Did you do any DIY projects or create any handmade items for your wedding?
We created a light-up hoop to go behind the sweetheart table. We bought some fake flowers from Michaels, the gold hoop from Etsy, and fairy lights from Amazon.
What creative or personal aspects did you include in your wedding?
We included some personal touches to our wedding. We found a neon sign on Etsy to hang over the bar to give it a little something extra. It was a fan favorite of the night! We also had a specialty cocktail for our bar (we called it the Berry Duino) and our guests loved it!
Perhaps the most loved aspect of our wedding was the small olive oil bottles we purchased from Blue Ridge Olive Oil Company. We chose olive oil, as it does bring out the Italian aspect to our wedding, but also we wanted a favor that our guests would actually want to take home. We were pleasantly surprised that we had only 3 bottles remaining (and we had ordered extra!)
What is the most memorable moment of your day?
The most memorable moment of our day was the last dance of the night. All our friends and family were on the floor having a great time, and I remember looking at my husband thinking for the 100th time that night how incredibly lucky I was to have married my best friend.
What was the biggest thing you did to save money?
We think the biggest thing we did to save money was looking for a venue that gave us the biggest bang for our buck. We all have our dream weddings planned in our heads, but some budgets can only go so far. You need to find a venue that is able to give you what you want for the price you can afford.
The other thing we did was plan a budget a year and a half out. We set money aside for every vendor once a month, and by the time we were six to eight months out, we had almost everything 100% paid for.
What was your biggest splurge?
Outside of the venue, our biggest splurge was definitely our photographs and our flowers. We did not want a videographer, so we made sure to find a photographer that was absolutely amazing at their art. I love flowers, so I wanted as many real flowers and greenery that we could get our hands on!
What were your favorite details?
Our favorite detail of our wedding was how much time we got to spend with each other. We structured our day to get as much time together as possible- such as, first looks, pictures together, and we never left each other’s side at the reception.
What’s the best advice you have for planning your wedding now that you’re on the other side?
The biggest advice we can offer is to plan your wedding out a year or more in advance. This will allow you to figure out your budget and give you more time to save up for your big day. The other thing we encourage is to make the day about YOU. Your family and friends will have opinions, but it is about you and your partner: no one else!
