Hi again! We don't have our full gallery back yet, but our wonderful photographer has already published a full blog post of our wedding so figured I'd go ahead and wrap up my BAM. Apologies in advance, this is likely to become way longer than I intended initially 
Detail shot
Me.. 
It's a Husband!
Post ceremony & saving me from heels (ignore laughing face, please!)
Bride/Groom
Speeches
Cake cutting / dessert table peek
Veil shots
The "Good"
Honestly, I can't complain - even the things that didn't turn out exactly accordingly to plan were far from catastrophic! I accounted for quite a bit of extra time in our "getting ready" schedule, so we were never rushed and felt like we had plenty of time even throughout the rest of the day.
We allocated an hour and a half between our ceremony (immediate family only) and our reception (full families, friends, etc.) for family & bride/groom photos, which was a huge priority for us. Our photographer is absolutely amazing, and had a couple preview pics out by that same evening, along with 30ish more the next day!
Our food was another big priority, and everything was delicious - the staff was very polite and attentive, and even came around clearing plates a few times which was an unexpected bonus. We had a buffet lineup with chicken cordon bleu and/or chuck roast beef, seven-layer salad, roasted red potatoes / white cheddar mac&cheese, and a selection of rolls. Not exactly formal wedding food, but the comfort food was exactly what we wanted after a long day!
Finally, I was super appreciative that we got an awesome deal on the venue! It is actually a snow tubing lodge that is rented out during the off-season, and we got access Friday at noon + all day Saturday + 8:00am through noon on Sunday for clean-up. I had everything planned out in my head, created a layout for our helpers to adhere to during set-up, and fortunately everything was pretty much taken care of on Fri/Sun so we could fully enjoy our wedding day.
The "Bad"
Our DJ decided to implement his own choices during dinner, which was quite different from our own style - not an issue, until he completely disregarded our request to switch over to our playlist as it would "mess up the timeline" of the evening. The songs he chose were definitely not favorites of the general guest population, either, and I think that contributed to some of the early departures.
Speaking of.. I was rather upset later on, as I realized that there were a significant number of guests on my side of the family who attended but who left immediately after dinner - we did walk around and speak with each table / group of guests, but at that point they were apparently already gone. Perhaps my perspective is a bit outdated, but I would've hoped that they would've tracked us down to at least say "hi" and/or "congrats" .. however, we certainly enjoyed the beautiful day regardless!
Our only other real issue was that our bartender started off mixing drinks unnecessarily strong, to the extreme that most guests couldn't drink them; she did eventually reach a better balance, so I think perhaps she was used to larger cups & didn't adjust her pours accordingly until later on. She also told one guest that we didn't have sweet tea (which we did), although that was irrelevant as they had attempted to order a long island iced tea.. just seemed odd for a "professional" recommended through the caterer, but oh well.
The "Unexpected"
Due to the DJ issue barely anyone danced throughout the reception, and most of the guests had already left by 8-8:30ish (reception / dinner began at 5:00), so we ended up wrapping things up at 9:00 and called it a day. Slightly disappointing since we had paid the DJ / bartender through 10:00 / 11:00 respectively, although we were really only anticipating an extra hour or so I suppose! Everything worked out, though, as we headed home to decompress & open cards / gifts with a few members of the bridal party.
My dress was actually a Sherri Hill prom dress that I found online, more of an accidental find that I stumbled upon and fell in love with! I did have alterations done to hem it (an inch), and swapped out the original straps for much more comfortable tulle straps; altogether I still came in right around $400! I also bought a dress from Lulu's for the reception, and was so thankful that I could swap out since I was pretty toasty by that point and ready for a lightweight floaty dress that wasn't form-fitting.
I also ended up not using all my decorations which was surprising, but while we were setting up realized that I didn't want to go overboard.. after all, sometimes less really is more! This was the first major event I've planned, and I took everything on myself since I'm stubborn but honestly I loved that everything turned out just how I pictured, even with those differences.
Budget Breakdown
Our goal was to stay below $10,000, and by my final tallies we were right under $8,000! We funded everything ourselves, although fortunately I had started a wedding savings account a few years back which was a significant help. (All values are approximated for ease of summarizing - our total doesn't include the honeymoon or our wedding bands, since those were funded separately as a vacation / a special investment)
$850.00 Venue - additional $250.00 damage deposit was promptly returned
$1,600 Catering - $14.50 per person, less a promotional discount from attending a bridal show and a 15% tip on top of the service/delivery fees
$450 Bar / Bartending - after returning all unopened bottles / cases, and including a 20% tip for the bartender
$1500 Photography - booked during holiday promotion, so we received a free engagement session in addition to our 6 hours of wedding day coverage
$250 Flowers - artificial arrangements from a private seller online; 5 bouquets / 4 boutonnieres
$50 Cake - our Cheesecake Factory "Oreo Dream" cake + decorations
$900 Attire - $675 dress(es) / accessories + $225 suit rental
$550 DJ - including 10% tip
$200 Invites - design suite from Etsy, printed via VistaPrint & stamps bought in bulk via Amazon & eBay
$170 Officiant - $70 marriage license + $100 tip to our officiant (his uncle)
$215 Hair / Makeup - including trial cost + tips
$400 Linens - all purchased; tablecloths, chair covers, runners, curtains, etc.
$575 Decor - DIY'ed and decorated completely from scratch
Venue: Valley’s Edge | Additional Portrait Location: Wesler’s Orchard | Bridal Dress Designer: Sherri Hill | Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal | Groom/Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Warehouse | Catering: Rob’s Restaurant & Catering | Invitations: Dandy Lion Paper | Brides Wedding Band: Hoppe Jewelers | Groom’s Wedding Band: Alpha Tungsten
Advice / Final Thoughts
Overall, if you have the opportunity to get into your venue and/or ceremony space the day before, definitely take advantage! I knew that if we could all survive the day before, then the marriage would happen regardless of all else so no reason to stress on my wedding day. I actually surprised myself with how "chill" I was about some of the little things, but it was honestly such a wonderful day surrounded with our loved ones that there wasn't anything that could ruin it.
Also - don't be afraid to laugh/enjoy the ceremony! Since my hands were pretty shaky when I went to hold hands with my husband, he mocked me and subtly shook my hands back.. we were smiling and laughing, since that's more our personality & relationship, throughout the whole thing. Not that we didn't take things seriously, of course, but I was surprised how much I enjoyed the special moment even with an audience watching our every move
