Colorful, tropical and sunny are the three words that come to mind when looking at the photos from Alex and Emily's Florida wedding. Beach weddings are always fun, and I especially love how the green and yellow colors complement the beautiful setting. Make sure you check out their photobooth guestbook. What a creative way to make a piece of their wedding serve double-duty! And Emily's advice on sticking to a budget is great: “Don't jump into the first thing you see!” This wedding shows that following a budget isn't always a constraint, but a tool to help you make sure you're getting exactly what you want so you can create a day you'll remember forever. xoxo-Jessica

Emily + Alex

February 9, 2014

Orlando, FL | Paradise Cove

What was your budget?

Venue: $2500

Photographer: $2000

Videographer + photobooth + lighting: $2500

DJ: $2000

Catering + cake: $3500

Decorations + bouquets + invitations: $500 (DIY)

Dress + accessories: $800

Tux + accessories: $200

Hair + makeup: $0 (DIY)

Total: $14,000

How many guests did you have?

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

All of our decorations including centerpieces, altar, bouquets, invitations and thank you cards were made by the bride to make it more personal and affordable. Her favorite flowers are sunflowers, which were incorporated in all aspects of the wedding. We also had a few dozen pictures organized as a timeline (hung around our venue) from birth until marriage. Our tables were literally “us-themed”. Each table was different and based off of things that make us unique as a couple – cats, videogames, nursing, etc. Lastly, our guest book was a scrapbook full of photobooth photos, for a fun and creative way to remember our special day!

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

Making all our own decorations and invitations saved a lot of money. We used Ebay and other discount/wholesale stores to get the best price. We saved a lot of money in particular on the flowers. We opted for fake flowers rather than real flowers; they turned out beautiful and we saved hundreds of dollars!

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

Don't jump into the first thing you see! Whether it’s the venue, the DJ, the photographer, etc, make sure you really think it through and compare prices before you commit. Make sure you are getting a good deal!

What was your biggest splurge?

The videographer was probably our biggest splurge. We met several companies that were less expensive than our choice, but we couldn't pass up the quality and amazing editing capabilities of Scott Trippler!

What was your favorite detail?

I loved that I could incorporate my favorite flower, sunflowers, into basically everything – the ceremony, hair, invitations, bouquets, centerpieces, everything!

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

Oh my goodness, this is impossible to answer! There are so many moments I will never forget… when Bohemian Rhapsody came on and the entire dance floor broke out into (what appeared to be choreographed, according to my Gram) crazy, awesome dance moves…the hilarious speeches given by our bridal party… the pure love and joy that was emanating all day. But, if I had to choose one part that I will never, ever forget, it'd be the look on my husband's face when I walked down the aisle.

VENDORS

Venue: Paradise Cove • Photographer: Norman Yu • Videographer + photobooth + lighting: Scott Trippler • DJ: Soundwave • Catering + Cake: Magic Occasions • Decorations + bouquets + invitations + announcements: DIY • Dress + accessories: David's Bridal • Tux + accessories: JCPenney • Hair + makeup: DIY