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Intimate Spring Wedding

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Intimate Spring Wedding

Ashley + Kyle

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- 06/17/2016
Total wedding budget $4,000
wedding dress
wedding ring shots
getting ready photos
getting ready photos
groom photos
groom photos
outdoor wedding ceremony
outdoor wedding ceremony
outdoor wedding ceremony
outdoor couple shots
outdoor couple shots
pink and white wedding bouquet
elegant bridal look
elegant bridal look
elegant bridal look
pink wedding bouquet
group photos
restaurant wedding
restaurant wedding
restaurant wedding
simple table centerpieces
wedding menu
wedding cookies
cheese and veggie tray
wedding food
wedding stationery
restaurant wedding reception
simple wedding cake
simple wedding cake
cake cutting
cake cutting
outdoor wedding photos
restaurant wedding photos
restaurant wedding photos

What was your budget?

We spent around $4K on our wedding.

  • Photography: $750
  • Dress: $600
  • Catering: $1500
  • Cake: $60
  • Favors: $100
  • Venue: $0 (just food/drink minimum)
  • Flowers: $100 (only bouquet for bride, the venue provided table florals)
  • Decor: $300
  • Bride’s Hair and Makeup: $150

How many guests did you have?

We had 21 guests.

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

I really enjoyed our favors that were decorated cookies done by one of my sorority sisters; they were personal and beautiful! I also got a welcome sign off of Etsy, that I now use in our home, so it’s a nice reminder of our wedding in our home.

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

I didn’t really DIY anything, but I ordered several things off of Etsy that were personalized for us, including the guest book, welcome sign, cake topper, letter to our guests for the place settings, and a monogrammed vase that held my bouquet after the ceremony. Just these personalized items were enough to accent the beautiful venue and make it feel like our day.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

The biggest way to save money, in my opinion, was to focus on the things that are most important and spend money accordingly. There are lots of parts of a wedding that can add up fast just by “adding one more thing”. The most important things to us were pictures and the dinner and drinks with our family, so those were our two biggest expenses. Also, even though it’s hard, it helps to keep the guest list small.

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

I would say to really just enjoy the process because it goes by so fast. Make choices in your planning that will make you feel special on the big day, and then relax and let it happen. Ultimately, as long as you’re married to your person at the end of the day, everything was a success.

What was your biggest splurge?

The biggest splurge, although still a fantastic deal, was the food and drinks. It was really important to us to spend quality time with our family and friends, and we wanted to enjoy a nice meal together. And the food at Spring House was amazing, every bite of it!! Spring House went above and beyond, providing the ceremony space, room to get ready, and use of their beautiful library bar for a pre-dinner champagne toast! So our biggest expense was also the greatest benefit and made our day very special. If you can find a venue that is such full-service like they were, I would definitely recommend it!

What was your favorite detail?

My favorite detail was the photography that captured all of the other details of our day. Our photographer was so sweet, so she made the entire experience so effortless, and then we have these beautiful pictures to remember the day by.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

One of the most memorable moments for me was right before the ceremony was supposed to start, my dad and step-dad, who were walking me down the aisle, came to me and said there was a storm coming and asked if I wanted to wait to see if it passes. And I think I surprised them both when I said I didn’t want to wait, if it started raining, we’d just run inside. Would that have been an unusual ceremony? Yes. But I was ready and I didn’t think a little storm should keep me from my guy! Luckily, the storm never came and we had a beautiful ceremony with our closest family and friends around us!

VENDORS 

Photography: Katie Sams at Red Boat Photography • Venue + Catering: Spring House Restaurant Kitchen & Bar • Flowers: Botanica • Bakery: Delicious Bakery • Hair Stylist: Honey Salon • Bridal Shop: Bridal Mart