Getting engaged is an exciting moment. Your amazing guy has just proclaimed his love to you for ever and ever. First things first frantic texting and calling of everyone you know. Then the infamous running through the streets excitedly jumping for joy and showcasing your bling to all of your family, and besties oh .... who am I kidding...anyone that takes notice is an opportunity to shout with glee "I'm engaged" (Facebook, Twitter, mailman, lady at the supermarket).
I immedietley started planning buying a million magazines. I attended bridal shows, searched online and the more I looked at the more confused I was. What color do I choose....there was about 5 million colors I liked in magazines but I had to wonder if my champagne taste and beer budget would really allow those looks at my little shindig??
The further I got in the more and more I realized BUDGET is a key factor. The bridal show was a reality check. About a million vendors gave me their card, flier and brochure. Their prices were shocking. Do real people actually have $20,000 to spend on a venue, and $7,000 for a photographer and thousands for their dream dress? I sure did not. My fantasy dream wedding was starting to look like maybe just dinner with a small group of family and friends.
After months of online research I decided to be a Do it Yourself bride or DIY as they call it. My wedding is May 27th 2012 and I have almost everything paid off and ready for the big day. Here is my step by step tutorial on how I am achieving my dream wedding with hardly any budget!
Step 1: Budget (????)
Where is all this money going to come from to pay for your wedding? My fiance and I decided to pay for our own wedding, and split the bill. We are in our 30's so asking our parents really was no longer an option. We own our own businesses and in this economy we really took a beating so we did not have a savings. However "thank you Uncle Sam" I received my tax return of $4000 in February and the DIY planning now begins!
Step 2: Venue ($4000) All Inclusive
I literally emailed every place in town. This did not go well. I made myself a chart of each venue, what they offered, what they included and EVERYTHING was out of my budget. I decided to choose an off day like a Friday or Sunday and maybe have a morning or afternoon wedding. The prices were still WAY out of reach. Stroke of luck The Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona (which is gorgeous) sent me a quote of close to $5200 for 50 people, or $4200 for 40 people. Mind you this pricing is for adults, so if there are guests that are not of drinking age, or kids that will be eating off the kids menu it can be a lot less! The deal was all inclusive, which means the whole shabang. We got a great deal by choosing a "day wedding" 12:30PM-5:30PM on a Sunday (Memorial Weekend) .... so everyone had Monday off and it included an amazing lunch, soft drinks, teas, coffees, 1 hour of hosted bar, champagne toast, ceremony and reception, tables/rentals, basic linens, dance floor, the cake, a casita room for our wedding night and a discounted rates for all of our guests!
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| Westin Kierland Resort and Spa |
Step 3: The Dress & Veil ($300)
I dont know how many of you have thousands of dollars for your dream wedding dress but I did not! I was actually shocked when I started looking at dresses that $1000 was on the lower end of the pricing scale. I tried on dresses at Davids Bridal to find my approximate size, and style and then I went on RecycledBride.com and OnceWed.com and scoured the net for a dress. You can search for a specific dress you tried on and loved or search by size. I bought an Alfred Sung gorgeous brand new dress with tags on oncewed.com for $300. And my veil... I found a gorgeous scalloped Swarvoski crystaled edge veil on Craigslist.com and I did trade for the veil. I own a birthday party business so I offered a party for her child in exchange for the veil (free).
Step 3: Choosing A Color - Linens & Invites ($200)
Well my Matron of Honor is amazing. I emailed her about a million bridesmaid dresses and wedding looks and in the end I decide I am going to just go neutral because I cant make up my darn mind. I chose Black and Ivory. This made my invites a snap. I bought a Ivory simple style from Hobby Lobby (50 for $20) including response cards. I printed them added black ribbon which I tied on each one and they looked like they cost $100's! I chose an outside ceremony to avoid paying for more decor. I'll let mother nature be my decorator. As for the reception I was stumped. The room is kind of an amber color and nothing goes with that color but the views out the window (gorgeous). I saw a picture online of Ivory table linens with black chair covers and Ivory sashes and I decided that would go perfect. My Ivory table cloths were included in my inclusive price at the Westin and the chair covers and sashes were about $175 for 40 including set up/clean up (Munkeboe Linens - Scottsdale http://www.munkeboelinens.com). Check out the room I'm working with and the vision I have for it below.
