I know that I have been depriving you lovely readers of our favorite weekly feature, the Budget Savvy Wedding of the Week!! Glad to announce that we are back with quite a lovely feature for you today! Love love love the yummy light in these gorgeous photos of this Montana budget wedding from Amber Murphy Photography! I also love the rich purple she chose for her bridesmaids dresses, flowers, and shoes and the way it plays so well with the rustic red on the barn! Such a sweet, fun wedding that truly focuses on the important things and people!  Hope you enjoy this feature and look forward to sharing more with you in the future! xoxo- Jess

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jason and Megan

June 4, 2011
Bloomfield, Montana

 

What was your budget? Give a breakdown of your spending if possible:

Our Budget was: $9,000

Rough budget break down:
Food/reception/workers: $3,000
Flowers: $300
Photographer: $1800
Bridesmaids Dresses: $650
Invites/Save the dates: $200
Wedding Dress: $1300
Decorations: $300
Cake/pedestal cake domes: $275
Silk Flowers: $100
Table and Chairs: $300

How many guests did you have?

130

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

Each table at the reception had it’s own cake as the center piece. We made all of our own invites, as well as our guestbook using pictures from our engagement session. My mom was a florist before she got married so she did all the floral arrangements. Our reception was at a family friend’s yard, where we spent almost every sunday evening at growing up. I also hand painted signs to the wedding using old barn wood. The venue was back in my home “town”, which is a small farming community, so makes for a very creative venue!

What did you do to save money?

Bought flowers from Costco, and the cake pedestals were given to people who helped out as gifts,
We used some silk flowers and candle sticks from my sister’s wedding that was 56 days before mine! I’m blessed with a artsy/crafty mother who made all the floral arrangements and decorations, and a family friend did hair.

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

Just enjoy the process and be flexible! Simple can truly be better. And listen to your mother

What was your biggest splurge?

I would say my dress, as we spent more than we had planned on. I also would say we splurged on photos as I was able to have two photographers, but they were very reasonable!

What was your favorite detail?

I wore purple heals with my wedding dress and my husband wore converse. That just describes us perfectly!

What was the most memorable moment of the day?

So many! Getting ready with my good friends (bridesmaids and one of my photographers), seeing Jason for the first time, the outdoor reception (we had perfect weather )….

VENDORS

We did most of the work ourselves, but we did use a caterer for the food and bought my dress at Angeliques and the bridesmaid dress at David’s Bridal. The flowers were from Costco.

Catering: Lady J’s Catering
Gowns: Angeliques Bridal | David’s Bridal
Costco

Here’s the fun part! Decorating your venue.

I have seen so many beautiful photos on the various blogs I read, and had such a hard time narrowing it down, but here’s what we’re planning to do.

Since our Ceremony and Reception are both taking place at the same venue, it will be easy to reuse the flowers and decorations and save money. It is also a great way to tie it all together.

Instead of your typical Escort cards and Name cards the guests will find their names on an alphabetized list (in frames), and their name will be on the paper napkin ring.One great way to save money on Decor is to use the basic linens provided by the Venue and add a punch of colour with rented napkins and a beautiful centre piece.

Images 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

Our venue had the major benefit of a built-in sound system, with the bonus of being able to have different music in every room! Jon and I decided early on that we weren’t interested in hiring a DJ, partially because of the cost and partially because we’d been to our share of weddings with terrible DJs. So from that point on, we’re flying solo.

 

Once that decision was made, my only concern was that not having a DJ would disrupt the flow of the evening—not having an emcee to move things along might cause our evening to stagnate, I worried. However, one of our “better dudes” can be a major ham, as evidenced by the poem that he wrote and performed for his new wife during their wedding reception—a Dr. Seuss-style production whose message was along the lines of “Haha! You’re stuck with me now!” We decided that if anyone was qualified for the job, he was.

In the meantime, Jon has been slowly compiling the wedding playlist. He has taken on this task with gusto, as choosing danceable music is apparently right up his wedding-planning ally. I do have to keep reminding him that not everything on the dance floor can be fast-paced booty music, but for the most part, he’s doing a great job! We will also have a separate [quieter] playlist for anyone who is taking a break or isn’t interested in dancing. It will play throughout the rest of the mansion.

Music is a great way to set the tone for your event. Putting together multiple playlists (potentially, there could be different playlists for the processional, recessional, ceremony, introductions, dance floor, and more) can be a lot of work, but it also gives you complete control over the mood of each moment. It’s a lot of work up front, but putting together your own customized playlist sets up a framework of how the evening will run–and saves you from the dreaded Chicken Dance!

Think of your playlist as an outline, like you would put together for a presentation. Creating the outline can be a lot of work, but it helps your presentation go smoothly when it counts. Plan ahead, and you’ve got yourself the outline for an awesome day.

