I am so excited to share this wedding with you today! It is filled with all sorts of DIY goodness, and lots of PIE! Who doesn’t love pie? I love everything about this laid back wedding- from the simple wildflower centerpieces, the brides bouquet, the honey favors, and their use of wood in centerpieces and signage– these details are so well done and inspiring! Best of all, they pulled it off on a budget of only $2,500 – thanks to their Potluck style meal provided by guests! Definitely a great way to keep costs down and everything looks simply amazing. Also love the photos by Chelsea Chamness of Photographed by Chelsea! Hope you love this edition of The Budget Savvy Wedding of the Week! xo-Jessica

_________________ Thanks for reading Washington Wedding by Photographed by Chelsea 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 LOOOOOVE this wedding I have to share with you today! First of all… this couple has some major STYLE! I love the bride and groom’s outfits, from the peacock feather details on Anndrea’s shoes and Steven’s vest/suit with the striped socks. I love that Anndrea took the time to do lots of DIY to save money- from the decorations to the cakes she baked herself! DIY is a BSB’s BFF! Keeping the guest list to an intimate 28 really helped cut costs as well, and the couple was able to have a gorgeous wedding day for a modest budget of $3,000. Hope you enjoy this lovely little wedding as much as I do! xoxo-Jessica

Steven & Anndrea 

May 26, 2012

Old Settler’s Park in Glen Arbor, Michigan

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

Our whole wedding was around $3000, probably a little less.

We spent about a 1/3 on our food. The next largest expenses was our rental (tent, tables, chairs and linens) and our pictures. Our wedding site was reserved on a donation basis of $100 (chapel and the park!) We didn’t want to spend a ton of money on invitations so we created our own on Zazzle and they turned out beautiful for under $70. We created a wedding email so our guests could RSVP through there and we could send them directions and updates for free. My outfit, Steven’s vest and shoes, decorations, flowers, cake making and hair combined was around $1000.

How many guests did you have?

We had a total of 28 guests.

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

We wanted our wedding to have comfortable home feel – everyone gathering and sharing a meal. We picked a vintage French theme using burlap (order through a hardware store and you’ll save a ton) and lace (my mom’s old curtains – I spent way too much time cutting them up). My dad was a huge help finding most of our center pieces: silver trays and milkglass from different antique vendors. We found some old doors on Craigslist and made those into our backdrop for our ceremony- this might have been one of my favorite decorations.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

We wanted to save as much money as we could and still have a beautiful day. We decided create as much as we could by re-purposing items, buying beautiful thrift store items and invested in a lot of hot glue sticks. My mom is an amazing eye for floral arrangements so she made all of our center pieces and my bouquet, which to me was so much more personal and made with love. I am a pretty avid baker and made my wedding cakes myself. I know that alone saved us a few hundred dollars.

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

Enjoy the entire process from just being engaged, to planning your wedding day and to remember that yes, it’s your wedding but if your cake isn’t perfect or no one was able to fill the balloons, it doesn’t matter. No one will know the difference (and you’ll be too preoccupied to notice either).

What was your biggest splurge?

Our food! Steven and I both have been to so many wedding where after you left you were starving due to lack of food, gross food or just no food at all. People traveled to be at our wedding so the least we could do was give them an amazing French meal to show our appreciation for them!

What was your favorite detail?

Our old door backdrop for our ceremony. They just looked so awesome! 

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

Dinner time was really special to me. Everyone loved the food, which was really important to both of us. 

_________________ Thanks for reading Michigan Wedding by Dan + Melissa 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 ::

Today I’ve got a lovely and sweet little wedding for you shot by KLK Photography that truly includes only what is most important- the people the couple love most! Cathy + Duc had been together for quite some time and already had three adorable children together when they decided to tie the knot! They had an intimate ceremony and then celebrated with their three kids and other family and friends who met them at the beach! I think this is such a great example of how you don’t have to do anything fancy to celebrate your big day– the people who love you will be there to support you whether or not you throw a huge crazy party! Thanks so much to Cathy and Duc for sharing your day with us! xoxo-Jessica

Cathy and Duc Chu

October 20, 2011

Laguna Hills, California. Laguna Hills Civic Center

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

My budget was as low as possible! JK I was looking at about $3000 for everything. I went a little over but it was well worth it in the end!
Hotel stay: 345
Photography: 500
Makeup/Hair: 750
Cake/Dinner: 200
Flowers: 200
Dress/Suit/Clothes: 1400

How many guests did you have?

We had a private wedding ceremony but later invited about 40 people to celebrate with us on the beach.

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

I am happiest to include our children in our wedding.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

Find and compare all your options. Pick a vendor that is right for you.

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

Develop and plan your ideal wedding. Talk to vendors and give them your ideas to make your dream a reality. It’s okay if you go over your budget. It’s your wedding after all! Have fun!

What was your biggest splurge?

That was probably the wedding dress! I walked into David’s Bridal with a budget in mind, but came out with an even better (but more expensive) dress!

What was your favorite detail?

