Love that this couple was able to have their wedding for just $4,000 – and it was a destination wedding! They kept things intimate which REALLY helped saved them money! Check out the bride’s advice and experiences below! xoxo-Jessica

Anthony + Jessica

August 10, 2012

Neptune Park – St. Simons Island, GA

What was your budget? Please give us a breakdown of how you spent your budget– rough estimates are fine!

Expenses: Park Rental: $80

               Flowers: $350

               Cake: $300

               Cake Topper: $65

               Stationery: $100

               St. Simons Elopements (Ceremony, 50 chairs, guitarist): $1,400

               Dress with veil: $500 (Mori Lee)

               Dinner Reception: $1,800 (our families covered this expense)

               Decor and other expenses: $200

               Photography: $850

Total Expense for wedding: Less than $4,000

How many guests did you have?     

Around 30

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

The biggest thing I did to save money was having a dinner reception at a local restaurant. The restaurant owner was so nice to work with and we didn’t even have to pay to rent it. We had such a large party tht the restaurant was closed to the public at 8pm for our dinner. The wedding consisted of only close family members and our best friends, so they each opted to pay for their own meal so we could have an excellent dinner while mingling with out of state family.

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

 Be sure to allow more than enough time for photos. Once the day is passed, you can never take another photo on your wedding day. Take your time and take plenty of photos! Also, if it is a destination wedding, be sure to give a few family members certain duties to do on your special day. Do not try to put out decorations yourself because you will not have time and you won’t want to have to worry about it on the day of. Some of my decor didn’t get placed out because I didn’t want to ask others to help me- in hindsight, I wish I would’ve asked for help!

What was your biggest splurge?

My biggest splurge was all of the small expenses that goes along with a destination wedding. Hotel rooms, food, traveling expenses or other items like that add up really fast!

What was your favorite detail?

 My favorite detail of my wedding was my cake. It was not a traditional wedding cake. It was chocolate cake with all pink and orange butter cream icing. (Our favorite kind of cake!) The cake topper was what really made it special and even more unique. Anthony and I met in flight school and both have our pilot’s license so when we found an aviation related cake topper we knew we had to get it. It was an airplane with the groom in the front flying, the bride in the back and “Just Married” is written on the back of plane. 

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

 The most memorable moment of the day was saying our vows. My husband was so beautiful and I could see the excitement in his eyes. It was if no one else existed. I loved every second of it!

 Photographer:  Lone Pine Photography  //  Dress Store: Bride Beautiful  //  Hair Stylist:Hair Unlimited  //  Floral Designer:Lily of Angeles  //  Reception Venue: Ocean Lodge  //  Musicians: Terry Thrift  //  Event Planner: St. Simons Elopements//

Submitted via Two Bright Lights

_________________ Thanks for reading Destination Budget Wedding by Lone Pine 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 ::

 

Vanessa + Brenden

3.) GO OFF THE BEATEN PATH!- I can’t stress this enough. Our caterer is someone who runs a tavern, but he also made us a great wedding day meal! He also knew the baker next door and got us a great deal on desserts. We got married in a Library Hall. It’s technically a historic building, and few weddings happen there, but it was affordable, and absolutely stunning (I mean, warm, walls lined with books, high ceilings, fireplace,etc…). We made our flowers out of paper. This can be tricky, but you’ll save on floral costs (8 bouquets and 8 boutonnieres cost me about $150 and about 15 hours of work total), and I’ve kept one of the bridesmaid’s bouquets on my dashboard for the last few months, and it makes me smile every time I see it Another thing that we did was look at our college announcements on my school e-mail account. That’s where I found the announcement for our photographer- who is incredibly talented and who, in launching a business, was a very price savvy option.

Don’t worry, be happy! And if you two are happy with something, don’t let anyone bully you into something else, even if they have the best intentions. Everyone wants to either sell you something or make your planning process easier by offering things, material or otherwise. If you two are happy, you’ll be happy when it’s over.

_________________ Thanks for reading DIY Library Wedding in Maine 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 ::

Love how simple this wedding is! After being together for nearly a decade and beginning to plan their dream wedding, life happened and they had to change their plans. The shifted focus to only what was important, sharing their special day with family and friends! Love the simple chair decor and the bride’s short dress- she totally rocked it! It looks like a wonderful, stress-free day and they managed to pull it off for only $5,000. Thanks Matt + Lauren for sharing your special day with us!

