Bride on budget congratulates bride on budget.
Venues, restaurants, and halls not your thing? Take a page from my friend Dayna who planned an awesome wedding day that was intimate and very affordable.
CEREMONY
Not into a bunch of people staring at you while taking your vows? Neither were Dayna and Patrick. Instead, they opted for a private ceremony in Patrick's mother's backyard in front of immediate family. The best part? They were able to use their dog, Dax, as the de facto flower girl/ring bearer/videographer*.
RECEPTION PART 1
After their ceremony, Dayna and Patrick met their extended family for lunch at Mangia & Bevi. The best part? Dayna told the restaurant she didn't have centrepieces, so the restaurant made their own! It was a sweet gesture and total surprise -- Dayna loved it.
RECEPTION PART 2
Reception part 2 was held in a friend's backyard. The event was catered by a food truck (yum!) and the couple hired a bartender to distribute the libations. Because they were already officially married at this point, the newlyweds were able to mix and mingle with their guests. In fact, I don't think I've ever been to a wedding where I've had so much one on one time with the bride! Usually it's just a quick, "Congratulations!" and they're off to see another guest.
At dusk, guests were invited to a nearby park to check out a fireworks show. It was romantic and fun and awesome.
So! What advice does Dayna have for other bride's on a budget? I've posted her nuggets of wisdom (is that a thing?) below.
ADVICE
"For a wedding like mine, I would advise people to plan it in 3 or 4 months. Don't wait a whole year cause it just gives people longer to mix up the details."
Dayna's engagement lasted just over a year and like us, she sent out an email save the date/wedding invite. The newlywed said there were some mixups with family when it came to the actual date of the wedding, but I think that can happen at a larger wedding as well. Some people are just bad at remembering dates.
If you plan on having an intimate ceremony with a larger reception afterwards, Dayna advises not to mince words.
"Be super blunt and clear with everyone when it comes to the invites... if you're trying to protect feelings they'll just misinterpret what you're saying. For instance, the invitation to the aunts and uncles said we were having a small ceremony and would like them to join us for lunch after. We gave them the date, time, and location of lunch only. I thought that made it clear cause they didn't receive the location and time of ceremony, but that didn't happen."
So there you have it! Advice from another bride on a budget.
*When you attached Go Pro to your dog, they become a videographer.