The Budget Savvy Bride » $9k wedding

Classic Plum Wedding

Jessica Bishop — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:04:05 +0000

I absolutely LOVE this classic Plum wedding shot by the talented Kristin Vanzant photo! The photos are so gorgeous! I love the bride’s advice to slow down and enjoy the journey, and to really do your research. Don’t assume a venue is out of your budget- make the calls necessary to find out the info, you could surprise yourself! Hope you enjoy this wedding as much as I do!!! xoxo- Jessica

Jonathan + Whitney

October 16, 2010
Knoxville, TN.

Wedding was at Holy Ghost Catholic Church and reception was at BridgeView

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

Our budget was $9,000

Breakdown:
Dress (including accessories) $1000
Photos $1050
Reception Venue/Catering/Cake $4000
Invitations $270
Flowers $500
Wedding Music $450
Reception DJ $650
Wedding Planner $350
Videographer $380
MISC Items (Wedding favors, reception décor, programs, etc) $300

How many guests did you have?

120

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

Jonathan and I wanted to incorporate our late grandparents into the reception, so we tried to keep their memory there by putting pictures of them on a bookshelf behind the cake. I think this definitely added a very personal and memorable aspect to the wedding.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

The biggest thing that I did to save money was try to search for the best deal I could find for everything. This included my invitations, save the dates, wedding décor, etc. For the save the dates I searched the web for ideas and we finally decided to go with post cards from Zazzle. This alone only cost us about $70.00 not to mention a stamp for a post card is cheaper than a stamp for a card so we saved money going that route. I also saved a ton of money with our reception décor. Every weekend I would literally try to go to every craft store, wholesale store, or discount store searching for cheap vases, candles, picture frames, and lanterns to find the best deal. Doing this cut down a lot of cost for décor and I was actually able to bring every idea I had to life.

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

My best advice for planning would be to really take the time to stop and enjoy every single minute of it. Sometimes you become so wrapped up in the planning that you forget what the day is really about. People always say that this day goes by in an instant, but I don’t think until it is your day, do you really understand this. So my advice is to slow down and enjoy the whole journey!

What was your biggest splurge?

My biggest splurge definitely was our reception venue. Having a wedding in Knoxville in the fall is a challenge in itself with trying to compete with college football. So every girl tries to book her wedding on the one Saturday that there is an away game or a by-weekend. Right after I got engaged and after we decided on a date, picking and reserving the reception venue was the first thing I wanted to nail down. I had a couple of things in mind, but somehow came across this beautiful space that overlooked the Tennessee River in the heart of downtown and I just had to have it. I had known that this space used to be a restaurant but that it had closed down a few years back. I went home and did some research and found out that you could rent the space and that they also did their own catering, which was perfect! The only thing I was worried about was that it would be out of our price range, but after calling and more research I found out that it was totally in our budget. After having our reception here and hearing all of our guests say how beautiful it was, I am definitely glad we decided to splurge on it.

What was your favorite detail?

My favorite detail was incorporating fall into all of the wedding details without going over board and tacky on the décor. At my reception I definitely wanted it to have an intimate feeling, but yet have fall integrated into that. I had lots of fall decorations including lanterns, glass pumpkins, mums, etc.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

My most memorable moment of the day would definitely be after arriving to the reception venue before we went inside, my parents and aunt and uncle stayed back to toast Jonathan and I and to give us their special marriage advice. That moment just stuck in my mind as one of my most memorable from the day, because it was just so special for us to be able to spend those couple of uninterrupted minutes with them.

VENDORS

Photographer: Kristin Vanzant Photography // Event Planner: Absolute Wedding Perfection // Dress Designer: Allure Bridal // Floral Designer: Echelon // DJ:Gary Loe Productions // Transportation:Knoxville Area Transit // Venue: Bridge View // Submitted via Two Bright Lights

_________________ Thanks for reading Classic Plum Wedding from: The Budget Savvy Bride

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Blue and Yellow Plantation Wedding

