A summer wedding on a family estate filled with vintage details? What could be better? I love how Donald and Amanda add a classy details (like decorated cupcakes and loads of pearls) to their outdoor wedding. The purple painted ball jars and outdoor setting are absolutely beautiful! And the antique truck the used in their photos is so fun. Enjoy this casual outdoor wedding! xoxo, Jessica

Amanda + Donald

August 15, 2015

West Charlton, NY  |  Family Estate

What was your budget?

Our budget was $15,000.

Wedding Dress: $600

Groom’s Attire: $200

Tent/Table/Chair/Linen Rental: $4,000

Catering: $3,500

Bathroom Rental: $2,500

Centerpieces:$300

DJ and Videographer: $1,000

Security: $500

Gifts for Wedding Party: $1,000

Photobooth- $500

Photobooth frames: $250

Boutonnieres and floral arrangements: $300

Parking Attendants: $100

Cakes: $250

How many guests did you have?

Approximately 200

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

We wanted our wedding day to be a blissful afternoon filled with family and friends. It was important to us that we provided an outdoor, relaxed, and very comfortable atmosphere. Having the wedding at my husband’s childhood home was very personable, and also extremely warm and welcoming. We had several acres of land to utilize for various activities (and parking), and as such, our guests could seek peaceful quietness by walking the property/Apple orchard, play games, sit by the bon-fire, sit in Adirondack chairs placed throughout property, or dance to music in tent.

We utilized my husband’s old 1949 Ford Pick-up truck for pictures, and the guests absolutely loved it as well! There were many guests who took their own photos near the truck!

We borrowed old wooden ladders to set up a unique display at wedding. They really were a perfect accent for a rustic, charming country wedding.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

We decided to accept a very generous gift of photography from a family member. This was not only a money saver; however it also allowed us to see how passionate and skilled our family member was. We were extremely blessed to have had the opportunity to work with Tori at Black Raven Photography!

We decided not to have a barista vendor, but rather purchase bottles of liquor and alcohol for guests to make drinks. It was a difficult decision to make, however we ended up saving thousands of dollars.

We also used rectangular tables from local fire departments instead of renting.

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

Do not feel like you have to plan everything by yourself. Utilize the help of those who offer, and delegate, delegate, delegate! Wedding planning is very time consuming, and if you are continuing to try to live a relatively normal life while wedding planning, it may become extremely difficult to keep an appropriate balance.

Engage family/friends in the process. It will lead to stronger relationships and they will truly feel like they are an important part of the day!

What was your biggest splurge?

Renting the linens, chairs and tent was the biggest splurge. At one point we considered using metal chairs available through our local fire departments, however, the wooden chairs very nicely matched our charming rustic country wedding theme.

What was your favorite detail?

Every detail was very clearly thought and planned out, and as such it’s difficult to identify just one as a favorite. Overall, I would say the way all small details came together and allowed for a fantastic color scheme and rustic country wedding theme to prevail.

Incorporating several very important and timeless attributes was also a great detail, including a 1949 Ford Truck used during pictures.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

Our ceremony was held in a location overlooking an apple orchard. One of my most memorable moments of the day was walking just over a small knoll to be graced by the presence of all of our friends and families, just before walking down the aisle. It was so beautiful, and awe-inspiring. The set-up was gorgeous, better than what I envisioned in my mind during planning stage.

VENDORS 

Photography: Black Raven Imagery • DJ: Eclectic Songs • Catering: Bill’s Dugout and Catering • Rentals: Total Events • Cakes: Chaos and Buttercream Cakes