This is going to be long. Originally, I wanted to do a multi part BAM, but I am just putting it all in one.
Budget Break Down & Vendor Reviews
Venue – Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center in St. Joseph, MO (Would not recommend)
$6080.91
Included:
Ceremony Venue (outside, behind hotel in a garden area with koi ponds)
Indoor Ball Room (glorified conference room)
Tables
Chairs
Table cloths and linen napkins (they went back and forth on whether I pay for these, but I ended up not)
Mirrors for centerpieces
Backdrop behind head table and cake (the price on these kept changing)
Unlimited nonalcoholic beverages (although they did a great job keeping tea, water, and lemonade glasses filled at the tables, no one even knew that soda was free at the bar. The one person I know of that went and got soda was charged for it!!!)
Catering (this was the worst part about this venue. They don’t force you to go with their list of caterers, but they demand so much and tack on so much money for themselves that very few caterers will work with them)
Alcohol for Bride, Groom, Best man, and Maid of Honor. We did not do an open bar because our guests are not drinkers. Alcohol is never present at my family functions and is far too over done at his. We made a personal decision contrary to the adamant advice from wedding wire. I am so glad we did.
Champaign for the head table (we didn’t receive this, so they later gave DH and I a bottle and a couple glasses that said the hotel name)
The honeymoon suit for bride and groom the night of the wedding.
Caterer – Luna’s Fine Dining and Catering in St. Joseph, MO (would highly recommend)
Price included in venue rental.
Included:
Roasted chicken thighs
Pork
Russet potatoes
Mixed veggies
To die for bread
The best chocolate truffles in the world
Mixed summer salad with fruits
The food was amazing. The caterers were very nice and easy to work with. They included the truffles for free!
Baker – A&M Custom Cakes in Independence MO (would recommend so highly)
$750
$50 Tip
Includes:
4 Tier cake to serve nearly 200 people not including the top tier as that was to be saved.
1st, 2nd, & 4th tiers were Almond cake with either raspberry compote filling or vanilla buttercream filling
3rd tier was chocolate with chocolate ganache filling
And she stayed to cut and serve the cake
I am a cake snob. I bake a lot. My grandmother on my dad’s side was a baking instructor. My grandmother on my mom’s side was a professional wedding (and other event) cake baker and decorator. I had very high standards and was honestly terrified my cake would be a disappointment but boy was I surprised! It looked EXACTLY like I pictured it and tasted even better than I could imagine! We prepaid for a cake to serve nearly 200 people. We had less than 100 people attend our wedding. The only left overs were the top tier she packed up for us and 4 big slices that the employees grabbed lol so both sad and happy about that lol. We ended up eating our top tier the next day with family since DH and I hadn’t gotten any except the one bite and we will be hiring her to make us a miniature version of our wedding cake for our 1-year anniversary.
DJ & Strings – KC Weddings Plus in KC, MO (Would recommend)
$1100 paid
$300 tip
$100 refunded after
Included:
Cello and Violin for ceremony
DJ for reception
Up lighting (this was not done although we had talked in depth about it, so he refunded $100)
I don’t think he was outstanding, but he was good enough. We had an older crowd and we aren’t big “party people” so the dancing wasn’t anything crazy. There was some must have songs that didn’t get played but we did end the wedding earlier than anticipated. The lack of up lighting was irritating but thankfully I didn’t realize it until after and I still think it was beautiful without them. He was supposed to be there 2 hours in advance to set up and yet the mic for the ceremony wasn’t working so part way into the ceremony he had to switch out the mic. In order to do that he turned on a new mic and very loudly said “check” through it while the preacher was talking. I know it was miniscule and no one will remember it but DH and I both rolled our eyes when it happened lol also, he said he was bringing a mic for our coordinators husband who offered to sing as I was walking down the aisle, but I don’t think he had one. Oh, and he kept messaging me the morning of the wedding. I ended up having to tell him to just talk to the coordinator because I was busy!