Jessica Bishop — Wed, 01 May 2013 12:00:01 +0000

Spring is in the air! It’s technically been Spring for a few weeks now but the weather here in NY is just starting to get the memo! That’s why looking at this sweet, classic wedding just makes me so happy! The sunny yellow and powder blue color scheme just makes me think of daffodils and blue skies. I really enjoyed the details from this wedding and think you will, too! I love the chalkboard art they created and that the bridesmaids wore cardigans with their dresses- it just has a sweet, vintage vibe to me! Hope you enjoy this wedding as much as I do! xoxo- Jessica

Jesse & Amber

October 27, 2012

Gallatin, TN

Rose Mont Mansion | Epic Event Centre

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

Our original budget was $5,000 but we ended up spending close to $8,500

Wedding Venue: $1,000

Mansion (to get ready/first look) $500

Catering: $2,224

Dress: $850

Suit: $160

Toms: $470

Flowrs: $900

Cake: $360

Decor/gifts/invites: $1880

Total: $8344

How many guests did you have?

Approx. 125

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

We definitely wanted the wedding to be ‘us’…from the venue and food to the invites and shoes! The bridal party wore Toms and we based the blue used in our wedding on the logo! I also created a graphic that we used throughout the wedding to help tie everything together (a mason jar with a+j inside).

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

Jesse and I made the invitations and a lot of our own decor – some decor was handed down to us from Grandparents. We also had a lot of help from family and friends (moving, decorating, coordinating, etc). They were all so terrific throughout the year of planning and on the wedding day!

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

My best advice would be to get the ‘big things’ taken care of first (venue, food, dress, etc) so you have time to focus on all of the ‘little things’. Those are the most important and help make your wedding YOU.

What was your biggest splurge?

Our biggest splurge was probably Rose Mont Mansion. We knew we wanted a location to get ready and to do our first look. We ended up renting the mansion for 4 hours that morning. The wedding venue and food were already understood – even though that was the biggest chunk of our budget.

What was your favorite detail?

Actually, I have two: The dragonfly pin on my bouquet of flowers in memory of my Grandpa, and a chalkboard painting we had made with our silhouettes and favorite quote.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

Definitely the first look! I am so glad Jesse and I were able to have that moment together…I will always remember the look on his face when he turned around and saw me for the first time on our wedding day!

VENDORS:

_________________ Thanks for reading Blue and Yellow Plantation Wedding from: The Budget Savvy Bride

Purple + Grey Wedding with Books as Decor

Jessica Bishop — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:00:32 +0000

Loving this colorful wedding from The Burks! I have a special place in my heart for all geekdom, so I couldn’t help but love the shot of the groomsmen exposing their super hero tshirts underneath their tuxedos- so fun! And I always love when brides use books as decor! Hope you enjoy this wedding of the week! xoxo-Jessica

Josh + Jessica

June 15, 2012

Greenville, NC at Reimage Church and City Hotel & Bistro

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

Cake -$260

Reception Venue & Catering for 140 ppl – $3500

Ceremony venue with sound techs – $400

Dress with Alterations – $800

Veil – $5 (we made our own)

Shoes – $5 (TJ Maxx sale)

Favors – $75 (we donated to a charity)

Flowers for Bride and bridesmaids – $110 (we made our own)

Invitations – $148 (we bought ours from Michaels and Hallmark will print a box of invites for $10)

Officiant – $50

DJ – $40 (we used music we already had and paid a friend to DJ)

Bridesmaid Gifts – $200

Photographer – $1800

Event Rentals (pipe and drape) – $200

Groomsmen gifts – $240

Live Band for Ceremony – $300

Total: about $8500

How many guests did you have?

We ended up with approximately 130 guests when it was all said and done but had planned for 150

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

We used old books and candles of all sizes for our centerpieces. My husband and I are avid readers and so most of the books came from our a collection. A few we picked up at second hand stores and thrift shops. We borrowed the candles and holders from a friend who’s daughter had recently been married.

The other thing that was very important to us was the music. That’s why we chose a band for the ceremony and had all our own music picked out for the reception.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

My mom and I are very crafty and we did A LOT of things our selves. My mom and sister set up all the centerpieces, we made the bouquets, the invites, all the favor cards at the tables, etc.

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

Make your budget first! And be realistic, the last thing you want is to get your heart set on something and realize you can’t afford the dress of your dreams AND a photographer. In your budget, prioritize what’s important to you. For us it was having good photographers and as a result that took up a good chunk of our budget.