Matt + Lauren

April 28th, 2012 The Menard Home, Galveston , Texas Dinner following at Fisherman’s Wharf in Galveston

What was your budget? If you are able, give us a rough breakdown of how you spent your budget. I think we may have spent a total of around $5,000. The venue was very cheap, $300.00. Not sure how much the total at dinner was but I think maybe close to $2000.00. Flowers were around $700.00, my dress cost about $200.00. And we rented chairs for about $200.00. Then of course our photography which was about $1700.00 or so. And some small purchases here and there! How many guests did you have? -We had about 55 people attend. Close friends and family. What creative or personal aspects did you include in your wedding? -I had been collecting some antiques prior to the wedding that we used for decoration. Also, the “guest books” with our initials and the timeline made was done by me. An inexpensive personal touch! Oh…and we can’t forget Matt’s MUST HAVE xbox cake. What was the biggest thing you did to save money? -Planned it in 3 weeks. What’s the best advice you have for planning your wedding now that you’re on the other side? -Although it seems like you have to make it a huge celebration with over the top food, decorations, etc. all that matters is that the most important people to you are there to watch you exchange vows with your best friend. Matt and I have been together for almost 8 years and we were engaged for a year and a half. We were planning a big vintage wedding for November 17th, 2012. We found out in January that we were having a baby a little sooner than we planned for. It was very hard to change gears and convince myself that the wedding I had always dreamed for and had been planning for for a year at that point, was not going to happen. But our speacial day turned out perfect! I didn’t get to wear the $3000.00 gown I had purchased the week before I found out I was pregnant, I didn’t get to have it at the vintage barn venue I had already put $5000.00 on, but at the end of the night…I was Mrs. Claunch. And that’s what it’s all about. What was your biggest splurge? -The photography. But I am 100% convinced it is one of the top crucial details!! Well worth it! What was your favorite detail? -My sisters made a slideshow of Matt and I over the years. At the end they had a dedication to my grandparents who have passed. And I would have to say my photographer was a favorite detail. She really made it special and personal. Even though it was a small, thrown together wedding she was the one who kept reminding me that this is my special day and every detail is important. And she captured it all! What is the most memorable moment of your day? -The whole day was memorable! But Matt and I wrote our own vows for each other. They were extremely emotionally moving for us both. Walking back into the historical home and he and I looking at each other with relief! So happy that after everything we had been going through and experiencing the months before were finally over and we could call each other husband and wife. And my father’s speech of course, which had me in uncontrollable tears. I’m a daddy’s girl, and your big day always ends up being a little bigger for the first man in your life. It was a beautiful day, wouldn’t have it any other way!   Photography: ALICIA PYNE PHOTOGRAPHY | Venue: The Menard Home | Reception Dinner: Fisherman’s Wharf

_________________ Thanks for reading Texas Wedding: Matt + Lauren by Alicia Pyne 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 ::

I happened to come across this wedding featured on the awesome money site, LearnVest, (thanks to my friend Amy for sending the link my way!). Abby and Brad were able to put together their adorable, sweet Southern chic wedding for 100 of their closest family and friends for a mere $4,000! That’s quite an accomplishment – I hope you benefit from her advice and that you enjoy this installment of the Budget Savvy Wedding of the Week! xoxo-Jess

Abby + Brad
May 21, 2011
Claytor Lake State Park, Dublin, VA

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

$4,000
Cake, Pies 327.74
Drinks (Wine, Beer, Cola) 322.82
Guest Book 40
Invitations 275
Flowers, Mason Jars 450
Honeymoon Registry 64
Utensils, Plates (Plates, Forks, Spoons, Cups) 100
Marriage License 30
Venue 646.86
Chairs 316.35
Photographer 600
Invitation Addressing 80
Officiant 150
Cake Topper 80
Wedding Day Helpers 200
TOTAL 3682.77

How many guests did you have?

100

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

I did my own hair, a friend did my makeup, and my best friend from college created pennant flag bunting for the reception, which was
beautiful (and the only decorative detail we had besides the flowers).