Photographer – Josie Pix Photography (also listed as Brook Shelton Photography) in KC, MO (but she moved right after the wedding to Washington State) (Would Highly Recommend)
$2300 Paid
$300 Refunded
Included:
Engagement Photo Session (at local park but it looked like it was done at a national park)
11 hours of photography with one shooter the day of (she refunded $300 because we ended 1.5 hours earlier than what we paid for)
Printing rights
A personalized USB-drive
A beautiful leather-bound photo album with our names and wedding date engraved in it
She was so nice and down to earth. She kept us on pace with photos and really helped us feel comfortable. Even with moving across the country immediately after the wedding, she still got us the photos so quickly, and they are stunning!
Videography – Vegan Videos in KC, MO (would recommend)
$1850
Included:
9 Hours of filming
2 videographers
5 DVDs or blue ray films
Sneak peek on social media
All raw footage
When talking to the owner of the business before the wedding, he was so very nice and professional and easy to work with. I do wish we had met in person before the wedding (completely my choice) because it was super weird when him and his son just walked in to the air bnb while we were getting ready, but it is laughable now. There were creepy (my sister was uncomfortable when the assistant was gushing over how beautiful she was while she did her makeup) and over whelming moments when they would rush in on someone while they were doing their hair or makeup, but I think it made for great footage. This wasn’t really an option for me, but I wish I had found a photographer and videographer with the same company or at least that had worked together before. My mother said she heard the videographers complaining that the photographer was bossy (she absolutely was not more than she should have been) and not letting them get live action shots. To be honest they needed to step up more and film things while they happened or tell us what to do. There was one point in time while I was actually on the dance floor (I don’t like dancing) making a fool of myself and they were setting at their table relaxing. They had already had multiple scheduled breaks! Also, we were only able to pick music from a list he provided of non-copy-righted music that we had never heard before. It would have been nice to pick our favorite music, but this may have been what kept the price so low. All of that said, they were very easy to work with and very kind. The film also turned out wonderfully so no regrets!
Officiant – Reverend John Potter (would recommend)
$500
$50 tip
Included
30ish minute service
Help planning the service
Attending and helping with the rehearsal
Mailing the marriage license
We had originally planned to have my uncle (the preacher at my family church) marry us but because of some differences of beliefs (DH and I have lived together for 5 years before our wedding) he attended as a guest instead. Reverend Potter did an amazing job of stepping in as our officiant. Many of our family asked if we had known him for a long time. He seemed to really know and understand our relationship and really matched up with our beliefs. My mother (who is very religious) thought he was just wonderful!
DOC – Expressive Solutions and Creations in KC, MO (Highly Recommend)
$715.82
$75 Tip
Included:
Day of coordination
Some planning leading up to the wedding
Rehearsal coordination
Set up and tear down of décor
Ceiling décor rental
Photo back drop for selfies (provided for free the day of because there was an empty corner)
Vases and filler for centerpieces
Escort cards and display
Ceremony Isle decor
Cake table décor
Husband sand for cake cutting and while I walked down the aisle. He also really helped keep the dance floor popping lol
Travel
Hotel stay the night before
I really can’t say enough good things about Camille and her husband. Literally all my guests thought she was awesome! She attended the rehearsal dinner with us (we had a very lade back family dinner at a pizza restaurant) and we didn’t want to stop hanging out and chatting! Really truly the best and so unbelievably affordable!
Florist 1 – Treasure Gardens in Cosby MO (would not recommend)
$481.96
Included:
My bouquet ($150) that looked like a wilted version of what the bridesmaid’s bouquets were supposed to look like
4x bridesmaids’ bouquets ($50 each) literally 4-5 falling apart wilted roses tied together
Groom’s Boutonniere ($15)
Best Man’s Boutonniere ($15)
A toss bouquet that was literally 2-3 very ugly rosses with maybe and inch and a half of stem on each on. We “tossed” it into the trash along with the left-over flowers that were meant for the cake. They truly were the ugliest wilted garbage flowers.
