What was your budget?
- Photography: $4000
- Dress: $2500
- Catering: $4000
- Cake: gift from groom’s stepmom
- Calligraphy: DIY
- Venue: $4000
- Flowers: $1000
- Decor: gifts/DIY $500
- Groom’s attire: $350
- Shuttle Bus: $800
Total: 16,350
How many guests did you have?
We had 100 guests.
What creative or personal aspects did you include in your wedding?
We tried to make everything as personal as possible. One of Lee’s (my husband’s nickname) brother and brother in law married us.
We got married on Friday the 13th. My (Kate) parents got married on Friday the 13th as well as one of Lee’s cousins.
We went antiquing to purchase all of the milk bottles/crates for the tables. I LOVE round hay bales so Lee surprised me with a hay bale and our florist did our monogram on it as a wedding gift.
Lee’s mom passed away and whenever the family sees a dime they know that Lee’s mom is there. I had a dime incorporated into his boutonniere.
We got reclaimed wood from a fallen barn to use on top of the fabric table runners to add more dimension to the tables. We also used that wood to make our table numbers and menu cards. We repurposed the wood after the wedding and make an accent wall in our kitchen so it’s great to see that as part of our wedding now on the wall in our home!
Did you do any DIY projects or create any handmade items for your weddings?
My mom made our table runners and we made some decorations were gifts from family (monogram/greens).
I designed our invitations and a friend painted the watercolor that was used on our invitations.
What was the biggest thing you did to save money?
We got married on a Friday which helped bring certain costs down. I was able to buy the store sample of my wedding dress which helped a little bit with cost/savings as well.
We are blessed to have a lot of great relationships with friends and family in the wedding industry so certain aspects were gifted to us or I offered photography services in trade to get discounts. I have been a wedding photographer for 15 years 🙂
What’s the best advice you have for planning your wedding now that you’re on the other side?
Don’t try to do everything at once. Get the big things done first and then let the small things fall into place. And as much as you want to accommodate everyone, you have to try to remember that it is your wedding. We were very fortunate that our parents/family were fine with us making our own decisions.
It poured rain on our wedding day. A lot of things didn’t go the way we had envisioned but I vowed not to let anything bother me and to just go with the flow. And I couldn’t have been happier. No one else knows the way things were “supposed” to be and probably don’t even notice things that you stress about.
What was your biggest splurge?
For the wedding itself – our venue and photography. Since I’ve been photographing weddings for 15 years I wanted to get married somewhere different or that I hadn’t worked at before. Since I’m a wedding photographer I truly have an appreciation for photography and know that it is one of the few things you have after the big day.
Our honeymoon was also a splurge – we went to Bora Bora. But we went 5 months after our wedding. It allowed us to save money for it and we also used credit card points towards flights.
What was your favorite detail?
Two things come to mind!- I LOVED my bouquet. I went to the flower market in Boston with my florist the week of the wedding and we hand picked the flowers/succulents. I still have the succulents from my bouquet so they hold a special memory.
I also had laser cut wood names as place settings at everyone’s spot. I’ve seen them on display in people’s homes after our wedding so I love that people took them home and are enjoying them.
What is the most memorable moment of your day?
Lee: The first look. It was such an emotional moment for us both to share.
Kate: After the ceremony. It finally stopped raining and we went outside for photos. I kicked off my shoes and walked barefoot across the field. We took photos with our venue in the background and just soaked in that we just got married. It was the perfect moment. And then my caterers cleaned my feet (totally outside of their job description and requirement but I love them for it!) 🙂
VENDORS
Photography: Carla Ten Eyck • Venue: White Barn at South Farms • Flowers: The Flower Belle • Favors: VW Bus Photo Booth Photo Booth Planet • Catering: David Alan Hospitality Group • Bakery: Family • DJ + Lighting: Butch Gray • Transportation: Premier Limousine • Hair Stylist + Makeup: Kelly at Glow Salon • Wedding Gown Designer: Hayley Paige • Bridal Shop: Mariella Creations • Jewelry: Earrings from Kevin Edward Jewelers • Veil / Headpiece: Hairpiece Camilla Christine • Shoes: Jimmy Choo • Groom’s Suit: Jos A Bank • Tie Bar: Baribault Jewelers • Ties: Robert Talbott • Men’s Shoes: Allen Edmonds