Lastly, saving money is easier than you think – having our wedding on a Friday night instead of anytime on a Saturday saved us over $1000 on the reception venue and $1000 on our photography. Recruit friends and family to help you DIY favors and decorations.

What was your biggest splurge?

Our photography! We had to convince my parents on this item actually. With photography, you get what you pay for. We wanted really great pictures and knew those wouldn’t come cheap. Turns out, we managed to get a really great deal with The Burks and got $1800 photography by amazing, professional people that look like we should have paid at least twice that.

What was your favorite detail?

My favorite detail was all the details! The eclectic modern theme was everywhere (my mom has a really good eye for that) we had old glass bottle soda caps to mark what each guest was eating (my husband is widely known for his Sundrop addiction) and used old books for our centerpieces because we both love to read. Our additions to the reception space gave it a clean modern look. The whole thing felt very us.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

The most memorable moment might have been Josh and I’s first look. With our time schedule we had to do all the photography before the ceremony and I wouldn’t have done it any other way! I was so nervous and excited and freaking out that day and as soon as I saw Josh I felt very calm and happy. We were able to get some amazing couple shots while the sun was still out and I’m so glad we got to be right with each other when we first saw each other instead of fighting back all that emotion in front of everyone at the ceremony.

VENDORS:

Meet The Burks Photography – meettheburks.com

City Hotel & Bistro – cityhotelandbistro.com

_________________ Thanks for reading Purple + Grey Wedding with Books as Decor from: The Budget Savvy Bride

Grey + Green Wedding with tons of DIY details

Jessica Bishop — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:00:54 +0000

I’ve got a fun wedding for you guys today filled with tons of details! I love that the bride and groom incorporated their personalities, interests, professions and talents into their day in a MAJORLY budget savvy way! Can you believe they used twigs gathered in their neighborhood for centerpieces and they look THAT fabulous? FREE is the ultimate budget savvy. And I have to say that their videos must have made for one killer personalized ceremony that left their guests feeling like they were in on their love story from the very beginning. I just LOVE it! Hope you enjoy this feature and definitely be sure to check out their video links below!! xoxo-Jessica

Leslie + William

October 6th, 2012
The Historic Green Acres Building, Saint Joseph, Missouri

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

• Venue Rental (Green Acres Ballroom & Courtyard): $1,100 (The venue included a restored ballroom, rose garden & patio area, and was adjacent to our hotel.)
• Invitations & Save The Date Cards: $225
• Flowers: $400
• Bridesmaids dresses, flower girls dresses, suit rentals, & bridal party gifts: $980
• Wedding Dress, veil, shoes, accessories: $1,140
• Reception & Ceremony decorations, linen rentals, & dinnerware: $740
• DJ: $250
• Photographers: $1,600
• Food (including cupcakes, cake topper, bartender): $2,010
• AV Rental (Televisions, stands, media center): $0 – Borrowed from a friend.
• Wine & Beer: A gift from friends (We had six 5-liter boxes of wine for wine by the glass and sangria, as well as 200 bottles of beer in mixed varieties… All purchased at bulk pricing. So I would ballpark $350 to $450 for alcohol.)

• Total budget: $8,445

How many guests did you have?

120 attendees, 200 invited. Almost exactly the number we planned for- whewww!

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

Our ceremony was written by the bride with help from her screenwriter maid-of-honor, and was anchored by multimedia elements edited by the groom. This allowed us total freedom to craft a ceremony that had all of the elements that we wanted to share with family and friends, while cutting out the parts of other weddings that you always feel like you’re being drug through because it’s what you’re SUPPOSED to have in a wedding. Leslie was working in Public Radio at an NPR station, and Will is a video engineer and university instructor in a mass media department, so media is a big part of our lives. We threw out all of the rules, and that really helped to make our day into OUR day.