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

We had a dessert reception. After reading “Miss Manners’ Guide to a Surprisingly Dignified Wedding,” I was thrilled to learn that
according to etiquette, a dessert reception is the traditional wedding reception (so much has been added on in recent years). We held the wedding at a time of day so that guests could enjoy their morning, each lunch/brunch, and then come to the wedding to eat cake and
socialize. Our friends all went out to dinner at a nearby family-style restaurant afterwards.

We also had the whole wedding at a state park, which saved us money, but also saved our friends money. They got together and rented a cabin on the lake, which put them minutes away from the wedding, and enabled them to save huge amounts of money on lodging (important, when we’re all still young!).

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

Don’t worry about the details – focus on what matters to you. If you’re not crafty, don’t consider yourself a failure. We did a very
small number of key elements – the bunting, the flowers, the cake toppers – and that was it. The reception room looked beautiful, and
not overwhelming.

What was your biggest splurge?

I don’t know if this is a “splurge,” but I opted to have someone do calligraphy on our invitations and cake labels. They looked lovely!

What was your favorite detail?

Our penguin cake toppers – a nod to our relationship.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

Hearing Brad’s father start to play the fiddle as we started to walk down the aisle.

VENDORS:

Ceremony Site: Claytor Lake State Park  |  Reception Site: Claytor Lake State Park  |  Photography: Lauren D. Rogers Photography  |  Gown: Nicole Miller, Lovely Bridal Shop  |  Hair: Done by Bride  |  Makeup: Done by Sarah Siegel (Friend of Bride)  |  Veil: Lovely Bridal Shop  |  Shoes: Anne Klein, DSW  |  Wedding Rings: Leo Carroll Jewelers  |  Earrings: So Good Jewelry  |  Bracelet: Vintage Pearls (Loaned from Mother-In-Law); Vintage 1920s  |  Rhinestone Bracelet: Jean Jean Vintage on Etsy  |  Groom’s And Groomsmen’s Formalwear: Previously Owned Navy Suit; Tie: Brooks Brothers  |  Invitations: Milkmaid Press  |   Sign-In Book or Board: Paper Source  |  Flowers: Gates Flowers  |  Rental Equipment: Aztec Rentals  |   Music Ceremony and Reception: Couple’s iPod  |  Cake: Linda Adams  |  Other Desserts: Our Daily Bread Bakery  |  Favors: Walmart

_________________ Thanks for reading Low Budget Virginia Wedding: Abby + Brad by Lauren D. Rogers 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 ::

When Elizabeth of Stockroom Vintage wrote me last week to share her wedding with me, I shed a few tears while reading her email. In short, all the best laid plans and ideas that had been swirling in Elizabeth’s head while planning her dream wedding were completely overturned when she found out her father had terminal cancer. With help from their families, Elizabeth and Will scrambled to plan a new wedding on short notice and tried to focus on only those things that were of utmost importance- celebrating their love with the people they loved! In the end they cut their budget in half and managed to pull together a meaningful, personal day that was filled with so much love. Elizabeth got to have her father walk her down the aisle and dance with her on her wedding day, and that meant more than any expensive flower arrangement or designer vintage gown ever could. I think this is a good example of how important it is to keep things in perspective when planning your big day. You can read more of Elizabeth’s story over in this article she penned for HER magazine.

I love that they hired a food truck instead of a caterer, employed the help of their family and friends to help make the day happen, and that Elizabeth was so in love with her photographer that she splurged to have her travel to join them at their new wedding location. In the end, the photos really speak for themselves and captured the love and tenderness of the day. Elizabeth has since turned her love of vintage items into a rental business– you can check out her site and inventory here. I hope this story and the message behind it touches you as much as it did me! xoxo- Jessica

