What was your budget? If you are able, give us a rough breakdown of how you spent your budget.

We went up and down on this, started at $10,000 then realized that was unrealistic for 300 people, then up to about $18,000 prior to the wedding. We had fewer guests than we budgeted for (thank goodness!) so we ended up spending about $16,000 including EVERYTHING except the honeymoon. Here’s the breakdown:

Ceremony (rental of venue, chair rentals, minimal decor, bells, pillows and accessories for flower girls/ ring bearers, gift for officiant): $712

Attire/Personal (my dress and alterations, shoes, undergarments, hair for me and my bridesmaids/mom, mani/pedi): $1100
I saved a lot here by buying my simple dress from OnceWed.com and having some embellishments (the ruffle at the hem and bow on the back) sewn on by a local seamstress, but I splurged by paying for all my girls’ and mom’s hair to be done because we had the wiggle room at the end. My husband wore a suit he already owned so that was zero dollars.

Flowers (bridal party bouquets and boutonnieres, few flowers for reception, most flowers for reception were picked from my mother in law’s and her friends’ yards, and arranged by them): $643

Reception (venue, food, cupcakes, wine and beer that we brought ourselves, decorations, DJ, cocktail table, linen, dance floor and chair cover rentals): $7645
We saved a ton by using a non-traditional wedding venue, we only spent about $20/ per person for a full buffet and wait staff, for 190 people it was important to keep the food costs down. We also saved a ton by bringing in our own alcohol, and limiting it to wine and beer. The state park hosts a lot of conferences so they had great catering facilities and were amazing to work with. The downside was that we had to bring in the dancefloor and some other rentals to spruce up the boring room, but it still ended up being a cost-saver.

Photographer: $1542
We found a new-ish photographer that other brides were happy with from the knot, and got a great deal on a huge package. We were ecstatic about our engagement photos but our wedding photos were not as great as we had hoped. This was an area where I wish we had splurged more.

Invitations (save the dates, invitations, thank you notes and postage for all of those): $743
We used a designer I found on etsy who said she would design our invites for free to build her portfolio, but she ended up asking us to pay her, which we did. This ended up being a splurge when I hadn’t planned on spending this much, but I looooved our invites so it worked out.

Gifts (wedding party, shower hosts, helpers, welcome bags): $1310
We had so many family and friends who helped us pull this wedding off that we were pretty generous with nice gifts and welcome bags for everyone who traveled to the woods for our wedding weekend. No regrets here.

Hospitality (dinner for helpers on Thurs. night, snacks, drinks for hospitality suite, etc.): $310

Hotel Rooms at the park (hospitality suite which is where I stayed, cabin for the groom, each for four nights): $1428

Rings (wedding bands only): $1016
We had my engagement ring custom made by a local jeweler and he made my band to match, plus found us a great deal on Dave’s ring.

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

One of the most personal aspects was asking the judge I worked for in my first job after law school to officiate for us– it was a treat to have someone we both admire and who knows us well perform our ceremony. We also personalized a traditional ceremony script, adding a group blessing, warming of the rings, and a lot of music by our talented friends.

We had a lot of touches that weren’t necessarily “personal” but just made the wedding weekend feel like “us”– we had a relaxing welcome supper to which we invited all of our guests, instead of a rehearsal dinner, the whole weekend was very laid back and encouraged our favorite people to get to know one another and enjoy the beauty of our home state. We planned times we could spend time with guests, and down time so people could do things on their own and we got to relax.

As for DIY, I did as much as I’ve been able to, since we were on a tight budget, and also since our colors (hot pink and navy) were not easy to find on pre-made things. I’ve made floral headpieces for the flower girls, sewed pillows for the ring bearers, printed, cut, and assembled our wedding invites, made cupcake stands and guest book surveys, all the signage for the reception, and a million other little projects! In addition, we had so many family members and friends pitching in on the wedding weekend, we could not have done it without them! Our friends and family were the ceremony musicians, tended bar at the reception, picked up cupcakes on the morning of the wedding, helped us decorate and arrange flowers for the festivities, baked a small wedding cake for us to cut… I could go on and on!

