Today's wedding is filled with all sorts of darling details and classic elements. I love that Emily and Collin kept their guest list small and made use of a local church not only for their ceremony, but also their reception. They paid close attention to little details and wove their color scheme throughout their decor which created a beautiful event. And how cute is their cake table? Enjoy today's Tiffany blue and gray wedding! xoxo, Jessica

Emily + Collin

May 23, 2015

Ford City, PA | First Baptist Church

What was your wedding budget?

Our initial budget was $10,000. However, we only ended up spending about $6,000 on the wedding and using the remaining money for our honeymoon and to save for a house.

I spent roughly $1,000 on my dress, accessories, and alterations by shopping on David's Bridal sale rack.

My caterer was from the church and offered to do the wedding for $12 a plate including the drinks.

We got a 1 tier cake and cupcakes from a local bakery costing about $160.

Our venue was only about $150.

We had the wedding in the church and the reception and their fellowship hall.

 We also got both of our wedding bands with that $6,000. Collin's was from Amazon and mine was from a local jeweler.

How many guests did you have?

We had 72 guests.

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

Many of the decorations were made by the groom and I. We made the sign that guests signed,  the card box and the bows that lined the aisle. Collin played a major role in making the bows and flowers and I was sure to let everyone know that, which everyone loved hearing. We also had a unique unity ceremony. We took a shadow box and poured in some white pebbles. This was to symbolize the beginning of our adventures together and now every where we travel, we add new shells or pebbles to the box.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

We limited our wedding to close family only. The only non-family members were our bridal party. This eliminated a lot of the pressure that many weddings have. Our guests were more excited to celebrate with us than to spend the evening on a  dance floor or get drunk. This allowed us to cut out many of the major expenses most weddings include. We were able to focus much more on the marriage and a lot less on the wedding. We also were able to save a lot on the food. Not only did we have someone  we know do the food, our family members also all made cookies for guests to enjoy while we got our photos taken. 

We passed on many of the usual expenses such as a DJ (we borrowed a sound system from work), alcohol, and did many of the decorations ourself by making my own bouquets, making our center pieces from Walmart, and going to local thrift stores. We also cut costs on programs by making a sign that was set up by the entrance with all the needed information for guests to see before sitting down.

We also did not have favors for our guests. I did not pay for someone to do my hair. Originally I was going to do it myself, but my bridesmaids gifted that to me. I also did not pay to get my nails done. My birthday was the month before and I asked my family  to pay for me to get my nails done for my wedding.

What was the biggest sacrifice you made to stay on budget?

I honestly would have to say that I didn't have to sacrifice much for my wedding. I was able to achieve everything that I always wanted by focusing on the things that mattered most to me. But if I had to choose, I would say I had to sacrifice on a candy bar. When I began planning I thought it would be nice to have a place where guests could have candy that matched our wedding but after seeing how much it all costs, I decided to pass on it.

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

Keep your eyes on the prize. When the day is all over, you're not going to care if you were wearing a $10,000 dress or a $1,000 dress. You won't care if your third cousin, twice removed is there or not. As long as you are marrying the person you love most in the world and go through the day focusing on just that, your wedding day will forever be the best day of your life!

What was your biggest splurge?

My wedding ring. It was the most expensive item I bought (besides food). It was still under $1,000 but it was still more than my wedding dress. But I was able to reason it because its the one thing that was going to go on after the wedding.

What was your favorite detail?

The fact that we had a sweet heart table. I loved having that time with my husband to just relax and talk after all the chaos that the morning had.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

After I was all done getting ready, I was waiting in the room where we spent the morning until the photographer was ready for us. She told me that I couldn't leave because the men were going to be arriving soon. I then looked outside and saw my groom's car in the parking lot. That was the first time I cried on my wedding day. That was the moment that it all sunk in for me that I was getting married. I already had my dress on, my hair done, and everyone was ready, but it hadn't sunk in quite yet. It was the first time that he was in the same place as I was with my wedding dress on and everything. It was like the dots were finally connected.

VENDORS

Photographer: Jessica Lee Photography • Venue: First Baptist of Ford City • Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal • Tuxedo Shop: Top Hat Formals • Wedding Cake Designer: Cake Concepts