Kasandra and Jeffrey wonderfully brought together the rustic beauty of the outdoors and elegant details at their Colorado wedding. I love the ruby red bridesmaid dresses and charcoal suits combo! And make sure you check out their cute cake topper… absolutely darling! xoxo, Jessica

Kasandra + Jeffrey

September 11, 2015

Golden, CO | Boettcher Mansion

What was your budget? 

We wanted to stay around $16,000.

Venue: $4,500

Catering (including linens): $5,300

DJ: $800

Officiant: $500

Photographer: $1,600

Cake: $315

Alcohol: $475

Bridal Party Gifts: $830

Dress: gifted to me but alterations and veil cost around $500

Flowers: $836

Accessories for wedding: $450

Makeup & Hair for Bride: $150

Save the Dates and Invites: $225

Grooms Tux: Free

How many guests did you have?

We invited 145, and about 110 came to the wedding.

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

We had a sand ceremony and had our mothers pour the first layer of sand, representing laying the foundation for us. We also had a life celebrant perform our ceremony. She told our love story from day one to current, making it very fun and personal. 

Did you do any DIY projects or create any handmade items for your weddings?

Yes, wine bottles wrapped in twine and love spelled out on them. Also, we made our save the dates.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

Not hiring a wedding planner, and doing it all on our own with the help of some amazing family members! Also, our cake, flowers and photographer were all pretty reasonable considering the prices we saw for others.

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

Don’t stress, be patient, and enjoy it while you can! I felt like 9 months was the perfect amount of time to plan, not too long to wait and change our minds about things for the wedding but just enough time to get everything taken care of with little stress.

What was your biggest splurge?

I feel like we got some good deals for most of our wedding vendors. I would say flowers, only because I had planned on doing them myself but panicked 6 weeks before and found an AMAZING florist who made our day beautiful! Also, our wedding party gifts.

What was your favorite detail?

All the little personal touches: our cake topper, having Jeffrey’s name patch from his USMC uniform sewn into my dress, our memorial table, the custom ties we had made, our anniversary messages in a bottle and our love story being shared with everyone.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

Jeffrey dropping the ring and everyone laughing and shaking their heads because it was totally something Jeffrey would have done. Also, having my grandmother there, it was always my wish for her to be healthy enough to see me get married and she passed away in March 2016, 6 months after our wedding. 

VENDORS

Photography: Katie Keighin Photography • Venue: Boettcher Mansion • Flowers: Sugar n’ Stems • Stationery: Vista Print • Catering: Colorado Catering Company • Bakery: Gold Mine Cupcakes • Rentals and Linens: Colorado Party Rentals • DJ, Musicians & Lighting: Quality Mobile Sound • Makeup and Hair Stylist: Chelsea Elle • Alcohol: Applejack Wine & Spirits • Bridesmaids Dresses: WToo by Watters • Wedding Gown Designer: Allure Bridals Women • Bridal Shop: NY Bride & Groom (Charlotte, NC ) • Bridesmaids: D’Anelli Bridal • Jewelry: Edgy Sister via Etsy • Veil / Headpiece: The Yellow Peony via Etsy • Shoes: Nina via DSW • Groom and Groomsmen Attire: Jim’s Formal Wear via Amanda’s Bridal  • Ties: Knotty Ties