Elizabeth + Will

July 16, 2011
San Antonio, Texas

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

Total: $4,767

Breakdown:
Elizabeth’s gown (David’s Bridal): $499
Accessories: $85 (Shoes (cheap mall find), vintage-inspired enamel bracelet from Macy’s, Target cardigan)
Vintage brooches (worn by bride and given to bridesmaids as gifts): flea market finds from bride’s own collection
Sweater clip and headband from Etsy: $55
Hair and makeup: $195
Will’s J.Crew suit, Johnston & Murphy shoes, shirt and tie: $500
Will’s vintage locket pin (Etsy): $17
Monogrammed cigar cases for groomsmen: $105
DIY invites: $40 (Elizabeth bought 50 authentic library check-out cards from Etsy for $5, filled them out by hand, stamped them with the wedding date and then folded paper sleeves for them. The other $35 went to craft supplies, envelopes and postage.)
Craft supplies, vintage lace tablecloths and misc. décor: $180
Food truck/catering: $670
MoonPie Favors, treat bags and custom stickers: $50
Bartender: $75
Photography (and airfare for photographer): $1,536
DIY flowers: $115
Chair rental: $70
Alcohol: Free (donated but would’ve cost about $500. We overestimated how much liquor we needed for our signature cocktails, an old fashioned and a French 75, so my Dad ended up re-shelving six unopened bottles. In all, we only opened one bottle of gin and one bottle of bourbon…so we recouped half of the original cost in the end.)
Homemade desserts: $75

How many guests did you have?

35

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

I wanted the wedding to have soul and a sense history—and to reflect my undying love of vintage. It was important to Will and me not so much that guests were floored by lavish displays or by how much we shelled out for fancy things, but that they came away from the day thinking, “That wedding was so them.” So we infused every corner of that house with our favorite vintage pieces. We used a working typewriter I found while thrifting as our guest book, and we scattered vintage train cases and luggage about. We used tons of pieces from my milk glass collection and an assortment of my vintage vessels, vases and Mason jars. I adorned my cardigan with vintage brooches and a retro sweater clip, and I wore a handmade headband that featured reclaimed bits of vintage jewelry. Can you tell I’m obsessed with vintage?

But a huge part of that “soul” also came from our desire to honor the people we love. Will’s mother Carol passed about a decade ago, and it was important to us that she was a big part of our day and that we remembered her in sweet, joyful ways. We used the vast collection of vintage Nancy Drew novels she gave Will to add interest and height to table displays. We featured pink carnations, her favorite flower, throughout the space. And my favorite: A few weeks before the wedding, I gave Will a vintage Fleur de Lys brooch pin that I found on Etsy. He chose two favorite photos of his mom to place inside, and he wore it on his suit jacket instead of a boutonnière. He carried his mom above his heart all day. That locket is now one of his most prized possessions.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

I live with a “make do and mend” mantra, and I didn’t think our wedding should be any different. We used lots of vintage pieces we already owned and loved (many of which are now available to rent here in Nashville through my company, Stockroom Vintage). Plus, when my dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer—and the doctor bills piled up—I couldn’t even think of splurging. I was concerned with doing all I could to prolong his life, not with the size of my bouquet. So we cut our original budget by more than half and prioritized. At first it was daunting, figuring out how to make it all work for about $4,000. But throughout the whole process, Will kept saying, “When you do things for the right reasons, it always works out.” And that was so true.

Within days of making our decision to move the wedding, calls from our guest list of friends and family trickled in. My brother Lucius and his wife Keri agreed to host the ceremony and reception (and to clear all of the furniture out of the first floor of their home!). Will’s uncles on his mother’s side wanted to make footing the bill easier, so they helped pay for the food truck. My mother is an amazing cook and seamstress, so she baked all of the treats for the dessert table and helped me craft everything from vintage fabric bunting to handmade paper garlands. My dad and stepmom donated all of the booze for the bar from their liquor store. Our friend John officiated the ceremony and gifted us with some awesome vintage serving pieces we used at the bar. My niece Sequoia and sister Naomi, my maid and matron of honor, flew in from Oregon with some gorgeous paper lanterns and handcrafted paper flowers. And Will paid for his wedding garb with savings bonds given to him by his grandparents on his father’s side—he’d been saving them to buy something special since his grandparents passed when he was at the of age of 6! There was just this groundswell of love and support around us. In the end, our wedding felt like a community effort, and that made it even more meaningful to all of us.

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

Well, you know I’m going to say, “Go vintage!” Weddings tend to be a time of such excess. And that’s OK, ladies—it’s like the biggest party you’ll ever throw! But it doesn’t mean you have to create a lot of waste or spend tons of money on items you’ll have no idea what to do with when the ceremony is over. That’s why I launched Stockroom Vintage. I wanted to make it easy for brides to nail the vintage look—or rustic, farmhouse, industrial or what have you—without logging tons of hours in the thrift store or busting their budgets.