$100 fee for spending less than $1000 with her (I wish I had given her no money at all)
I may have been a pain changing my mind about what I wanted but what bride doesn’t??? Also, she made it difficult because she would give me one great price then turn around a month later and shrink down the centerpiece a ton or try to quadruple the price!! She was so much more affordable than any other florist, so I stuck it out even though she constantly had a bad attitude. Turns out you truly do get what you pay for, but also not because florist #2 was wonderful for a fraction of the price!
Florist 2 – She Loves Me Floral in Kansas City, KS (would recommend)
$160
Included:
Single rose and petals for 14 tables
She brought a tone of extra roses so her and the coordinator set them up on the head table to fill in for my crappy bouquet and on the cake because it now had no flowers.
The roses she brought really were beautiful big full roses and she was a major sweetheart! Also, you can’t beat that price!
Alterations – Sandy Sewing in St. Joseph, MO (would very highly recommend!)
$75
Included:
9-point custom bustle
Taking in top of dress
Hemming entire base (ie not just the front) with multiple layers
Removing the lace applique from one veil and sewing it onto a different veil
She was so nice and easy to work with. She worked from her basement, but it was a very pleasant and professional space. Also wow that price! Oh and of course her work was phenomenal!
Clothing and Accessories
$4,672
Included:
$750 dress purchased shortly after proposal and unable to wear
$1000 approx. spend on clothing for engagement pictures. We decided to only use part of it and not do an outfit change ☹
$60 on DH’s tux rental (this was just for his shoes because his tux was free with a promo from a bridal expo) (also would not recommend tip top tux. Seriously buy don’t rent. They didn’t get their tuxes till a day or 2 before and even after checking multiple times, there was one item not the right color ((my dad’s pocket square)) and multiple people had to return items for correct sizing)
$250 on Etsy for DH’s accessories (DH pocket watch, Dr Who tie clip, 20-sided-die cufflinks)
$150 at David’s Bridal on jewelry I didn’t use
$ 150 T-shirts for bridal party (plus my mom)
$150 robes for bridal party
$50 my outfit for under my robe while getting ready
$100 my heels
$50 my sneakers
$100 my corset I didn’t use
$112 on different sticky bras to find the right one
$100 my A-line slip that I hated and should have just had layers of tulle sewn into my dress
$850 My dream dress 9seriously I went through 6 different dresses before I decided on this one. Thankfully I only actually lost money on 1
$150 on my veil
$75 hair piece (I should have gotten a tiara)
$150 pearl necklace I wore
$150 on diamond necklace for my mom that she couldn’t wear because she bought a new dress, so she wore the jewelry I didn’t wear from David’s Bridal lol I am clearly my mother’s daughter!
$100 bridesmaid’s jewelry
$75 groom’s men’s matching dress socks
$100 groom’s men’s pocket watches
Hair and makeup
$5018
Included:
$1500 very big Ulta haul because I had literally no makeup or skin care products. I ended up only using a couple of these items for the wedding, but this is how I learned to do my own and I will use all of it now that my wedding tan is gone
$208 gifts for my sister/maid of honor because she was always doing so much for me and I just kept thinking of more things to get her.
$95 selfie mirrors for the bridal party
$50 masks and undereye patches for bridal party
$90 trials, day before cut, and day of styling of hair for FH
$30 day before cut and day of style for best man
$150 2 trials and day before nails
$20 eye brow wax
$120 hair and makeup trial done the day of the engagement pictures (this lady backed out because of a family emergency but per Facebook was styling other people’s hair the morning of the wedding)
$60 hair trial (this lady kept adding more and more money to the total. I.e.: $300just to be there before the price of the services)
$100 hair and makeup trial (this lady started some major hateful drama with my sister/MOH about 2 weeks before the wedding ((don’t hire friendors)) and she was terrible, so it worked out)
$150 hair extensions I ended up only using for the engagement pictures because it was too hot the day of
$790 makeup actually used for the wedding
$350 sigma brushes because I was sad all my makeup artists were duds so don’t judge me
$340 money wasted on makeup that was the wrong color or poor quality because the friendor previously mentioned said she liked it ☹ (seriously who gets yellow undertone foundation to cancel out their natural red undertone???? Dumb!!!)
