I love this wedding for a variety of reasons– the colors, the laid-back atmosphere, the bride’s super-great advice for staying calm throughout all the details, and- of course- the budget!! Nastassia & Eion pulled off this fab wedding for less than $5k. Nastassia was the lucky winner of our earring giveaway from Especially Brides, and look at how fab they look with her simple, fashionable gown. Love the look! Thanks Nastassia for sharing your wedding with us!

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

This gradually increased from around 4000 to finally rest at about 4,700. My generous mother contributed a little less than half…

A rough breakdown:

Food: 1,500

Venue: 650

Dress/Suit: 600

Drinks: 300

Photography:350

Seating: 400

DJ: 200

Coordinator:200

Decorations: 150

Favors: 100

Flowers:30

Misc. (groomsmen shirts, transport make-up etc): 200

How many guests did you have?

Around 60

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

Ooo so many! I love DIY-ing so I started doing some of the projects months in advance — such as the tissue poms. I did all the paperwork from the invites to the programs. Actually, after I had sent out the invites I saw a link for downloadandprint.com on BSB and their templates were so awesome that I used them to do fans, programs and almost all the other signage involved. Thanks for the tip BSB! I prettied up my own shoes (which were just plain wedges, and the fancy ones cost waay too much!)and made my own belt, hair band and boutonnières.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

Networked. A lot of the ‘vendors’ were actually acquaintances/colleagues of my husband’s so we got very discounted rates; from the venue (which we got at 1/3 the price) to the DJ. Also we roped in every talent we could find that was willing and able. My mom made the centerpiece cupcakes, and the favors and my mother-in-law made the three different types of wedding cake, which my husband’s HR manager then iced! My very good friend from back home (Guyana) had just gotten into the photography business and I thought, instead of hiring some stranger here, why not fly my friend in and give her a mini-vacation in lieu of payment? And it turned out splendidly: She took professional photos of everything from the bachelorette to the last dance !

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

First and foremost: Don’t sweat the small details. You may have heard this a million times (or not at all), but really, on the day you will be too happy to worry about details that might have seemed super important prior. A day before the wedding just prioritize, breathe and then let any unimportant things or unrealistic planning goals melt away. I had a few major screw-ups (like the DJ not playing my selected walking-down-the-aisle song and the tables not being set-up how I envisioned) but it really didn’t matter and worrying would not have changed the outcome.

2) If you can afford it definitely hire a day-of coordinator, or alternatively, designate one. They will do all the leg-work for you on that day, so you can can just enjoy the proceedings.

3) Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Family and friends generally love being involved in some aspect of your wedding. It is a really wonderful feeling to know that the celebration of your union was a community effort supported by your loved ones.

What was your biggest splurge?

Technically it was the food, but since catering is very expensive in Barbados, it was actually reasonable. It would then have to be the groom’s suit, which was a bit over budget but fit him so handsomely, we had to get it!

What was your favorite detail?

They would have to be the guest quilt, the ceremony ‘chuppah’ and the tables lit by candlelight.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

Too many! Our last dance, my MOH uncharacteristically tearing up at the end of her speech, and seeing my step-dad boogy-ing down on the dance floor for the first time ever…!

VENDORS:

Dress: BCBG MaxAzria

Photography: Ullei Verbeke

Venue: Lancaster Great House Barbados

_________________ Thanks for reading Eion + Nastassia from: The Budget Savvy Bride

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