The ceremony was laced with personalized multimedia events
Played our engagement video to begin the service – Viewable at https://vimeo.com/30969485
Created video mashup of our favorite story from our favorite radio show that talked about the history of love. We attended a live taping of this show while on a trip a year before and knew that we wanted to share it as part of our story. The audio is from an episode of Radio Lab called Desperately Seeking Symmetry, and the video is cut together from an animation from the play Hedwig and the Angry Inch. It is viewable at: https://vimeo.com/53127466
We cut together a personalized animation Viewable at: vimeo.com/53127411
We brought a photo booth built from an iMac computer that guests used during the night. At the end of the night we emptied the hard drive and edited together the images to create a video thank-you to those who attended. It is viewable here: https://vimeo.com/50954116
Bride and Grooms favorite cookies as appetizers at the reception.
Leslie used a kit to create a personalized, handmade guestbook tree with leaves for guests to sign. The guestbook has now become a featured piece of artwork in our home.
Centerpieces handmade from neighborhood elements (see money savers below!)
Bride wore the grooms grandmothers’ ring and mothers’ ring as necklace.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

Centerpieces made from neighborhood birch branches, with dried split peas as filler, glassware purchased on sale, craigslist, and elsewhere. The paper birds were cut by the bride from swatches of her favorite colors.
The black sand in the candle holders was actually sandblasting media instead of the super-expensive decorating colored sand – $12 vs. $80 for the candle holders.
Using resources: Broadcasting students as videographers, as our bartender, and using a friend with his own service as our DJ.
Designing our own invitations and date cards, printed in B&W on a standard paper size, worked with the local printer, total cost (with postage) $1.30 per invite and date card set.
Family and friends scoured sales and online listings to help us gather the supplies we needed for our decorations, dinnerware, etc; following the ceremony we re-listed everything we didn’t want to keep as a kit, recouping a sizable portion of that investment.

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

Have a separate wedding flash drive to keep yourself organized
Ask for help from family and friends, but spread it around.
We were able to purchase the dresses for our bridesmaids and flower girls as well as rent the suits for our groomsmen and ring bearers – This took a lot of financial load off of some of our family and friends.
Don’t follow the norm; be creative and plan in all of the elements that you like. It’s YOUR day, make it one that you will enjoy to the fullest. We were a little worried that some of our unconventional approaches would throw off some people, however we received nothing but rave reviews on our original ceremony.

What was your biggest splurge?

The venue – we loved the look and the location of the renovated hundred- plus year old ballroom and building complex, choosing to go well over our rental budget, but saving a lot by not having to decorate due to the gorgeous classic style of the building.
Our photographers – Ginger and Sarah were amazing to work with, and, as media folks, Leslie and I had a very specific candid style that we were looking for from our photographers. We researched dozens of photographers before finding them; while it was nearly our largest expense, we were not disappointed.

What was your favorite detail?

Our favorite part of our day was starting the ceremony out with the video from our engagement; it gave some back-story as well as providing cover for the entrance of the groom and our officiant.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

Bride: Waiting for music to begin, coming around the corner, walking down the aisle to favorite song.
Groom: We had two ring bearers lined up, dressed like miniature secret- service agents with a locked briefcase; on was three and the other five. The three year got a little spooked and looking down the aisle I could see Eli, the older ring bearer, straighten up with an “Don’t worry everybody, I’ve got this!” look and march down the aisle, saving the day.

VENDORS

Venue: The Historic Green Acres Building | Photography: Creative Events Studio | Grooms Attire: 2 Trendy Formalwear | Bride’s Gown: Davids Bridal | Catering, Floral, Bakery: HyVee Catering, Floral, and Bakery

_________________ Thanks for reading Grey + Green Wedding with tons of DIY details from: The Budget Savvy Bride

Indiana Wedding by Melissa Copeland Photography

Jessica Bishop — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 13:00:36 +0000

Amanda + J.D.

June 2, 2012
Rockville, Indiana
(St. Joseph Catholic Church – Ceremony) (Bill Creek Village – Reception)

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

$9,000

- $800 Attire

- $1,200 Flowers

- $500 Venues

- $1,500 Rentals (Tent, Tables, Chairs)

- $2,500 Food/Drink (175 people)

- $400 Cake/Cupcakes

- $600 DJ

- $350 Stationary & Stamps

- $150 Favors

- $500 Attendant & Helper Gifts

- $500 Misc. Decor

How many guests did you have?

175

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

- I collected vintage wine carafes, mason jars, and miscellaneous antiques for the reception decor. I went to antique stores, auctions, and thrift stores searching for unique items to go with my country-chic theme. The wine carafes were used as the focus of my centerpieces. Old watering cans, ash buckets, and other galvanized metal held live plants. I even used old whiskey barrels as planter boxes.

