Today's wedding comes to us from Napa Valley, and it encapsulates all the advantages that come with a small guest list! Although small weddings are not always an option, they offer brides and grooms like Patrice and Chad an opportunity to create a beautiful event with impeccable attention detail while maintaining a modest budget. I love how they wanted to have fun with their wedding guests and incorporated a tour of their venue into the reception. And how *amazing* is the bride's Adrianna Papell striped wedding dress? GORG!! Happy Wednesday! xoxo, Jessica

Patrice + Chad

June 19, 2014

Napa Valley, CA  | Flora Springs Winery

What was your budget?

Our overall budget was $12,000; we actually spent $9607.

Ceremony (Napa Valley Courthouse): $50

Reception Venue + food/beverages:  $5040

Photography: $2000

Bride’s attire (Gown- Adrianna Papell, shoes, and accessories): $700

Groom’s attire (Suit, shoes, tie, accessories): $800

Best Man’s attire (Suit, shoes, accessories): $800

Invitations + RSVP cards + Postage: $50

Candy Favors: $45

Dinner table favors: $57

Place cards + mini gold animals: $30

Flowers (wristlets, boutonnieres): $0 (gift of MOH)

Noisemakers: $20

Mr. & Mrs. Ring dish: $15 (Crate & Barrel)

How many guests did you have?

18 guests total (including Bride + Groom)

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

Because of the intimate size of our wedding, we wanted to keep the overall feel fun and light.  Adding small personal touches here and there, we were able to showcase our individual personalities while tying everything together to show who we are as a couple.

One of the biggest personal aspects was my sister (who is a professional baker) creating our wedding cake from scratch, which surpassed our expectations – it was one amazing naked cake! We also incorporated a lot of DIY projects that we worked on together, including making the noisemakers (with the bride’s favorite colors) for the ceremony; hand-painting the mini plastic animals gold (used to compliment the name cards); and folding 1001 origami cranes – we were both born and raised in Hawaii and this a cultural/Hawaii tradition that brings happiness and good fortune to the bride + groom.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

We shopped for our wedding stationary at a local art supply store! Luckily, they were having a huge sale at the time and we purchased our stock of invitation cards, RSVP cards, and envelopes for just $6.00 total ($.99/each set of 10).  We then designed and printed them at home.  With a few decorative elements, our completed stationery set didn’t cost us more than $30.

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

Don’t sweat the small stuff! There will be little things that come up two weeks before the wedding until the moment it’s happening.  Just be in the moment as much as possible… the day will fly by so quickly.  Be happy and enjoy the day!

What was your biggest splurge?

Our biggest splurge was our reception dinner.  Throughout the planning process we both agreed that dinner and wine would be our top priority (it’s Napa!) and having it at a venue that we were both loved.  It was a really nice bonus that Flora Springs, a winery that we frequent, had their own caterer, which made planning process very easy. Not to mention, Flora has THE BEST hospitality staff!

What was your favorite detail?

There’s so many!

(HIS) One of our favorite details was the Mr. & Mrs. Ring dish we found a few days before leaving for the wedding.  It was such a great detail to add and also something that we still use every day – a happy reminder of that day.

(HERS) Megan Clouse was an absolute dream to work with.  Not having met her in person prior to our wedding, we didn’t know exactly how the photography process would go but Oh My Goodness… she made our session so easy and simple – as if we knew each other for years!  What I loved most was the sneak peek photo she sent the next day, Chad and I both felt that she was able to capture who we are as a couple in that one photo.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

(HERS) One was getting ready with my matron of honor.  We’ve been friends for over 15 years and she’s been such a big part of my life.  I did her make-up as well as my own – we had so much fun and it actually helped me to relax a bit.

(HIS) Having a personal tour of the wine caves included in our reception festivities.  It was an unexpected and personalized treat for our family and friends to experience. It really added to the ‘non-traditional’ tone of our wedding.

VENDORS

Venue:  Flora Springs • Photographer: Megan Clouse • Attire & Accessories: Nordstrom& The Tie Bar  • Ring Dish: Crate and Barrel • Invitation Materials: Dick Blick • Favors, Décor: Michaels • Flowers: Napa Valley Flowers

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