$210 tan (lotion, spray, and bed)
$575 more makeup and tools purchased but not used the day of because well I dove into the makeup addiction with both feet lol
$200 wedding scents for DH and I
Décor
$700
Included:
$25 card box
$10 card sticker for box
$50 sign
$45 sticker for sign
$15 guest book
$5 pens
$15 misc. vases on Facebook Market Place
$95 bunch bowl, ladle, mint bowl, pinchers, truffle bowl and scoop (not used), cake plates and forks, cups and napkins
$50 misc. vintage trays (not used except a couple used for photo props w/ the accessories)
$80 lanterns (not used)
$20 isle runner
$80 candles used on tables
$25 fake candles (not used)
$30 Mr. & Mrs. Sign
$10 buckets for money dance
$25 sparklers, lighters, and sand for grand exit
$40 cake topper
$20 table numbers and spray paint
$60 fake flowers (not used)
Gifts
$300 (more but the rest was included in other sections)
Stationary
$793
Included:
Save The Dates from “simplytoimpress.com”
Invitation suit (with RSVP and envelopes) from “elegantweddinginvitations.com”
Tons of tape and glue dots
Tons of stamps
Rehearsal Dinner – Pizza Ranch
$250
$50 tip
Food the Day Of
-DOC brought breakfast
-Sam’s club trays for girl’s lunch ($120)
-Buffalo Wild Wings for guy’s lunch (fog paid for)
Rings – Niche of time Jewelry & Kay Jewelers $1250
155 people invited. 107 RSVPed yes or said yes when contacted later. 26 no shows. 8 came uninvited.
Total Spent = $ 26,821.69
I obviously could have saved a lot of money on this had I made better decisions, but I think it all worked out very well
The Good:
We heard endless praises for the food and the feel of the night. Everyone was so surprised at how classy it was! Even my mom who constantly acted as if I should go simpler and cheaper thought it was beautiful. More than anything I am so happy to be married and I really think our photos capture just how happy and romantic we felt all day! There were so many tears and so much laughter it really was the best day ever!
The Bad:
I really think our vendors butted heads a lot. We hired some amazing vendors, but I think they were all a bit of alfas but really, they held it together and did a fantastic job.
We had a lot of no shows. I am very disappointed and hurt but most of all I am so frustrated that I felt like I had to invite so many people who clearly didn’t care to attend.
Before our pictures came in, all I could think of was what I wish I had done differently, and it was so hard to remember if we had done things, so I felt like we forgot stuff. After really opening up to DH about my sadness and frustration and emptiness without wedding planning, him and I were able to rebound and remember a lot of good. We also started planning our postponed honeymoon to Ireland since Punta Cana is off the table now lol
The Advice:
Hire photographer and videographer from the same company or that have worked together before
My photographer and videographers assumed I would want photos of my not entirely dress. As in before my dress was zipped. They assumed so I felt pressured and went with it. I was super uncomfortable and now out of so many amazing photos I hate a hole little chunk of them because even though they are beautiful, and I look cute 😉 you can see my exposed back in the mirror and I never lost the weight I wanted so it is not very flattering… stand up for yourself. Don’t let anyone assume you want the normal thing.
Don’t shove the cake! DH and I always planned to. It would have been so “us” but last minute I chickened out because I saw a photo of someone breaking out after because of it. So many people were so glad we didn’t (including us). It just felt so much more romantic.