- Homemade strawberry jam favors (my sister & I used to work during the summer at a local orchard & fruit farm)

- Sister, Mom, & I did all the flower arrangements for the reception. We also purchased burlap and made our own table runners. My dad cut the tree rounds for the centerpieces and cake stand.

- I salvaged an old metal mailbox, painted it, added our new address and used it as our card ‘box’.

- My fiance made an awesome chandelier using a wagon wheel and mason jars. I turned out great, and was really the centerpiece of our venue.

- I really like how our guest book frame worked out. I know this idea has been used by many brides, but it’s something I will display and remember, rather than a book full of signatures in a closet.

- We had room to spread out at our reception venue, so we brought cornhole boards, bocce ball, and other lawn games for everyone to have fun with and give the kids a place to run around.

- My fiance’s family is musically talented and volunteered their help for our ceremony. It made the music of our wedding even more special!

- I wanted to incorporate a bit of family history into our wedding, so I found wedding pictures of our parents and grandparents and put them in vintage frames on the escort card table.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

-Catering menu and bar selection. I shopped around for a caterer, knowing that I wanted a homestyle meal (fried chicken, pulled pork, mac n cheese, beans, etc.) I was able to get a great deal with a local deli/butcher shop that also does caterering. Also, our reception venue allowed us to bring in our own alcohol, so we purchased beer and wine in bulk at Sam’s Club and had a friend manage the bar area.

-Also, I saved money by DIY-ing everything I could (flowers, table runners, favors, programs, invites, decor, etc.) I did not hire a wedding planner, so I coordinated everything myself, but I have a great family that really helped tremendously in making my vision a reality. All the ladies of the family helped decorate the venue, while the men helped set up tables and chairs. I definitely could not have done it without them!

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

- Do as much of the little things as possible before the wedding “hell week”. (That’s what we used to call the week before a final projects were due in college, and the feeling is quite similar.) I had a lot of errand running that week before the wedding, and I think if I would have been more productive in the few months before the wedding it would have been less stressful. (Think details such as signage, escort cards, programs, etc.)

What was your biggest splurge?

- My Dress… I fell in love with a Mori Lee dress at a boutique shop in Indianapolis that was a bit out of my budget, but I was able to order the dress through a local bridal shop for a little cheaper, but I got a free veil with my purchase, so I didn’t feel so bad about spending so much money.

What was your favorite detail?

- I think my favorite aspect of our wedding was the significance of the place and date… We were married on the same day as my parents (28 years ago) and got married in the church his parents were married in (36 years ago).

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

- There were so many great memories from the wedding, but seeing JD during our first look was definitely the best It was great to see him and helped me relax. I just tried to take in everything after that, and appreciate all the work and planning that went into our big day.

VENDORS

_________________ Thanks for reading Indiana Wedding by Melissa Copeland Photography from: The Budget Savvy Bride

Lian + Brynnen

Jessica Bishop — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 14:15:06 +0000

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this gorgeous wedding submitted by Jennifer Eileen via Two Bright Lights. The photography, first of all, is absolutely stunning! How much do I love this wedding? Let me count the ways: The bride’s headpiece (it was her grandmothers), the fact that they had PIZZA at their reception (check out the adorable bridal party photo with the HUGE pizza boxes– so fun!), the dessert buffet, the cool and casual bridal party get-ups and the veggie-like leaves in the bouquets. SWOON You can tell this wedding really represents who this couple is… laid-back and fun! Hope you enjoy this edition of the Budget Savvy Wedding of the Week!

Lian and Brynnen

October 2, 2010

Tujunga, California

What was your budget? Give a rough breakdown of what you spent if possible.

We spent about $8,500 on the wedding with honeymoon and rings included.
-Photography: 1200

-Invitations: 60 bucks! (we designed them ourselves, and printed them at our college’s print shop!)

-Rings: 1,050

-Location was free, rentals were free (because of family connections!) We used Lister Rents located in Thousand Oaks CA, HIGHLY recommend them!!

