What is your total budget? Please provide a budget breakdown.
Catering: about 6000
Alcohol: 500
Bartender: 200
DJ: 2200
Photographer: 2600
Flowers: 980
Cupcakes: 300
Men’s wedding attire: 2000
Bridesmaids attire (dresses and boots): 1000
Wedding dress: 1200
Boots: 450
Wedding decor: 3000
Table and chair rentals: 560
Total: $21,000
How many guests did you have?
We had about 125 guests who came.
How did you meet?
Robert and I met on a blind date with two of our friends seven years ago. We went to dinner and bowling and he was a perfect gentleman. Needless to say, we went on a date every day since!
What is your proposal story?
Robert loves Christmas. So it was fitting that Christmas morning my giant box under the tree consisted of several boxes till I finally got to a very small one. He is so sweet and was shaking and couldn’t even speak when he proposed. I said yes!
Tell us a little bit about your wedding vision.
We are very fortunate to live on a beautiful property and I wanted to stay within a reasonable budget. To me, good food and booze are the best part of a wedding so we didn’t skimp there. All our other choices were very budget friendly. I wanted to use lots of neutral colors for the decor with loud pops of color with the flowers. His parent’s house has beautiful rose and flower gardens so we just went with a wildflower, country garden inspiration. I refinish old furniture so I made sure to incorporate a few custom pieces to give that vintage cottage feel.
Tell us about your attire choices.
I wanted everyone in neutrals, the guys were in tan suits, and my ladies in Champaign dresses. I procrastinated for some time to get a dress and when I finally went it was the third one I tried on. I loved a boho style one, but I just fell in love with the classic lace and cut of my dress and it had that Champaign slip I really loved. It was perfect. I also went with Old Gringo (Erin) boots because I have loved them since the first time I saw the style some 6 years ago…they would always be my wedding boot. I kept my hair simple with an updo and flowers for color. Simple pearls for jewelry to keep everything timeless. The bracelet a gift from Robert, the earrings borrowed from my mom and the necklace was once my grandmothers.
What was most important to your two while planning? Was there anything you chose to splurge on or skip?
Everything about a wedding is expensive, and we really wanted to do it as affordable as possible. To us, really good food was so important, so we splurged and went with Stein`s Catering and had delicious Tri-tip, Chicken and all the sides that were fresh and delicious. We had an open bar as well, we really wanted to make sure everyone had a great time. The other thing we wanted was a great photographer since those are the memories you will have for the rest of your life, and we really scored with ours!
What were your favorite parts of the day?
The end of the night was the best, just the last few close family and friends hanging out and dancing having fun, dipping our feet in the pool. We also had a photo booth that was so much fun, our DJ had tons of props and everyone was packed in there!
Tell us about your wedding flowers.
My only stipulation was color and some ranunculus to be worked in. I wanted to keep it fairly budget friendly and we stayed under 1000 which was great. She used beautiful assortments of flowers. I even had her make a flower crown to get some shots with my horses!!
Tell us about your wedding cake.
We went with cupcakes since big cakes are so expensive and usually don’t taste too great. Katie was amazing to work with, she uses fresh ingredients to flavor her cupcakes and they were so darn good. Our cutting cake was simple and rustic, covered in flowers. We had chocolate, champaign, white, lemon blueberry and mango for a fun fresh twist…and my favorite fruit! She was also extremely reasonable and accommodating.
What did you do for favors?
We had 15 oz stemless wine glasses for our favors that were laser printed with the wedding date.
Describe any handmade, DIY, or personal items.
We landscaped a lot before the wedding so there would be no shortage of flowers. We also strung bistro lights and created a front entrance with lots of flowers and a white picket fence. I refinish antique furniture so the settee at our sweetheart table I re-upholstered in a beautiful champaign cowhide and copper nailhead. I also made the ring box.
Did you include any family heirlooms or special traditions?
Our gift table was a family heirloom from Robert’s grandmother that had been passed down for generations. It was built in 1873. I also wore a pearl necklace that belonged to my grandmother who passed a few years ago.
Do you have any advice for couples planning their wedding now?
Give yourself time and shop it out! It is so expensive to be impulsive but persistence pays off. Pick out 3 things you are willing to splurge on so you can really tighten your belt with others…and don’t forget to have fun. It goes by so fast, remember that it’s your day for each other.
VENDORS
Photography: Holley Elizabeth Photography • Ceremony Venue: Private Estate Wedding • Reception Venue: Private Estate Wedding • Floral: Mauna Florist • Stationery: Vista Print • Wedding Cake: Cupcakes by Katie • Rentals: All About Events • Hair: Melissa Silva Studio • Makeup: Melissa Silva Studio • Linens: E Favor Mart • Hair: Melissa Silva Studio • Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero • Groom’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse • Bride’s Shoes: Old Gringo • Bridesmaid Dresses: JJ’s House • Submitted via: Matchology