Also, remember that stress does freaky things to your body. I had to have my dress altered—three times! Once the dress arrived, I put it in my closet and left it there. When my mom asked me to try it on a few days before the wedding, she zipped it up and that sweetheart bodice fell right to the floor. Those last-minute alterations were stressors I didn’t need. And the last thing you want to worry about on your wedding day is whether your strapless dress will end up around your ankles as you’re saying your vows.

What was your biggest splurge?

We decided to fly our photographer, Stef Atkinson, in from Nashville. Sure, a plane ticket isn’t the biggest splurge ever, but our budget was tight. It was never a question in my mind though. From the first time I stumbled upon Stef’s site and found out that she shared my love for film photographs (she shot our wedding with a Holga camera and Instax for instant prints in addition to digital), I was hooked. When our plans changed, I couldn’t give her up. I knew I’d miss her terribly.

Really, her task was enormous. She knew that her shots might be the last family photos we’d have with my dad—and they were. Can you imagine that pressure? But she captured the mood of the day so perfectly. And she’s so dang talented! Since the wedding, I’ve contracted her to photograph Stockroom Vintage’s styled shoots, to design my website and create my logo. I’m so incredibly loyal to her because her talent and creativity always blows me away.

What was your favorite detail?

Definitely the food. A week before the wedding, my mom pulled my vintage Betty Crocker Cookbook off my kitchen shelf and handpicked some delicious vintage-inspired dessert recipes. The day before the wedding, she and her friend John (who also doubled as our wedding officiant!) baked all day in my brother’s kitchen. My mom crafted dozens of the most gorgeous miniature treats—rum balls, coconut tarts and lots of cake balls. When I saw the dessert table, I wanted to squeal. It was better than I ever imagined—and let me tell you, those rum balls were potent and they disappeared quickly.

I also adored our caterer. With the wedding taking place at my brother’s home in Texas, I didn’t want to crowd the kitchen with a catering staff. And I didn’t want to force our guests to endure a sit-down dinner outside in the sweltering Texas heat. A food truck was the perfect solution. I found Wheelie Gourmet online and fell in love with its retro paint job. I would’ve booked them on that alone! Then I started emailing with Rachel Hajji, the owner, and she was just the sweetest. Her father had undergone treatment for cancer as well, so she understood when I emailed her and was like, “I don’t have time to the taste the food, but I trust you. What time can you pull into the driveway?” We surprised our guests with the food truck, and it was a total hit. We had Mediterranean sandwiches, sweet potato fries and the most refreshing Moroccan mint iced tea.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

There were so many moments. Any doubts I had about getting married in a house rather than a big venue melted away when Will and I stood at the “altar” (a.k.a. the living room fireplace) and all of our guests were within arm’s reach. I could see the looks on their faces—their tears and laughter. There was so much love in that room, and just this sense of gratitude and appreciation that we could all be there together. Oh, and when Will and I saw each other for the first time. I felt like twirling in circles to show off my dress, and I couldn’t get over how GQ he looked. That embarrasses him, but hey, he’s a hottie! When he sang “The Luckiest” by Ben Folds to me during our first dance, I melted. I’m so very smitten.

And then, of course, the time with my Dad. He passed away less than a week after our wedding, so that day is still so close to me—so much so that I still never know if I’ll laugh or cry when talking about it. But there were so many little moments that meant so much: The look on my Dad’s face when he saw me for the first time in my gown. Dancing with him to an Elton John song as we both tried our best not to cry and failed miserably. And the moment when he and I were alone in the kitchen before walking down the aisle. He chose that seersucker suit and bow tie—like he had this vision of how he wanted to look for me on that day—and for a moment I felt like I did when I was little, looking at him and thinking, “That’s my Dad. He’s so handsome.”

VENDORS

Photography: Stef Atkinson  |  All vintage décor: Stockroom Vintage   |   Food truck: Wheelie Gourmet    |   Wholesale flowers: San Antonio Flower Co.    |   Other vintage and handmade elements from Etsy:   Flower Garden Headband: Be Something New   |   Mother of Pearl Sweater Clip: Gemmaz Gemz   |   Fleur de Lys Locket: Karen Elmquist Vintage

_________________ Thanks for reading Elizabeth + Will : Texas Budget Wedding by Stef Atkinson 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 ::

Let me spell it out for you… I LOVE this wedding. Simple, joyous, budget-savvy. Megan and Andy spent $4k by having the wedding at a family home, keeping the guest list intimate, and generally prioritizing well. Brides never cease to amaze me with their savviness. Hope you enjoy this edition of the BSWOW by Lora Rodgers Photography!