-Music: Free (We used an ipod hooked up to some speakers that we borrowed from a friend)

-Food: about 500 (we ordered GIANT pizza’s from Big Mama’s and Papa’s Pizza in Montrose, CA with some basic salads and delivery, and a little charming bargaining.)

-I spent 15 dollars on fabric in the Fashion district, for decor

-Gown: $600 (Davids Bridal)

-Alterations $110

-the boys outfits cost about 60

-the girls dresses were 30

-desserts for our dessert bar were all provided by family members! (potluck style)

-Honeymoon: We were gifted TWO nights, and spent 900 on the rest! a simple little getaway in Monterey, we didn’t feel like it mattered where you went… just that you were going somewhere and were together! We plan to have a non- budget savvy vacay next year

As you can see we used our free resources to the max! it was what ultimately shaped our wedding, but it was so awesome… and i think other people could figure out specific ways they could make it work in their own lives.

How many guests did you have?

115-120

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

We just wanted something SMALL, so our wedding was really laid back, pretty untraditionally casual, and we just did what worked. If something was getting too complicated or frustrating, I would toss the idea and find something simple. My family helped a TON so naturally our personalities showed through in that way… so thankful for them.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

We were REALISTIC. It’s hard to be realistic about your wedding these days, but necessary to have a low-budget. It wasn’t super fun sometimes, but on the day of, I loved everything and was so thankful because everything turned out so great.

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

Ohhhh.. I don’t know. Every experience is so unique and I’m sure if I did it again I would do it differently. Try not to stress!

What was your biggest splurge?

Our rings! But we will wear them every day for the rest of our lives! Get what you want!!

What was your favorite detail?

All the flowers, and the dessert bar and my dog walking down the aisle… and the birdie boutonnieres… and that I wore my Grandma’s head piece. I loved it all!

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

WOW. I have no idea. I really loved it all, I felt really mentally prepared to take it all in so, I guess my favorite memory was just taking each moment in… but honestly there is nothing like it.

VENDORS:

Venue: My aunt’s backyard

Make up: Merle Norman, Montrose Pasadena

Dress: bride= David’s Bridals, bridesmaids= urban outfitters

Coordinator: Lindye Galloway

Food: Big Mama’s and Papa’s Pizza

Rentals: Lister Rents

Location: Private Residence

Jewelers: Bridal Rings Company

Honey moon: Monterey Plaza Hotel

Videography: Benjamin Koppin

Photography: Jennifer Eileen Photography

_________________ Thanks for reading Lian + Brynnen from: The Budget Savvy Bride

Lindsey + Matt

Jessica Bishop — Wed, 19 May 2010 13:00:17 +0000

I love this wedding! The fall color scheme, the beautiful dock that made for a great photo backdrop, the flowers- all so beautiful! And even more than the lovely photos, I love Lindsey’s advice for brides on a budget. She is candid and honest which I so appreciate! I have to second her whole-heartedly by saying, ‘Splurge on the photographer, even if it means cutting your budget elsewhere!’ Because then you get to have pretty pictures like these which is something to be really happy about! I hope you all enjoy this installment of the Budget Savvy Wedding of the Week!

What was your budget?

In the beginning, my mother and I considered a $10,000 budget. That number seemed so high to me! I decided to try for $7,000. In the end, we ended up spending a little over $9,000.

Breakdown

- Venue: $1300

- Food: $2,000

- Linens & Chairs: $900

- Cake: gift from a friend!

- Cake Topper: $60

- Dress: $575

- Lace Bolero for Ceremony: $75

- Hair & Makeup: $120

- Flowers: $1,000

- DJ & Lighting: $700

- Photography $1,750

- Invites: $250

- Misc: $400ish

How many guests did you have?

About 85-100? We invited 125 and since we didn't have a seated ceremony or reception I don't know how many came! We did have one crasher! Well, my fiancé knew who he was but we don't know how he knew about the wedding.

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

Our venue was completely us. We loved the location since our first visit. Since it's a public location we can go visit and reminisce anytime!

We also used honey as favors since I love honey and added a “how well do you know us” type crossword to our program.

Our music was also very important to us. We're not the party/dancing type and wanted music that fit who we are and that we'd heard before. I spent a lot of time deciding what songs we wanted and had quite a big “do not play” list. Thankfully, our DJ put up with it!