I had made sure to incorporate everything that we both loved into our wedding details. It’s not just about the brides! The beach was his favorite place. He was really surprised and thrilled that I had rented a hotel with beachfront view. The next morning, we watched the sun rise. Very romantic.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

Everything was memorable! The ceremony, the photo sessions with KLK Photography, and ending the night at a beachfront hotel with my family was romantic, amazing, and fun all wrapped into one! Wouldn’t have it any other way!

VENDORS:

Photographer: KLK Photography
Makeup/Hair: Katie B. Cosmetics
Flowers: Flower Fusion
Cake/Desserts: Filigree Cakes
Hotel: Pacific Edge Hotel, Laguna Beach

_________________ Thanks for reading Cathy + Duc : California Elopement by KLK Photography 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 ::

This week we have another awesome Two Bright Lights submitted wedding from Simply Knot Photography! I am thrilled to share this $3,000 backyard wedding from Phoenix, Arizona. This sweet bicycle themed wedding has a sunny yellow color scheme that I just love. They couple saved by having their wedding in their backyard on a Sunday, keeping their guest list low, and having a potluck! I love the intimate feel of this wedding and it just goes to show- you don’t have to do anything expensive or elaborate to have an amazing wedding! It looks like it was a wonderful day and you can tell that they had all that truly mattered to them! Thanks Katie & Justin for sharing your lovely day with us!

What was your budget?

Dress/Alterations – $450
Katie’s Shoes – $10
Justin’s Outfit – $200
Photographers – $900 (special discounted rate)
Florist – $280 (bike arrangement, bouquet), Free (chuppa, aisle, driveway)
Officiant – Free
Rings – $500
Invitations – $50
Table/Chair Rentals – $250
Decorations – $200
Food – Free (Potluck)
Cake – $70
Champagne – Free
Wedding night dinner – Free (Thanks to La Grande Orange/Chelsea’s Kitchen)

That totals to be just under $3,000.

How many guests did you have?

30 Family members + wedding party. We hosted a friends reception the night before.

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

Our wedding colors were inspired by 2 items: our vintage baby blue bicycle & a yellow floral arrangement already in our living room. The remaining color palette came from our green garden and dark brown furniture. We wanted to be sure yellow was the main color, so we used it in important details: the flowers, the centerpieces, the groom’s and best man’s attire, and the bride’s shoes. We brought yellow to other unsuspecting objects by simply tying a muted yellow and brown ribbon.

Our wedding was on a Sunday morning in our backyard. Our intention was to have the atmosphere of a garden party. Men wore sport coats; women wore sun dresses. We used vintage accents whenever possible, like mason jars as glasses, eclectic second-hand silverware, and lace napkin rings. We hadn’t intended to have a theme, but when it came to the tables we didn’t want to use plain old numbers.

We named the tables after different bicycle styles (e.g. cruisers). The kids table even had a special name – training wheels! This theme made our old blue cruiser (aka Big Blue) a welcome addition to our decor. Our florist arranged fresh flowers in the basket. We also tied ribbons from the bike for guests to write warm wishes, which made a unique guest book.

For favors we gave away custom CDs filled with ceremony and reception music. The CD label was designed by the bride’s sister and used many of the same elements from the wedding invitation. Our other favors were boxes filled with mini brownies, which doubled as table seating cards. We used store-bought white boxes and wrapped them with a muted yellow and brown ribbon fastened by a round name tag. We used first names only for a more intimate feel. Not only did we write out own vows, but our brother-in-law was our officiant. He brought a whole new level of intimacy to our wedding.

The wedding was kid friendly by making a kids table full of toys and games. Later in the reception we (the bride and groom) hosted a jeopardy trivia with questions written with our families in mind (especially the kids). I had been planning our wedding music since before I had met Justin. Because we had put so much thought into the music already, we were able to choose songs special to us for the different parts of the ceremony. For Justin’s processional we chose Boomshakalaka from the Dumb and Dumber soundtrack, his favorite movie. Katie’s processional was carefully chosen to be Everyday by Buddy Holly, a childhood favorite. The rest of the playlist was a combination of Katie’s favorite movie, Singin’ In the Rain, and other favorite artists like Etta James and the Beatles.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

A tight budget meant attention to detail. We purchased a cake for $70 from a local restaurant that we decorated with extra flowers (for free) from the florist. When shopping for my dress I looked for a dress that would need minimal alterations. Many of the decorations were handmade, e.g. the lace napkin rings were printed on vellum paper at home using a free template. It was important that most of our decor could pull “double duty” when the wedding was over. So we purchased, not rented, our silverware from Goodwill for a total of 35 sets for almost $10. We ended up with a mixture of “vintage” silverware that can be used for parties or family get-togethers. We purchased mason jars in bulk from a local hardware store to use as glasses during the ceremony. For Christmas/Chanukah we gave the jars to family and friends filled with goodies. The groom’s attire was also carefully planned and purchased, not rented, so it could be worn again.

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

Start your planning early, especially if you are on a strict budget. Typically, the less money, the more planning. Talk to your family and friends for advice.

What was your biggest splurge?

Our photographers. They gave us a great deal that we just couldn’t pass up. So we increased our budget & tightened our belts. They were worth every penny!

What was your favorite detail?