And then, when the time comes,
pump up the volume;
pump up the volume;
DANCE, DANCE!

 

By now, pretty much everyone knows about my dad’s cancer and The Boy and my impromptu civil ceremony in my home state of Alaska. Our ceremony was the thing that was most important to me from the very beginning of The Boy and my wedding planning. Like, ever since I was a little girl, all I ever wanted was for my daddy to perform my wedding ceremony. So, when I was faced with getting married in a quickly planned ceremony in Alaska with my dad officiating or hoping that he’d still be alive come our May wedding – I picked quickie (and it was a good thing, too. My dad passed away on December 11th). The problem was – we had no official ceremony and I ended up writing the entire thing at 11PM the night before!

Enter my sister’s computer and Google. I typed in the phrase “civil ceremony vows” and got a virtual smorgasbord of hits! I glanced through several options and ended up borrowing quite a bit from this website. I used the Christian Ceremony but altered it to remove all religious references as The Boy and I disagree on religion. I added in two readings that I found and luuurved – my older sister read the first one and my mom read the second.

I also am one of those brides and added the emotional wording from The OffBeat Bride’s Unplugged Wedding movement – for the record, no one seemed to mind a bit. Another thing that I did was add these secondary vows during the ring exchange. I also added a little section for my dad (and The Boy’s close friend – he actually introduced us!) to share this thoughts about us as a couple.

Since I had a bit of a difficult time finding a civil ceremony, I thought that I’d go ahead and post a download of our entire ceremony for all you Budget Savvy Brides (and Grooms) – just in case anyone wants to use it (or a portion of it).

Here’s the full ceremony:

Processional: “Forever” – The Dropkick Murphys*

DAD: Friends and family, I invite you to be truly present at this special time. Please, turn off your cell phones and put down your cameras. The photographer will capture how this moment looks — I encourage you all to capture how it feels with your hearts, without the distraction of technology.

DAD: We are gathered here today in the presence of friends and loved ones, to celebrate one of life’s greatest moments, to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to add our best wishes and blessings to Cris and The Boy. In the years they have been together, their love and understanding of each other has grown and matured, and now they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife.

DAD: Who is it that escorts this woman to this man?

J:I do.

DAD: Cris and The Boy, although life is a gift given to each of us as individuals, we also learn to live together in harmony. Love is a gift to us from our family and friends. Through these gifts of love we learn to ourselves to gift it back. Learning to love and live together is one of life’s greatest challenges and is the shared goal of a married life.

DAD: Today is truly a glorious day as today both of you are blessed with the greatest of all gifts – the gift of abiding love and devotion. All present here today – and those here in heart – wish both of you all the joy, happiness, and success that the world has to offer.

DAD: We will now hear a reading from the bride’s sister, C.

C: Spoken by Massachusetts Supreme Court Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall

Marriage is a vital social institution. The exclusive commitment of two individuals to each other nurtures love and mutual support; it brings stability to our society. For those who choose to marry, and for their children, marriage provides an abundance of legal, financial, and social benefits. In return it imposes weighty legal, financial, and social obligations….Without question; civil marriage enhances the “welfare of the community.” It is a “social institution of the highest importance.”

Marriage also bestows enormous private and social advantages on those who choose to marry. Civil marriage is at once a deeply personal commitment to another human being and a highly public celebration of the ideals of mutuality, companionship, intimacy, fidelity, and family…. Because it fulfills yearnings for security, safe haven, and connection that express our common humanity, civil marriage is an esteemed institution and the decision whether and who to marry is among life’s momentous acts of self-definition.

DAD: In this sacred and joyful celebration, we ask every blessing of this moment; a confirmation of the wisdom of your choice; great happiness on the path that is set before you; discretion, kindness, and caring as you walk upon it, strength to live out your purpose, grace and peace through each step of your journey, and beloved family and friends to support you.

DAD: Cris, do you take The Boy to be your husband, your constant friend, and your faithful partner from this day forward? Will you cherish your union and love him more each day than you did the day before? In the presence of your family and friends, do you offer your solemn vow to be his faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. Do you promise to love him unconditionally, to support him in his goals, to honor and respect him, and to laugh with him and cry with him? Will you trust him and respect him, regardless of the obstacles you may face together? Do you promise to love and support him through whatever life may bring you?

CRIS: I will.

DAD: The Boy, do you take Cris to be your wife, your constant friend, and your faithful partner from this day forward? Will you cherish your union and love her more each day than you did the day before? In the presence of your family and friends, do you offer your solemn vow to be her faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. Do you promise to love her unconditionally, to support her in her goals, to honor and respect her, and to laugh with her and cry with her? Will you trust her and respect her, regardless of the obstacles you may face together? Do you promise to love and support her through whatever life may bring you?