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| Rainmakers Ballroom - Westin Kierland |
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| This is the look I want |
Step 4: Accenting and Reception Decor ($210)
I met with florists and it was either I spend a few thousand on flowers for bouquets, boutineers and centerpieces or I was getting carnations for about $800 and up. This was crazy to me. I researched online pictures of different weddings and I thought about doing giant pomanders of white roses on vases for the centerpieces until I realized they take hundreds of flowers to make. I slam dunked my accents and decor. I scoured weddingbee.com, weddingwire.com, recycledbride.com, craigslist.com, ebay.com, amazon.com and more. 1st found an amazing bird cage to use for cards. It is about 3.5 ft tall and will make an awesome focal point. Got the bird cage for $30 on craigslist. I spray painted it gold, added some moss to the bottom and a big black ribbon. I also found an awesome cake stand and because it was missing 1 rhinestone I got it for $7 SCORE!
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| My birdcage for cards and well wishes |
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| Cake stand...I have yet to paint this gold |
I ended up choosing Manzanita instead of flowers for my centerpieces. I as able to get 4 big branches for $30. I bought some gold spray paint and voila. I then searched for vases to prop the branches high enough to not block anyones line of sight. I found gorgeous vases at Hobby Lobby but they were $49.99/ea even at 50% off that was starting to hurt the budget. I found 5 of the exact same vases on Craigslist for $10/ea SCORE! I found real glass strands for chandeliers to hang from the branches $1/ft I bough 50 and I found gold chargers for $1.00/ea. Here is the look....keep in mind I have my down comforter on my dining room table to give the effect of Ivory linens....just to show you the look.
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| This picture I found online to show branches with crystals (example) |
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| This is my actual chargers, vases, and gold branches |
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| Real glass chandelier crystals for branches |
Step 5: Bouquets ($125)
This was a tough decision. I met with florist after florist and every florist was out of my budget. Every one kept leaning me towards carnations and again beer budget, champagne taste. I researched faux bouquets and wasn't crazy about the idea until I found (real touch flowers). These things really feel real. They are amazing. I spend about 4 hours a day looking at stuff for the wedding at Hobby Lobby and this is how I discovered these amazing flowers. I could now have extravagant flowers for a reasonable price but how do I make a bouquet? I looked down the wedding isle and found some foam microphone looking things but I could just imagine the stems falling out of the foam while I'm walking down the isle. I watched a few tutorials online and I did it!
I bought 5 roses for each bridesmaid and one large hydrangea. I didn't use "real touch" hydrangeas because the silk looked more real in this instance. I did my bouquet with about 14 roses, and I have 4 for flower girl. Real Touch Roses were $4.99/ea and the hydrangea was $9.99 but it was all 50% off. They have a 50% off sale every week so wait for the sale! I pulled off all the leaves. I used wire clippers from 99 cent store to cut them at a proper length. I bunched the flowers together bending the wire at the top slightly outward to flare the flowers out like a bouquet and I used floral tape to hold together. I used ribbon from 99 cent store and a trusty cheap glue gun and just twisted the ribbon round and round all the way up. I secured the top with a little glue and presto....awesome real looking bouquets. I also bought short cylinder vases from 99 cent store and glued on some ribbon - these will be holders for the bouquets at the reception for added decor around my cake and sign in table. Not only did I save money on my wedding decor and flowers but I can re-sell everything after the wedding!
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| Bridal bouquet |
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| Bridesmaid Bouquets |
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| Bouquets in vases in I made |
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| This is the look I'm shooting for but I picked cuter bridemaid dresses |
Step 6: Additional Vendors ($850)
This should actually have been step 2 but I found the BEST prices after scouring the net. I chose Mandy Reed as my photographer. Her website is great, www.mandyreed.com she is award winning and I'm paying $450 for 5 hours! My officiant is also a DJ. I know this sounds weird but he is super friendly, experienced and I sampled his equipment and he is an excellent DJ. $400 for him to officiate, and play ceremony and reception music. My DJ/Officiants name is Joe Cooperrider, http://www.weddingstoremember.us. Also The Wedding Accessory Superstore is another god send (www.thewasonline.com). If you are looking for bridesmaid dresses this store has just about every dress and designer but for 20% less than any other store and they sell nationwide online. Go find your perfect bridesmaid dress. Have your girls try on styles you love and then order them online from this store, you'll save big. They also have tons and tons and tons of other stuff - everything you can imagine for your wedding but 20% less.
All in all that is my wedding in a nutshell. Of course I bought a few little doodads like table numbers, and favors but total cost for everything was under $6000. So having a low budget wedding can truly be achieved with a little scouring of the web, buying pre-owned and shopping sales along with glue guns and creativity! Plus you can re-sell everything and take that honeymoon too!