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

By far our biggest budget saver was booking the state park. Because it’s not really a wedding venue, they’re not charging wedding prices. Since we could bring our own liquor, I bought our wine from a neighborhood store and got a great bulk discount, plus I like supporting a neighborhood business. We saved a ton on flowers (which were the main decor) because my fantastic mother in law and her friends brought them from their gardens and arranged them. We also borrowed decor items like votives from a friend who recently got married.

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

If you’ve spent your whole time planning scrimping and saving, let yourself splurge a little at the end, especially on things that otherwise stress you out. I researched and compared prices exhaustively all along, but when it came time to buy the alcohol, I just went to two stores, because I was exhausted. I don’t know if we got the best deal, I know it fit the budget and it got done. I had asked my bridesmaids to pay to have their hair done, but we had wiggle room at the end, and when it came down to it I was happy to write that check so they didn’t have to worry about it.

Actually I have two tips– the second one is that you have to decide to enjoy your day, and to let all the stresses and things that go wrong (and they will) fade away. I am so type A and had planned this wedding weekend down to a T, but rain all weekend threw all our plans out the window. I had decided not to let anything bother me and enjoy the day, so I kept a smile on my face, and it really didn’t bother me. REALLY. I had to try hard to do this, but it worked. I focused on being in the moment and enjoying all my friends and family, and tuning out any negativity. I literally walked away from people a few times because they were bringing me down. And I had an awesome day with my new husband.

What was your biggest splurge?

Chair covers, which we spent almost $700 on. Dave really really wanted them (and he only cared about three or four things during the whole planning process), and I thought it was a waste of money. He found the money to pay for them, and he was totally right. When we set up the reception room, it made SUCH a difference. The room was pretty drab, and the existing chairs were ugly, but the chaircovers really did turn it into a more formal, beautiful space.

What was your favorite detail?

My dress/ shoes. I was comfortable and felt so beautiful all day, and like myself. I worked really hard on the dress but I got what I wanted, it reflected my personality and style. Loved it.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

Really it was lots of moments all day long. We had monsoon rains all weekend, and I had to decide on the morning of our wedding whether to move the ceremony inside to the reception venue. We so wanted to be married beside the beautiful lake, but the whole area was a muddy mess, so I made the decision to move it inside (Dave was golfing in the rain when it was time to make this call but he later agreed). Once the decision to move it inside was made, all my weather worries faded away because it was out of my hands, I loosened up and just enjoyed the day! ( We did get to take some photos by the lake during a break in the rain, so I can pretend we got married there.) All day long, we were moving things around and making changes from our well-laid plans, which could have been REALLY stressful, but it wasn’t. I ended up spending a lot more time with Dave and a few key helpers (my stepmom was a hero) than I expected, and they just lifted us up. These are the moments I remember– it really felt like a team effort, and we pulled it off. I felt married that morning even before the ceremony, when Dave was helping me move things around and we just had to figure out how to make it work, together. I was never more certain that he was the right one.

Vendors:
Venue: Fall Creek Falls State Park
Hair: Steven's Salon
DJ: FADDS Mobile DJ
Cupcakes and petit fours: Publix
Rentals: RSVP Rentals, Linens and chair covers
Alterations: AAA Alterations
Photos: Misti Abner Photography

_________________ Thanks for reading Autumn + David from: The Budget Savvy Bride

Looking for more budget savvy weddings? Visit our Real Weddings gallery! Need to find some DIY projects to save you money and create beautiful details? Check out our DIY project gallery! Connect with The Budget Savvy Bride on the web: Pinterest :: Twitter :: Facebook ::

There’s just something about fall weddings… the rich colors just get me! The whimsical details from this wedding make me swoon- the pumpkins, the perfect plum pumps, the topsy turvy cake, and the curly monkey tails in the bouquets- all gorgeous- and captured perfectly by the ever-so-talented Kelli Nicole. I hope you all love these images from Emily and Andrew’s magical fall wedding as much as I do. You can find Emily’s full recaps from her wedding and other interesting tidbits at her blog, Sassy Smolak!

