What was your budget?
- Photography: $1000
- Dress: $175
- Catering + Cake: $1300
- Favors: $100
- Venue: $2500
- Decor: $350
- Groom’s attire: $50
- Music: $250
- Cake topper: $110
Total: $6000
How many guests did you have?
We had 45 guests.
What creative or personal aspects did you include in your wedding?
I created my own table decorations—paper flowers. Saved a ton on floral arrangements! I also made my own bouquet, out of brooches. We wrote our own ceremony and vows as well. I bought decorative items with our initials and placed them around the reception area. One of my favorite things, which we splurged on, was out cake topper made up of little peg versions modeled after groom and myself, and little peg versions of each of our four cats.
Did you do any DIY projects or create any handmade items for your weddings?
Yes, I created all of the table decorations myself and I created my bouquet and my maid of honor’s brooch bouquet myself.
What was the biggest thing you did to save money?
Again, it’s hard to say. I just did a lot of research and tried to plan carefully. My dress was an absolute steal from Modcloth. The groom’s suit was actually the same one he wore as his brother’s best man the year before (at his brother’s suggestion). I think making my own table decorations made a big difference as well. Our photography was very reasonably priced, and the photographer, Mary, was a constant calming presence, which was invaluable! Also, while we paid for a professional guitarist for the ceremony, we used a good speaker and an mp3 player for the reception. All of these things really added up in the end.
What’s the best advice you have for planning your wedding now that you’re on the other side?
Honestly, just go with the flow. It’s not going to go 100% perfectly. The most important thing is celebrating your relationship with your partner, with the people you love the most.
What was your biggest splurge?
Probably the venue. We love the history of Old Louisville and the Conrad-Caldwell House in particular. And it’s just beautiful!
What was your favorite detail?
Either my bouquet or our cake topper.
What is the most memorable moment of your day?
It’s hard to pick one. Our exchange of vows was really special to us. The maid of honor and best man toasts were very memorable too. 🙂
VENDORS
Photography: We Choose the Moon Photography • Venue: Conrad-Caldwell House Museum • Stationery: VistaPrint • Catering: All the Way Shoppe • Ceremony Musicians: Ciyadh Wells • Hair Stylist: Kirsten Redick of Kirsten Redick Cosmetology • Cake Topper: Etsy Shop Lovebirds Goods • Bridesmaids Dresses: ModCloth • Wedding Gown Designer: ModCloth • Jewelry: Amaradorn via Etsy • Veil: Ebay • Shoes: Amazon • Ties: RollingBow via Etsy • Men’s Shoes: JCPenney