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

1. Having our wedding on a Thursday! People thought it was strange at first but it made so much sense to us! We were able to save on everything from our venue to the food! (Plus, we got a head start on our honeymoon!)

2. We found our bridesmaids dresses on sale at a department store. They were only $50 a piece! We did have to order one on eBay for a little bit more because the store didn’t have all the sizes we needed. They were perfect!

3. I took on 2 small DIY projects that helped save a little and helped me feel more in control. I put the fabric and yarn on the honey favors and designed and printed the programs.

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

Do what you want! Don’t let others sway your opinion. If you’re true to yourself and your fiancé then everything will be beautiful! I started my wedding trying to live up to all the creative bloggers on the web – and don’t even get me started on all the grand weddings that southern belles have around here! Whew, that was exhausting. I’ve found that I’m not a huge DIYer or a tiara wearing princess.

Hire vendors that “get” you and the overall theme/feeling you want at your wedding. In retail the saying is “location, location, location”. In weddings it should be “vendors, vendors, vendors”. All of ours worked so well together to make our evening great! Make sure you ask your current vendors for recommendations when looking for others. They've been to a lot of weddings and they know who does a great job! Attend lots of bridal shows, attend other weddings, and scour local wedding forums (theknot.com is sure to have one for your area).

Also, have an engagement session before you book your photographer for the big day! See if you can pay for the session but then use it as a deposit if you decide to use them for your wedding if it's usually included in the packages. The session will not only give you great photos of the two of you but it will also give you a chance to get a feel for the way the photographer works.

What was your biggest splurge?

Our photographer – by far! I fell in love with our photographer at a bridal show but they were way out of our budget. I decided to book a girl that was just starting out for a quarter the price. Matt and I had our engagement photos with her but when we got them back I cried. They were nothing like I wanted and I didn’t want that feeling when I got my wedding photos back! I stuck with her at first and just talked with her more about what I wanted from our photos. She was very unaccommodating and short. I spoke with my mom (who was gracious enough to pay for our wedding – thanks mom!) and we decided we’d trim somewhere else to get the photographer I wanted. They are a great team and I’m SO glad I made the switch! A great photographer can make your wedding memories look amazing!

What was your favorite detail?

There are so many! I loved our cake and topper, our venue, our pencils, flowers, everything!

My absolute favorite is probably our invitations. I used vintage stamps on them and I really like the way they turned out!

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

The good, bad, or ugly? Ha! I broke down when my bridesmaids and I were getting our hair and makeup done. Things were taking longer than I thought they would and I let it get to me. I was really worried about the “timeline”. Note to brides-to-be: let things flow! It will be okay – they can’t have the wedding without you!

Mingling with the guests was my favorite part of the evening. I enjoyed seeing everyone we love gathered in one place. Matt and I felt so special! Through out the planning you get so lost in the details but day-of they all become so trivial. It’s really about you, your husband, your families, and friends gathering to celebrate your love.

VENDORS:

Venue: Alabama Five Rivers Delta Resource Center

Food: Tyner's Catering

Photographer: Robinson Studio and Design

Flowers: Elizabeth's Garden

DJ/Lighting/Wonder-duo: Southern Sounds

Cake: Cakes by Judi

Topper: RedLightStudio

Bolero: MaryandAngelika

Rentals: Port City Rentals

Dress: David's Bridal

Favors: Patz Maple & Honey

Invitations: Printable Press

Calligraphy: SwoonOverIt

{All images by Robinson Studio and Design}

_________________ Thanks for reading Lindsey + Matt from: The Budget Savvy Bride

Amanda + Jonathon

Jessica Bishop — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:08:57 +0000

I am so excited to feature this fun fall wedding today!! Amanda and Jonathon were married over Thanksgiving weekend 2009- what a great way to bring families together to celebrate! I just love their fall color scheme and the flowers are so gorgeous! Amanda had to think outside the box with her wedding planning since she lived out of town and she chose an uncommon venue to save money. Hope you enjoy this installment of the Budget Savvy Wedding of the Week!

What was your budget?

Our original budget was $7,500, but we did go over by $1500 due to food costs. We based our food numbers for the reception by the number of RSVP cards we received back. Since we were married on a Holiday weekend we had a good number of people RSVP for the wedding and then were unable to come. We upped our food numbers to make sure we did not run out, but we had more than enough!