Where did you get married?
We got married in Mechanicsville, VA (just outside of the city of Richmond) at a lovely place called The Manor House.

What was your budget?
My budget was $20,000 but that was to include our honeymoon which ended up taking up $4,000 so we really did our wedding on $16,000. I am not totally sure of the breakdown but I feel I did well with the money I had.

What creative or personal aspects did you include in your wedding?
I love to craft and enjoy doing things for myself so Andrew and I got really into it. We made all the programs and any signage that was around. We even made huge signs by the road to direct to the venue that we painted added touches to. I also cut all the paper for the “wishing well” which was our guest book. It was really fun to see my work at the venue, made it more personal for us.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?
Biggest thing we did to save money was research. We looked and looked for things before deciding on it. I bought a lot of things on sale and we made things for ourselves which helped too, truthfully it was just waiting to find the right price and not just buying it because it fit our needs.

What’s the best advice you have for planning your wedding now that you’re on the other side?
Best advice for planning a wedding now that I am on the other side is to breathe! I know everyone always says this but it will work out and it does!!! I mean it rained on my wedding day and I still have wonderful photos and had a fabulous ceremony. I forgot my jewelry for have my photos but who cares because you aren’t there for all the “stuff” you are there to celebrate the union of you with the one you love and of course to party?.

What was your biggest splurge?
I am a little embarrassed to admit this, but my biggest splurge was my dress. I always said I could never imagine spending thousands of dollars on a dress you wear once, but I suppose when you find what makes you feel beautiful you can’t put a price tag on it. I spent 2 grand on my dress only after talking to my mother. She told me that I had done a fabulous job with the budget and that I had the money to splurge on the dress if that was what I wanted to do and I did so there you have it I wore 2000$ for just about 6 hours but it was totally worth it ?

What was your favorite detail?
My favorite detail for sure was the bottom of my shoes. I only bought them because they were the purple I wanted and were 4 inches high (since my husband is 6’9″ I needed some height. Well when they arrived I noticed that they had hearts in red on the bottom soles….I mean how perfect is that! I loved that for sure, but if I had to pick a second favorite detail it would be the guys screen printed ties. I found them on ETSY and have been in love with them ever since.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?
Most memorable moment would be our first look, we did the first look because we knew it was going to rain and I knew we didn’t have a lot of time. So as I was coming down the stairs out of the house to meet Andrew, my knees were shaking I was so excited and nervous. When I tapped on his shoulder and he turned around he started to tear up and so did I. It was just such a lovely moment for both of us. I doubt I will ever forget it.

Vendors:

Venue — The Manor House
Photographer — Kelli Nicole Photography
Flowers — Strawberry Fields Florist
Catering — Sam Edwards Catering
Cake — A cake to remember
Makeup — Lou Stevens
Dress — Jingles
Jewelry — Lili Swan
Hair accessories — Dandy Apple
Guys Ties — Toy Breaker
Music — Choice Entertainment

_________________ Thanks for reading Emily + Andrew from: The Budget Savvy Bride

Looking for more budget savvy weddings? Visit our Real Weddings gallery! Need to find some DIY projects to save you money and create beautiful details? Check out our DIY project gallery! Connect with The Budget Savvy Bride on the web: Pinterest :: Twitter :: Facebook ::

I totally swooned when these photos arrived in my inbox, so I just know you’re going to love this wedding as much as I do! The details are stunning, and so is the bride! All the handmade decorative touches and the bold green in the color scheme really makes these photos pop! Katy did lots of DIY to help keep costs low while adding personal touches to the wedding. Hope you enjoy this eye candy!

Where did you get married?

We got married in Denver, Colorado—which is where we both grew up. Our ceremony was at the Hudson Gardens in Littleton and our reception was at the Space Gallery in downtown Denver.

What was your budget?

Our budget was $16,500.00.