Megan & Andy

October 9, 2010
Orlando, Florida

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

Our budget was around $4,000 and we were able to come in under that:

- Venue- free (groom’s family home)

- Officiant- free (groom’s uncle)

- Cupcakes- free (made by my sister-in-law)

- Hair & make-up- free (done by friends)

- Bride attire (dress, veil, brooch)- $300

- Groom attire (vest, wore suit he already owned)- $20

- Photography- $550

- Musician for ceremony & reception- $700

- BBQ catering- $800

- Rentals (tables, chairs, linens)- $500

- Vintage dishes/mason jar glasses/silverware- $300

- Flowers- $300

- Decorations (hanging jars, candles)- $200

- Rings- $200

- Save-the-dates and Invitations (made online)- $60

- Guestbook- $6

How many guests did you have?

We had about 55 guests.

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

We wanted our wedding to be a personal, family-centered affair. We each walked down with both of our parents to the ceremony. I wore a necklace from Andy’s family with a ruby brooch from my family. Instead of corsages, I bought vintage brooches for our mothers and grandmothers. We wrote our own ceremony and vows. At the reception, we had a table with old wedding pictures from our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. We played our parents’ wedding songs at the reception. We wanted our wedding to reflect our view that a wedding isn’t just about the love between two people, but the love between family and friends.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

The biggest thing we did to save money was accepting help from our family and friends! We saved thousands in rental fees by having the wedding at my husband’s family home in Orlando, and it made it a more special having it in a place that had been in Andy’s family for four generations and where we had made a lot of special memories. Andy’s uncle got his notary license and officiated our wedding. My friends did my hair and make-up. My sister-in-law made adorable sunflower cupcakes. I got flowers from publix (a grocery store) and my aunt and grandmother made my bouquet while my college friends put together all the centerpieces and hanging jars of flowers that we used as decoration. Having help from our family and friends not only saved us a ton of money but also made our wedding a lot more personal and family-oriented.

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

Don’t feel like there are things you need to do or not do just because that’s how someone said weddings should be. We didn’t have a bridal party, we didn’t have a bouquet/garter toss. We didn’t have a florist or a wedding planner. Or hair/make-up people. We saw each other before the ceremony. We didn’t have favors, table numbers, escort cards, or assigned seating. We simply had the small home wedding that we wanted. We were relaxed, we hung out with friends and family, and laughed, and danced. We had bbq in the backyard for our reception- complete with lawn games. Not only did people not mind- we got a lot of compliments that the wedding was very “us” and that’s what made it special.

What was your biggest splurge?

Besides food, the thing we spent the most money on was music. We considered doing an ipod playlist, but I’m really glad we splurged and booked Charlie Roberts. He played Beatles’ music on an acoustic guitar for the ceremony and then played live music and DJ’d as well as emcee’d for the reception. It ended up making our reception a lot more organized having a professional and he even got our parents dancing!

What was your favorite detail?

We had a lot of DIY details- or rather DIT (do-it-together), because we had quite a bit of help! We had a bunch of big mason jars that we filled with flowers and lined the aisle for the ceremony and hung from all the big oak trees for the reception. Instead of regular plates and glasses, we bought mix-matched vintage plates from thrift stores and used mason jars as drinking glasses. My in-law’s also surprised us by spelling out our initials with flowers by the reception area. Our hanging frame “photo corner” was also pretty popular- we bought an oversized frame on clearance at Michaels’ and hung it from a tree branch for people to take pictures behind- I think our friends and family got a big kick from it.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

For me, the most memorable moment was our ceremony. And at the very end of it, Andy surprised me by sweeping me around and dipping me for our first kiss. I felt like we were in an old movie J

VENDORS:

Photography- Lora Rodgers Photography
Music- Charlie Roberts
Catering- Harry & Larry’s BBQ
Rentals- Orlando Party Rentals
Flowers- Publix
Dress & Veil – David’s Bridal
Andy’s vest- Amazon.com
Rings- overstock.com
Invitations- 123prints.com

_________________ Thanks for reading Andy + Megan by Lora Rodgers 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 ::

I am continually impressed by my local Nashville brides! Chelsey & Ryan are from Nashville and Chelsey styled a gorgeous wedding without breaking the bank. Her biggest budget cutting advice? Forget the fancy dinner! She pulled off this stunning wedding using thrift store finds and pieces of decor from their own home. This wedding is super sweet and the photos by Austin Gros are phenomenal. I hope you enjoy this edition of BSWOW!

