Purple + Grey Wedding with Books as Decor

Loving this colorful wedding from The Burks! I have a special place in my heart for all geekdom, so I couldn't help but love the shot of the groomsmen exposing their super hero tshirts underneath their tuxedos- so fun! And I always love when brides use books as decor! Hope you enjoy this wedding of the week! xoxo-Jessica

Josh + Jessica

June 15, 2012

Greenville, NC at Reimage Church and City Hotel & Bistro

What was your budget? If you are able, give us a rough breakdown of how you spent your budget.

Cake -$260

Reception Venue & Catering for 140 ppl – $3500

Ceremony venue with sound techs – $400

Dress with Alterations – $800

Veil – $5 (we made our own)

Shoes – $5 (TJ Maxx sale)

Favors – $75 (we donated to a charity)

Flowers for Bride and bridesmaids – $110 (we made our own)

Invitations – $148 (we bought ours from Michaels and Hallmark will print a box of invites for $10)

Officiant – $50

DJ – $40 (we used music we already had and paid a friend to DJ)

Bridesmaid Gifts – $200

Photographer – $1800

Event Rentals (pipe and drape) – $200

Groomsmen gifts – $240

Live Band for Ceremony – $300

 Total: about $8500

How many guests did you have?

We ended up with approximately 130 guests when it was all said and done but had planned for 150

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

We used old books and candles of all sizes for our centerpieces. My husband and I are avid readers and so most of the books came from our a collection. A few we picked up at second hand stores and thrift shops. We borrowed the candles and holders from a friend who's daughter had recently been married.

The other thing that was very important to us was the music. That's why we chose a band for the ceremony and had all our own music picked out for the reception.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

My mom and I are very crafty and we did A LOT of things our selves. My mom and sister set up all the centerpieces, we made the bouquets, the invites, all the favor cards at the tables, etc.

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

Make your budget first! And be realistic, the last thing you want is to get your heart set on something and realize you can't afford the dress of your dreams AND a photographer. In your budget, prioritize what's important to you. For us it was having good photographers and as a result that took up a good chunk of our budget.

Lastly, saving money is easier than you think – having our wedding on a Friday night instead of anytime on a Saturday saved us over $1000 on the reception venue and $1000 on our photography. Recruit friends and family to help you DIY favors and decorations.

What was your biggest splurge?

Our photography! We had to convince my parents on this item actually. With photography, you get what you pay for. We wanted really great pictures and knew those wouldn't come cheap. Turns out, we managed to get a really great deal with The Burks and got $1800 photography by amazing, professional people that look like we should have paid at least twice that.

What was your favorite detail?

My favorite detail was all the details! The eclectic modern theme was everywhere (my mom has a really good eye for that) we had old glass bottle soda caps to mark what each guest was eating (my husband is widely known for his Sundrop addiction) and used old books for our centerpieces because we both love to read. Our additions to the reception space gave it a clean modern look. The whole thing felt very us.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

The most memorable moment might have been Josh and I's first look. With our time schedule we had to do all the photography before the ceremony and I wouldn't have done it any other way! I was so nervous and excited and freaking out that day and as soon as I saw Josh I felt very calm and happy. We were able to get some amazing couple shots while the sun was still out and I'm so glad we got to be right with each other when we first saw each other instead of fighting back all that emotion in front of everyone at the ceremony.

VENDORS:

Meet The Burks Photography – meettheburks.com

City Hotel & Bistro – cityhotelandbistro.com