THE BOY: I will.

DAD: These are the rings that Cris and The Boy will wear for the rest of their lives and that express the love that they have for one another. Let us take a moment and send our prayers, our thoughts, and our love into these rings, so that as they wear them, they will carry our love with them as well.

DAD: May we have the rings?

DAD: Cris, please repeat after me. The Boy, I take you to be my husband from this time onward…

CRIS: The Boy, I take you to be my husband from this time onward…

DAD: to join with you and to share all that is to come…

CRIS: to join with you and to share all that is to come…

DAD: to give and to receive…

CRIS: to give and to receive…

DAD: to speak and to listen…

CRIS: to speak and to listen…

DAD: to inspire and to respond…

CRIS: to inspire and to respond…

DAD: and in all circumstances of our life together…

CRIS: and in all circumstances of our life together…

DAD: to be loyal to you with my whole life and with my being.

CRIS: to be loyal to you with my whole life and with my being.

DAD: The Boy, lease repeat after me. Cris, I take you to be my wife from this time onward…

THE BOY: Cris, I take you to be my wife from this time onward…

DAD: to join with you and to share all that is to come…

THE BOY: to join with you and to share all that is to come…

DAD: to give and to receive…

THE BOY: to give and to receive…

DAD: to speak and to listen…

THE BOY: to speak and to listen…

DAD:

to inspire and to respond…

THE BOY: to inspire and to respond…

DAD:

and in all circumstances of our life together…

THE BOY: and in all circumstances of our life together…

DAD:

to be loyal to you with my whole life and with my being.

THE BOY: to be loyal to you with my whole life and with my being.

DAD: We will now hear a reading from the bride’s mother.

MOM: “Marriage Joins Two People In The Circle Of Its Love” by Edmund O’Neill

Marriage is a commitment to life,

the best that two people can find and bring out in each other.

It offers opportunities for sharing and growth

that no other relationship can equal.

It is a physical and an emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime.

Within the circle of its love,

marriage encompasses all of life’s most important relationships.

A wife and a husband are each other’s best friend,

confidant, lover, teacher, listener, and critic.

And there may come times when one partner is heartbroken or ailing,

and the love of the other may resemble

the tender caring of a parent or child.

Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life.

Happiness is fuller, memories are fresher,

commitment is stronger, even anger is felt more strongly,

and passes away more quickly.

Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes life

is unable to avoid. It encourages and nurtures new life,

new experiences, new ways of expressing

a love that is deeper than life.

When two people pledge their love and care for each other in marriage,

they create a spirit unique unto themselves which binds them closer

than any spoken or written words.

Marriage is a promise, a potential made in the hearts of two people

who love each other and takes a lifetime to fulfill.

Dad’s thoughts (my dad used this time to speak about setting the two of us up and how great it was to marry his friend to his daughter).

DAD: Cris and The Boy, as the two of you have joined this marriage; I would ask that you always remember to cherish each other as unique individuals and that you respect the thoughts, ideas, and suggestions of one another. Be able to forgive, do not hold grudges, and live each day that you may share it together – as from this day forward you shall be each other’s home, comfort, and refuge. May your marriage be strengthened by your love and respect.

DAD: By the power vested in me by the State of Alaska, I now pronounce you husband and wife.

DAD: You may now kiss.

DAD: Friends and family, may I now present to you – Cris and The Boy!

The Recessional: “Marry You” – Bruno Mars

Still with me? If so, I hope that you enjoyed this little rundown of our civil ceremony. Do you have any questions for me? Do you know what your ceremony will be like? How did you source it? You know the drill – fire away in the comments.

*If you purchase the music linked, I get a small kickback as a member of Amazon’s Affliliate Sales Group. You can also find each of these songs on iTunes.

 

Being part of a wedding party is more than just walking down the aisle and standing at the front of the church. The people you choose to stand up with you are usually the closest family or friends that you have, and have shown their support for you both over the time you have been together. No matter how much or how little help they are during the planning process, showing them your appreciation for being part of your life and supporting you on your special day is very important. For me, I really wanted to make the gifts personal and practical.

I ordered each girl a personalized hanger, which they can use the day of, and in the future.

I am also going to pick out a special set of bangles for each girl to match their dresses. I thought it’d be a great way to tie in some Indian flare and add some sparkle (and who doesn’t love some new jewelry?).

Another great way to personalize the jewelry.

The guys will be getting a silver plated zippo lighter with their initials engraved in it, along with a thick cigar. I love the idea of them all lounging around at the reception enjoying the night. I am not trying to endorse smoking, but I know men like to enjoy a good cigar to celebrate special occasions, so we thought we’d take care of that for them.

What are you doing to celebrate your wedding party? What special gifts do you have picked out for them?

All photos via Pinterest