Open Bar is not a must! We knew we had an older crowd of nondrinkers. Literally 8 people visited the bar and we paid for 4 of them (bride, groom, maid of honor, best man) the others were glad we had the option but in no way expected us to have an open bar
Don’t rehears your “thank you” speech! Just thank everyone from your heart. When DH and I left the dance floor after our first dance and headed for our table, I whispered to him “next is our speeches, make sure to thank your wedding party and parents” he looked at me like a dear in the headlights! We had very briefly talked about the thank you speech but not much. He made the entire room laugh out loud and I made everyone cry lol I don’t even remember what all we said (thankfully we have the video for that lol) but it was great!
The Pictures:
This is going to be long. Originally, I wanted to do a multi part BAM, but I am just putting it all in one. Budget Break Down & Vendor Reviews Venue – Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center in St. Joseph, MO (Would not recommend) $6080.91 Included: Ceremony Venue (outside, behind hotel in a garden area with koi ponds)Indoor Ball Room (glorified conference room) TablesChairsTable cloths and linen napkins (they went back and forth on whether I pay for these, but I ended up not)Mirrors for centerpiecesBackdrop behind head table and cake (the price on these kept changing)Unlimited nonalcoholic beverages (although they did a great job keeping tea, water, and lemonade glasses filled at the tables, no one even knew that soda was free at the bar. The one person I know of that went and got soda was charged for it!!!)Catering (this was the worst part about this venue. They don’t force you to go with their list of caterers, but they demand so much and tack on so much money for themselves that very few caterers will work with them) Alcohol for Bride, Groom, Best man, and Maid of Honor. We did not do an open bar because our guests are not drinkers. Alcohol is never present at my family functions and is far too over done at his. We made a personal decision contrary to the adamant advice from wedding wire. I am so glad we did. Champaign for the head table (we didn’t receive this, so they later gave DH and I a bottle and a couple glasses that said the hotel name)The honeymoon suit for bride and groom the night of the wedding. Caterer – Luna’s Fine Dining and Catering in St. Joseph, MO (would highly recommend) Price included in venue rental. Included: Roasted chicken thighs Pork Russet potatoesMixed veggiesTo die for breadThe best chocolate truffles in the worldMixed summer salad with fruits The food was amazing. The caterers were very nice and easy to work with. They included the truffles for free! Baker – A&M Custom Cakes in Independence MO (would recommend so highly) $750 $50 Tip Includes: 4 Tier cake to serve nearly 200 people not including the top tier as that was to be saved. 1st, 2nd, & 4th tiers were Almond cake with either raspberry compote filling or vanilla buttercream filling 3rd tier was chocolate with chocolate ganache fillingAnd she stayed to cut and serve the cake I am a cake snob. I bake a lot. My grandmother on my dad’s side was a baking instructor. My grandmother on my mom’s side was a professional wedding (and other event) cake baker and decorator. I had very high standards and was honestly terrified my cake would be a disappointment but boy was I surprised! It looked EXACTLY like I pictured it and tasted even better than I could imagine! We prepaid for a cake to serve nearly 200 people. We had less than 100 people attend our wedding. The only left overs were the top tier she packed up for us and 4 big slices that the employees grabbed lol so both sad and happy about that lol. We ended up eating our top tier the next day with family since DH and I hadn’t gotten any except the one bite and we will be hiring her to make us a miniature version of our wedding cake for our 1-year anniversary. DJ & Strings – KC Weddings Plus in KC, MO (Would recommend) $1100 paid $300 tip $100 refunded after Included: Cello and Violin for ceremonyDJ for receptionUp lighting (this was not done although we had talked in depth about it, so he refunded $100) I don’t think he was outstanding, but he was good enough. We had an older crowd and we aren’t big “party people” so the dancing wasn’t anything crazy. There was some must have songs that didn’t get played but we did end the wedding earlier than anticipated. The lack of up lighting was irritating but thankfully I didn’t realize it until after and I still think it was beautiful without them. He was supposed to be there 2 hours in advance to set up and yet the mic for the ceremony wasn’t working so part way into the ceremony he had to switch out the mic. In order to do that he turned