage, went out to lunch, shopped for gifts for our friends. We had a great day together just enjoying that my wedding was happening this week and all that we had done and accomplished!

Also, I did something I had never done before. I hired someone to come clean my home top to bottom right before the wedding! It was SO nice and relaxing for my house to just sparkle and not have to worry about a mess. It worked wonders for my mental well being too.

What was your biggest splurge?

My wedding dress. I went back and forth the first 8 months of my engagement with my thoughts about spending so much money on a wedding dress. My first dress shopping experience, I went to a local boutique and tried on several $1000+ dresses. It was a lot of fun and they were beautiful but the price tag didn’t sit well with me. I went to David’s Bridal and found THE DRESS but, at $799 it still was much more than I thought was reasonable for a dress. I bought a bridesmaid dress from JCrew for less than $200 that I loved but, it wasn’t the dress. Finally on New Year’s Eve (3 months and 2 weeks until my wedding!) I went to David’s Bridal and bought THE DRESS which was more than $100 off the original price! I loved my dress. It fit perfectly and was so me.

What was your favorite detail?

My invitations were perfect. Sonya Marshall, from , from West Willow Designs on Etsy, designed our invitations. She also did our Save the Dates, shower invitations, and menu cards. She made so many mock ups for me and was so patient with all of my questions and little changes. I love that they are so personal and no one has the same invitation as I do! They encompass the entire style of us and our wedding.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

It is so hard to pick just one! My husband just glowed the entire day and it made me so happy. He was so emotional during our ceremony, gave an awesome speech at the end of the night, and when we got to our hotel room, said the sweetest things to me about how he was so touched and so happy. He is an amazing man.

Photographer: Valerie from Valerie Joy Photography | Invitations: Sonya Marshall from West Willow Designs | Venue: Treviso Restaurant | Bakery: Wired Whisk

Dress and MOB Dress: David”s Bridal | Maid of Honor Dress: JCrew | Suits: Men”s Wearhouse

I hope you all are ready for the newest BS-WOW! This one comes from GA, and has such a great spirit to it. The couple pulled off this beautiful wedding for around $5,000 by enlisting the help of family and friends!

What was your budget?

Our budget was $5,000 for our wedding of about 130 guests . That didn’t include our honeymoon (our wedding gift from Jason’s parents) , or Jason’s suit (we bought that). I think we managed to stay very close to the budget that my mom set (she is amazing for putting this whole thing on for us). In fact, at the end of the day we might have even been under budget!!

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

Our first dance was to Bob Marley’s “Is this Love” which was played by the bluegrass band that we had for the first two hours of the reception (the singer was a friend of the family and he got a few guys together to create a band just for the occasion). Jason is very particular about music and this was perfect.

We made sure that our wedding was a clear representation of our personalities. It was on a horse ranch in a dance barn but we decorated it with loads of fabric, candles, and vintage lamp shades to bring in the elegance. It was so simple and elegant all at once.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

We enlisted the help of friends!!! My mom’s boyfriend designed our amazing wedding invitations, a friend, Emily Woodall, was our photog and she gave us an amazing deal ($800 for our engagement shoot, our rehearsal, and our entire day of with a second shooter), and a friend of the family did all of the decorating (she scoured thrift stores while I wrote ten page papers) and she did our food ( We only spent about $200-300 on food not including the cake). My girls and I made our own bouquets with flowers bought from Harry’s Farmer’s Market. Basically, we did every DIY thing you can imagine with the help of amazing friends and family.
I also hunted high and low for the perfect venue and every other aspect really. Sunset Ranch is owned by a sweet couple that just wanted to create a place for people to be able to have a good time without going broke. We paid $450 and had it the entire day before, the entire day of, and even part of the day after to finish cleaning. There were no restrictions put on what vendors we used (the few that we did), we were allowed to bring our own alcohol and we were able to decorate any way we wanted (to include removing a deer head from the wall)

What was your biggest splurge?