The chuppa. So many wonderful details went into the final chuppa. First, Justin made the chuppa himself. Then, our neighbor florist donated and decorated the chuppa with tons of flowers and accessories. The chuppa was then draped with Justin’s grandfathers’ tallit. In the end, the chuppa represented everything we valued about our wedding: family, generosity, and resourcefulness.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

Some of our favorite moments from the day happened during the most unconventional times: – When the music didn’t start as planned before the ceremony – Giggling and crying alone when it was time for me to walk down the aisle with only one of our photographers (Ryan) to see me – The first moment alone as husband and wife. I burst into tears while we hugged and laughed

_________________ Thanks for reading Justin + Katie 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 am so excited to feature this wedding of longtime reader Ashley. Not only was she a Nashville bride, but she also happened to win a free photography contest that she found out about from BSB! I had the pleasure of meeting her once over chai tea at Panera and she is super down to earth just a cool person to be around- you can really see her personality in the details of her wedding. Ashley and Brandon had such a unique, eclectic wedding that really reflected who they are as people. I know you are going to enjoy all the handmade details that she put into their uber-savvy eco-chic nupitals. Ashley is super creative and talented and you should follow her blog because she’s super cool. Thank you so much Ashley for allowing us to feature your wedding!!!  xoxo-Jessica

Where did you get married?

Blakemore Church of the Nazarene in Nashville, TN

What was your budget?

$3,000… and we actually came in under. And they said it couldn’t be done. Tisk tisk, wedding world.

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

Um….. it may be better to ask what wasn’t creative or personal. The answer to that is the plates. I bought cheap ones. Ha.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

Get ready. It’s a long list. I created a pretty strict rule of thumb: If I can’t use this fill-in-the-blank after the wedding, I have to figure out a way to make it dirt cheap, or find a new idea. (Case and point: our tablecloths and photobooth background tapestries are now our shower curtains and bedspread covers.) So when I couldn’t reuse something or find it for the right price, I did almost everything myself that could be done myself: the actual planning, my dress, hairpiece and sash, invitations, flowers for all 8 bouquets, flowers for all arrangements and centerpieces, 17 fabric-flower corsages and 29 bouts, programs, choosing and sewing the mix-and-matched fabrics for tablecloths, collecting bottles from friends who would have thrown away to serve as vases, paper signage, burning and decorating cd soundtracks, stamping napkins, creating our guestbook, sewing birdseed pouches from mismatched fabric scraps uncovered in my apartment, making wreaths for front door decoration, the Tree of Life quilt with wilderness scene, and iPod playlist.

Oh, and there was free. I can thank Jessica of Budget Savvy Bride: We won our wedding photographer, after finding the contest on her site. Oddly enough, the photographer was even from Brandon’s teensy hometown outside of Raleigh, NC. Thank the LORD for April Sirit of Evoke Photography. I can’t thank her enough. Also, my best friend bought my make-up artist as a gift (it was out of my budget, but the only thing I worried about)…and a good friend ran sound as a wedding gift/ surprised us by showing up with an HD video camera and making us an AWESOME video, also free. Guess it pays to have friends with connections and talent.

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

Buying from “wedding” stores is the biggest gimmick you could ever fall for. Truthfully. Not only do those vendors feel like they can overprice their items, but you’ll also be more likely to have repeated the exact move of many brides before you. Think outside the “wedding” box. This way you’ll also be more likely to use it afterwards, too. Example: our 8 cake stands were purchased at TJ Maxx for $6 each. A few were gifts to women who helped throw the shindig together. Others are now used for jewelry organization, decorative floral get-ups, and, you guessed it, cake stands. ; )

What was your biggest splurge?

Technically, the largest expenditure for a single item was cake. Mid-afternoon wedding, so a full meal was unnecessary. I’m partial, but I’ve never had such good cake. We went with Publix, as in the high-end grocery store. 6 small cakes of varying, exquisite flavors plus 1 actual “wedding cake.” $415 after delivery. Oddly enough, this is also what we got the most male compliments about.

What was your favorite detail?

The birdseed pouches. Not because they were the best, or the most creative concept, for sure. More so because they were the first project I did that was out of the box. They don’t match. They’re loud colors and vintage fabrics. But it really started something, a freedom that said fun and maintaining our eclectic personalities was so much more important than a color scheme. After that, everything fell in line…and our color scheme became “color.” All of them. : )

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

How much stinkin’ fun the whole day was. It’s a toss up between the really personal moments. We served communion to the congregation ourselves, and it was such a great way to slow down and make eye contact (enough to melt your heart) with almost every guest. That was so special. However, I almost died laughing at the end of the ceremony::: After Brandon and I kissed, the entire congregation stood up and cheered us out! I’m talking throwing fists style. Bahahaha. That’s not typical wedding behavior, and I like it.

Hair and makeup: Amy Lynn Larwig
Photographer: Evoke Photography (except for photobooth shots, taken by guest with Lomography cameras)
Cakes: Publix
Video: Josh Kelley Productions
Everything else, quite literally: Radiant Studios Eco-chic Weddings and Interiors

_________________ Thanks for reading $3,000 Wedding – Nashville DIY Wedding 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 ::