"Our motto all along was to keep it simple. We wanted the day to be special but did not want to spend such an enormous amount on the event. With a budget of under $10,000 I think we did a good job and were pleased with the experience. We were able to be budget savvy by utilizing the internet. Our invitations, flowers, vases, ribbon, and bridesmaid dresses were all ordered online.
"Things I loved about the wedding (other than our amazing photographers) were the flowers, the cake, and the bridesmaids' dresses. We saved a ton of money by ordering the tulips from a supplier in Holland. Folks got together the Friday before the wedding to help with the flower arrangements and I even made my own bouquet! The simplicity of having one type of flower throughout was stunning. The bridesmaid dresses were simple and ordered from an online JCrew sale. I know for a fact they have actually worn the dresses again!
"One thing I do recommend to all of my friends is to do a practice run for the hair. I was able to communicate with my stylist and we both understood what I wanted. As such on the day of the wedding I was calm and relaxed, knowing that my look would turn out exactly as I had planned. We also saved money by having the folks at Origins apply my makeup for free! "We were successful in not letting the planning overwhelm us and not get carried away with expensive details.
When I look back, I do sometimes wish we could have changed the venue from the church social hall to a local vineyard. Naturally, that would have cost significantly more money but if I could change one thing, that would probably be it. Overall, the day was wonderful and we were able to enjoy every minute of it. The details all reflected our personalities and style. We are so happy being married and believe that it was the best decision we ever made."