BUDGET BREAKDOWN- (Approximate)
Wedding Dress & Veil – $800
Venue – $200
DeeJay – $570
Linens & Chairs – $1300
Flowers – $750
Cakes – $575
Videography & Photography – $1550
Wedding Invites, programs, Save-The Dates – $700
Food for Reception – $2600

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

Because our wedding weekend was on a holiday and we had a lot of out-of-town guests attend our wedding I paid extra close attention to the activities we had available. To show our appreciation we had baskets with local favorites in them along with an itinerary guide. For the kids we rented out the local theater and showed a kids movie one morning to help keep them entertained. It was a big hit for both parents and kids. My bridesmaids and I painted Christmas ornaments at a local pottery studio. They turned out better than I could have expected and I cannot wait to put them on my tree this Christmas. We reserved the gym at the church for the groomsman to play basketball after the rehearsal dinner. The best part of it all is that we enjoyed time with each other.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

Thinking outside the box. I used friends and family I knew I could trust to help with planning,decorating and the ceremony. Due to our jobs Thanksgiving weekend was the only weekend Jonathon and I could get married. When you live in a really small town venues are booked fast and none of the traditional venues were available. So, we thought outside the box and rented the building at the fairgrounds. NO ONE has ever hosted a reception at the fairgrounds in my hometown and I know many thought I was crazy. The rental price was much cheaper compared to the other venues. I enlisted the help of a dear family friend who decorated the wedding and the reception. I gave her a stack of magazine clippings of receptions I liked and let her do the rest. I honestly was in awe when Jonathon and I walked in fairgrounds building at how beautiful it was. In fact I think everyone was in shock at what we had turned that place into.

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

Make a list of the top three things that are non-negotiable to you. Focus on those three things and let the rest fall into place. I was planning a wedding in Tennessee, but living and working in North Carolina. I did not have control over most of our wedding. I had to learn to just let things go and fall into place. For example: I knew I wanted fall flowers, but I did not really care what flowers made up my bouquet. I gave our florist a budget and let her do the rest. The flowers where gorgeous and I didn’t stress over them one bit.

What was your biggest splurge?

Photographer and Videographer together was our biggest splurge and I would not have had it any other way. I knew I would want to remember this day for the rest of my life. I decided early on I did not want to spend all my money on my dress and I am so glad I didn’t.

What was your favorite detail?

My biggest wish was that our wedding was personal. We had so many people traveling from out of town that I wanted them to be glad they came and feel like they were a part of our family. Our reception was so full of so many little details about our life growing up. I loved walking around the room seeing pictures of Jonathon and I growing up. We had quilts made by our grandmothers and great grandmothers laying around for guests if they got cold. I loved how my favorite details were not those that we “bought”.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

I don’t know that I could pick just one. I loved seeing all of our family in one place. Jonathon and I live 5 to 8 hours from our families and it gets lonely. Seeing everyone together in one place at one time was a huge gift to me. I will never forget the way Jonathon looked at me that day and how much fun we had. It was truly the happiest day of our life.

VENDORS

Photographer – Elizabeth Wiggs Photography
Florist – Jack Jones Florist – Paris Tennessee (Vicky Hunt)
Venue(s) – Wedding Ceremony – First Baptist Church – Paris, TN
Reception – Henry County Fairgrounds Enoch Building – Paris, TN
Music – Sound Services Entertainment – Murray KY (Anthony Lawrence- DJ)
Officiant – Bro. Greg Lindsey – Middle Valley Baptist Church – Hixson TN
Planner – Mrs. Ann Oliver – Paris TN (close family friend)
Catering – Show Thyme Catering – Paris TN (Nancy Bane)
Rentals – Eric’s Rentals – Milan TN
Videographer – McKeel Video Services – Murray KY (Jeremy McKeel)
Wedding Dress & Bridesmaids Dresses – Bridal Warehouse – Goodlettsville, TN
Tuxes – The Toggery – Paris TN
Wedding & Grooms Cakes – Jerry Joyner – Paris TN
Invitations and Programs – JessLehry Designs

_________________ Thanks for reading Amanda + Jonathon from: The Budget Savvy Bride