Did you do any DIY Projects or create any handmade items for your wedding?
The only thing we really did ourselves was the food. My husband’s brother had gotten married the year before, and at the reception there was an amazing charcuterie table. It really inspired me! That made me want to do my own charcuterie table for our wedding, but the challenge was the cost. For the amount of people we planned to have at the wedding (about 70) it would cost several hundred dollars more than our budget. Our budget was only $600-700, so having it catered was not an option. We were able to have a pared down version of the charcuterie we wanted by figuring out what foods we wanted to have (crackers, cheeses, meats, veggies..etc), how much each portion size would cost, and how it would all be set up. We managed to get all of the food at a decent price by buying as much bulk as we could – but that still left the cost of serving ware.
Half of the appeal of charcuterie to me is all of the pretty little cheese knives, elegant platters, and greenery that ties everything together. It would’ve been expensive and impractical to invest in all sorts of charcuterie serving ware for a one-time use, so after some searching, we found a local caterer who was willing to let us rent everything we needed for a modest price. All we had to do was return it clean and in one piece.
We also had a Pinterest-inspired hexagonal wooden arch that my dad offered to make. Because our ceremony venue was small but growing, we were able to work out a deal to pay for the arch. The venue paid for the cost of materials, my dad contributed his time and labor, and we donated the arch back to the venue after our wedding so that other brides could benefit from it. Overall, it was a win-win!
What creative or personal aspects did you include in your wedding?
One detail about our wedding that we both really loved was the color scheme. I changed my mind several times before I finally landed on colors that I really liked. September in Texas is challenging for weddings, and not just because of the heat. It’s too late in the season for all the vibrant summery tones (think ruby reds, ocean blues, and bright greens), but also too early for all the delicate oranges, yellows, and browns that define fall. As a result, I picked a color from each season: blue for summer and orange for fall.
What I didn’t realize until later is that the reason I was so happy with those colors together is because they personified us. Jaydon’s hair is a beautiful golden orange and my eyes are a deep blue, one color for each of our defining features. The colors became a personal symbol of how we were becoming one.
Another thing we did was let our guests in on one of our quirks: our penchant for dour, straight faced photos together. Our inspiration for the trend came from the famous painting American Gothic by Grant Wood. It pictures two humble farmers, a man and wife, standing in front of their farmhouse and looking quite stern. For some reason, it became a joke with us because the idea of the two of us keeping a straight face for a picture was funny. With that in mind, we printed out at least ten of our personal ‘American Gothic’ pictures and displayed them at the reception.
What is the most memorable moment of your day?
The most memorable moment was our first look. The only expectation I had was that Jaydon probably wouldn’t cry when seeing me. I didn’t expect to actually be the one to start crying when we saw each other! He looked so handsome, so perfect, my knight in shining armor and prince all in one. I started crying because I was so happy to finally get to be with him forever. We had had a long distance relationship for two years and I was so overjoyed that everything was real, that I would finally get to call him mine, and that I would never have to say goodbye to him at the airport again.
What was the biggest thing you did to save money?
I think the biggest thing we did to save money was to be open-minded. A lot of people have it in their minds that everything has to be perfect and exactly the way they imagine it, or it will be an ugly failure. By being open to different possibilities, you not only free yourself up to be more creative with the vision for your wedding, but it frees up your budget too. We saved money on things like the food, reception venue, cake, DJ, and decorations just by being willing to compromise a little on what we wanted.
What was your biggest splurge?
We didn’t really have a ‘big’ splurge, per se, but we did have my shoes custom-made. Did you know that you can actually personalize Converse shoes for a wedding? I did not want to be standing around in super uncomfortable heels all day in the Texas heat, so I went with what I know and love: a good pair of Chucks.
My shoes were low-top, white lace converse with white satin shoe laces, blue undersides that said Just Married (for my something blue, of course), our wedding date emblazoned on the heel, and Mr. and Mrs. on the sides. After all the personalizations and shipping fees, we paid less than $150. Not only did I have some comfy shoes for the wedding, but I had a special keepsake afterwards.
What was your favorite details?
For me as the bride, I definitely have to say my dress. I felt like a confident princess in it! The way I ended up with that dress is actually funny because I originally didn’t want any kind of poofy, Disney princess-esque wedding dress at all. I wanted something trim, slim, and elegant; more like a mermaid-style dress. I tried on all sorts of styles and they all looked bad on me, except for the handful of poofy dresses I reluctantly tried on. I was incredibly surprised that the dress I thought I didn’t want is actually what I felt beautiful in. Learn from me: be open minded!
What’s the best advice you have for planning your wedding now that you’re on the other side?
The advice I have is three-fold: have a budget, research your vendors, and relax!
Having a budget is very important because it’s the first step in planning your wedding’s details. How do you know what kind of wedding you want if you don’t even know what kind of wedding you can afford?
One huge mistake we initially made was to cut corners on our florist. We found someone on instagram that lived a couple hours away, but was willing to give us flower arrangements for a great price and no delivery fee. The catch was that she was not reliable in her communication with us or upfront about being able to meet our needs. Try to save money where you can but don’t lower your standards so much that you get scammed or cause yourself even more stress. There’s a happy medium between being thrifty and getting taken advantage of. Do thorough research on prospective vendors.
Looking back, I wish that I had relaxed more about planning our wedding. I was so stressed because I thought people would be judging me personally if anything in the wedding went wrong or looked wrong. A wise friend told me that with weddings, something unexpected usually happens. The best thing to do is just roll with it. Being stressed about the wedding distracted me from the one thing that really mattered: getting married! Don’t let unexpected hitches get in the way of enjoying the most special day of your life.
To all the guys out there, don’t let your wife do all the planning. Pick something to help (with your wife’s input) and do it!