Here is the basic breakdown of it all:
Ceremony Site: 450.00
Reception Site: 1550.00
Catering: 4300.00
Rentals: 1200.00
Cake: 450.00
Dessert Bar: 300.00
Drinks: 500.00
Flowers: 1000.00
Reception Décor: 300.00
Reception Lighting: 1100.00
Ceremony Décor: 300.00
Stationery: 700.00
Harpist: 300.00
DJ: 700.00
Day-of Coordinator: 595.00
Photography: 1900.00
Videographer: 450.00
Bridesmaids Shoes: 160.00
Groomsmen's Ties: 75.00

We went a little over our budget because we originally budgeted for 100 people to attend and ended up having 127. That increased our catering bill by $800, but other than that, everything else went according to plan!

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

We included many personal aspects in our wedding. Bryan and I met each other in youth group at our church so our youth minister who watched it all happen was the person who married us. Our dads read a poem that I found online called “The Key to Love.” It is the sweetest poem about marriage—we love it! We also did a rose ceremony in place of a unity candle, which is what my parents did at their wedding.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

Well, first of all, my mom and I made almost every wedding detail. I designed and assembled all the programs, labels for the drink stand, candy bar, fans, guest book, and “reserved” cards. I also painted giant chalkboards for the reception entrance, photo booth, and menu. My mom is amazing with flowers so she made the altar arrangements for the ceremony. We also made all the table runners, out of town guest baskets, and vendor survival kits ourselves.

I also researched vendors like crazy! On several occasions, I found another vendor who offered the exact same thing at half the price of the first few vendors I had talked with. It was very stressful and tedious at times, but it ended up being completely worth it and all of our vendors were amazing. I had a certain vision in my head (complete with a full dinner, lighting, flowers, drinks, and dancing) and I was determined to achieve it—so I kept digging until I found someone who could provide everything for the price I needed.

I also have to mention the wonderful website Etsy. I am kind of addicted to it at the moment—and it made all the little details so much more affordable! I bought my hairpiece from Feathers and Frills, groomsmen's ties from Buttered Toast, makeup bags for my bridesmaids from Sweet Sugar Beet, favors stickers from Graceful Notes, flower girl dress from Sweet Plume, and all of our amazing stationery from Pink Lily Press.

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

First, make sure to research your vendors! It will make everything so much more affordable in the end!

Second, when you are making your guest list, be sure to give a limit to yourselves, your parents, and your fiancé's parents and DON'T go over it! We didn't do this at all…which is why our guest list got too big and we ended up having a lot more people attend than we budgeted for.

Try to get all of your DIY stuff done 1-2 weeks before the big day. I did this and afterwards I just got to relax and focus on spending time with my family!

I know this is an overused piece of advice, but everyone needs to hear it—expect things to go wrong on your wedding day. I prayed and prayed for a sunny wedding day, but when it started to rain during our outdoor ceremony, I didn't freak out because I had prepared myself with the fact that something would go wrong. Just remember to look at the bright side of things and don't obsess over the little details. If you do this, you will have the perfect day!

What was your biggest splurge?

Well, catering took up the biggest chunk of the budget…but food is kind of necessary at a wedding so I don't count that as a splurge. I would have to say that the biggest “want” that I just had to have was the lighting—I loved it…it was so worth it!

What was your favorite detail?

Hmmm…this is a tough one. I obviously loved all of our DIY details or I wouldn't have spent so much time on them. I also loved the converses that our groomsmen wore, the drinks and fans at the ceremony, the lighting, our adorable menu, my bouquet, the photo booth…ok that's a lot. If I had to pick one it would be that I walked down the aisle to “Main Title”, which is the theme song from the movie The Notebook. Our harpist played it…and everyone got a little teary-eyed!

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

That's another tough one. I definitely loved our “first look” and the few minutes we got to spend alone right after the ceremony. The toasts from our brother and sisters were hilarious, so that is one of my favorites. Also, my dad led the “YMCA” and that was also completely hilarious so that's another favorite. I really loved every moment, so it's hard to pick!

Photographer: Real Photography

_________________ Thanks for reading Bryan + Katy from: The Budget Savvy Bride

Looking for more budget savvy weddings? Visit our Real Weddings gallery! Need to find some DIY projects to save you money and create beautiful details? Check out our DIY project gallery! Connect with The Budget Savvy Bride on the web: Pinterest :: Twitter :: Facebook ::