What was your budget?

We actually didn’t have a set budget, our idea was to spend the least amount of money possible! We had a 15 month engagement so we could save up and figure out exactly what we were doing. We ended up spending just over $4000 which is amazing. Here’s a general idea:

dress: It was vintage and i bought it off of Oncewed.com last summer for $200. After cleaning and alterations it ended up being about $500.

venue: $500

photographer: $1000 (we got a huge discount because he’s our friend- this is not his normal rate)

cake and cupcakes: $500

Alcohol: donated

groom’s attire: $100

rentals: $300

flowers: $300

and the rest was odds and ends for decorations, gifts for parties and pay for officiant, dj…etc.

How many guests did you have?

we invited about 250. 150 were at the ceremony and about 110 at the reception.

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

We went into knowing we were going to have to do a lot of DIY. Which was fine because I felt more connected to my day! I made all the invites by hand and spent a lot of time looking at wedding blogs to gather inspiration for decor. I went through a wholesale florist (After going to a florist and getting a quote for $2800!) and ordered MORE flowers than I was going to get through that other florist for $300! I did all the arrangements in vintage vases I had collected for cheap at garage sales and goodwill and my friend Keith threw together my bouquet the night before. We also used a lot of our home decor in the decorations to kind of make it more homey – vintage type writer, framed photos of us, candle holders…etc.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

Easy. We cut out dinner. People thought I was crazy but it was perfect. First, we save THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, and second I always thought it was awkward having everyone eat and stare at you. Our ceremony was at 4pm and the reception at 7. We took photos at the church right after with our parties and family and then ran off to take those lovely portrait photos about 20 minutes away (the church was downtown and I wasn’t into that haha). We invited our guests to go downtown and eat and offered suggestions on our wedding website. We had a lot of traveling guests so it gave them an opportunity to enjoy our city and actually get to see it, since wedding weekends can be expensive and busy or boring for guests since they usually don’t have an opportunity to be touristy. We had a dessert bar and an open bar at the reception and it basically was just a big dance party. It was so much fun and I couldn’t have asked for anything better.

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

Even if you do everything yourself and space it out and aren’t stressed during planning, you will be very stressed on the day you decide to set up. Things will go wrong but just go with it. I would say have a responsible friend, that you trust, to head up everything. You will want to be in charge, especially if you went DIY route but having someone else boss people around will make you less of a bridezilla and take a lot of the stress off.

What was your biggest splurge?

Photographer. Even though he is a good friend of our’s, and cut us an enormous deal in his price, he was still the most expensive item!

What was your favorite detail?

We had our ushers pass out little clear favor bags filled with blue and white confetti when our guests arrived. On the bags I had printed labels explaining to throw this when we walk out of the ceremony as husband and wife. It was amazing walking through all this confetti while friends and family were cheering for you! we left the confetti on the ground for the reception which looked great and gave the venue a little more UMPH.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

The whole walking down the aisle bit. I guess I was basically running because my mom stopped me and said “OH MY GOD SLOW DOWN” ha, and then looking up at Ryan to see that he was very much crying…and then when he cried during the vows. Oh, he’s so sensitive! haha.

VENDORS

Venue: The Anchor Fellowship
Photographer: Austin Gros
Dress: OnceWed
Hairpiece and boutonnieres: Oh My Deer

Hair and Make up: Nichole Lim

Cake and Cupcakes: The Bake Shoppe

Bowties: Etsy

Clutches: Yensew on Etsy

Bird Seed Favors: Nature Favors on Etsy

Shoes: Urban Outfitters

Groom and Groomsmen: Jcrew

Bridesmaids and flowergirls: Melissa Sweet

Wedding certificate: Wedding Depot

_________________ Thanks for reading Ryan + Chelsey from: The Budget Savvy Bride

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