Ummm…. we didn’t really have one… The most expensive aspect was our photography and that was the one thing I wanted to be perfect. It was followed by my dress which was $600 from Group USA at an outlet mall in Virginia. I saw it in the store window the day before Jason proposed (I had a sneaking suspicion it was coming) but they only had the dress in stock in black. After trying on a million dresses I decided it was worth the risk to order it in the “candlelight” color even though they didn’t even have a picture of it in any color but black! Biggest risk I took by far but COMPLETELY worth it!

What was your favorite detail?

My dress! And the draped fabric and lampshades from the ceiling… and basically the whole thing!

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

When the double doors of the Barn were opened and I saw Jason standing at the front waiting for me =)

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

Don’t stress about anything! At the end of the day, you are marrying the one you love and that is all that matters. We planned our wedding in less than six months while both of us were in school (I was finishing up my last semester and graduated the week before our wedding), needless to say, we had plenty of reason to stress but we tried to maintain the best we could. This was key with my type A personality and Jason’s type…Z laid-back personality! We were supposed to get married outside, that was the most important detail to me, and then the day of it rained all morning.

Finally I just took a deep breath, closed my eyes, imagined the ceremony in the beautifully decorated barn, realized that the rain also meant the horse show scheduled for our wedding day would be cancelled (yay for no horse manure smell) and smiled and told my mom I was excited to have the ceromony in the barn. It stopped raining before we ever got to the ranch but we still had the ceremony inside (the ground was very soft) and it was PERFECT. When we got back from our honeymoon a friend told me that when someone asked her how the wedding was she used laid-back as the main theme, that made me so happy. We didn’t let anything get to us that day and that made all the difference for a type A girl like me!

——-

I just love the barn and the glass jar details! Hope you love the pics as much as I did! Thank you LaShanna and Jason for sharing your special day with us! Tune in next Wednesday for another edition of BS-WOW!

Where did you get married?

We had our solemnization ceremony, followed by a dinner reception at a lovely restaurant called Suburbia which is on Sentosa island (in Singapore) on the 6th of June, and that was for friends and colleagues. We had a second event on 7th of June at the Four Seasons Hotel with High Tea for family. At each event, there were about 60 persons.

What was your budget?

We did go over budget, following list is the breakdown. In the beginning, we had wanted to do everything under about $15K, but I guess there were just some things I couldn't bring myself to compromise with.

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

We made it a point to select venues which were representative of our personalities. (Our wedding is actually quite different from a typical wedding banquet held in Singapore which is usually just a 10-course sit down Chinese dinner in the big ballroom of hotels — up to 30 or 40 tables) Lawrence & I designed and made our own invitations, place cards and favour cards. A lot of effort and hours were put in to make this happen and to communicate the whole ambience/setting of this special event. Lawrence is a TV producer with a current affairs channel here in Singapore so he put his skills to good use by creating a thank you video to screen during both events, it also had short excerpts of why we chose each other. We also hired a live band to play during the dinner reception, and we chose the song list which comprised mainly of songs we loved, and not the usual must-have wedding songs. We wanted it to be fun and memorable for everyone including ourselves. Oh, and I must mention that I even made the confetti myself with my mother. =)

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

I think the biggest thing we did to save money was to embark on a DIY journey for all the stationery and décor, instead of going straight to vendors who would have been able to take care of everything. For example, I ordered flower bouquets, centerpieces and the corsages from a local neighborhood florist and it cost me about $350 for everything. Of course I had to self collect them and transport them to the wedding venue. However, if I had gone the route of a wedding florist who would take care of everything including the delivery & set-up, it would have cost me more than a $1,000 for something that would have been discarded after the day was over.

What was your biggest splurge?

I think the biggest splurge was on our wedding rings from Bulgari. Since we're going to be wearing this every single day for the rest of our lives, we decided to get something that both of us liked and would enjoy wearing as a symbol of love for each other.

What was your favorite detail?

The décor that my friends painstakingly did — means so much to me.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

Funny, but the most memorable moment for me was when I was getting made up in the room by the make-up artist, and Lawrence was just sitting there looking at me and smiling to himself.

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

Do your best, but don't harp too much on perfection. Once you get too caught up with the details, you lose sight of the most important thing — which is to enjoy the day with your other half. Make it a memorable one for the years ahead.