on a new mic and very loudly said “check” through it while the preacher was talking. I know it was miniscule and no one will remember it but DH and I both rolled our eyes when it happened lol also, he said he was bringing a mic for our coordinators husband who offered to sing as I was walking down the aisle, but I don’t think he had one. Oh, and he kept messaging me the morning of the wedding. I ended up having to tell him to just talk to the coordinator because I was busy! Photographer – Josie Pix Photography (also listed as Brook Shelton Photography) in KC, MO (but she moved right after the wedding to Washington State) (Would Highly Recommend) $2300 Paid $300 Refunded Included: Engagement Photo Session (at local park but it looked like it was done at a national park)11 hours of photography with one shooter the day of (she refunded $300 because we ended 1.5 hours earlier than what we paid for)Printing rightsA personalized USB-driveA beautiful leather-bound photo album with our names and wedding date engraved in it She was so nice and down to earth. She kept us on pace with photos and really helped us feel comfortable. Even with moving across the country immediately after the wedding, she still got us the photos so quickly, and they are stunning! Videography – Vegan Videos in KC, MO (would recommend) $1850 Included: 9 Hours of filming2 videographers5 DVDs or blue ray filmsSneak peek on social mediaAll raw footage When talking to the owner of the business before the wedding, he was so very nice and professional and easy to work with. I do wish we had met in person before the wedding (completely my choice) because it was super weird when him and his son just walked in to the air bnb while we were getting ready, but it is laughable now. There were creepy (my sister was uncomfortable when the assistant was gushing over how beautiful she was while she did her makeup) and over whelming moments when they would rush in on someone while they were doing their hair or makeup, but I think it made for great footage. This wasn’t really an option for me, but I wish I had found a photographer and videographer with the same company or at least that had worked together before. My mother said she heard the videographers complaining that the photographer was bossy (she absolutely was not more than she should have been) and not letting them get live action shots. To be honest they needed to step up more and film things while they happened or tell us what to do. There was one point in time while I was actually on the dance floor (I don’t like dancing) making a fool of myself and they were setting at their table relaxing. They had already had multiple scheduled breaks! Also, we were only able to pick music from a list he provided of non-copy-righted music that we had never heard before. It would have been nice to pick our favorite music, but this may have been what kept the price so low. All of that said, they were very easy to work with and very kind. The film also turned out wonderfully so no regrets! Officiant – Reverend John Potter (would recommend) $500 $50 tip Included 30ish minute serviceHelp planning the serviceAttending and helping with the rehearsalMailing the marriage license We had originally planned to have my uncle (the preacher at my family church) marry us but because of some differences of beliefs (DH and I have lived together for 5 years before our wedding) he attended as a guest instead. Reverend Potter did an amazing job of stepping in as our officiant. Many of our family asked if we had known him for a long time. He seemed to really know and understand our relationship and really matched up with our beliefs. My mother (who is very religious) thought he was just wonderful! DOC – Expressive Solutions and Creations in KC, MO (Highly Recommend) $715.82 $75 Tip Included: Day of coordinationSome planning leading up to the weddingRehearsal coordinationSet up and tear down of décorCeiling décor rental Photo back drop for selfies (provided for free the day of because there was an empty corner)Vases and filler for centerpiecesEscort cards and displayCeremony Isle decorCake table décorHusband sand for cake cutting and while I walked down the aisle. He also really helped keep the dance floor popping lol TravelHotel stay the night before I really can’t say enough good things about Camille and her husband. Literally all my guests thought she was awesome! She attended the rehearsal dinner with us (we had a very lade back family dinner at a pizza restaurant) and we didn’t want to stop hanging out and chatting! Really truly the best and so unbelievably affordable! Florist 1 – Treasure Gardens in Cosby MO (would not recommend) $481.96 Included: My bouquet ($150) that looked like a wilted version of what the bridesmaid’s bouquets were supposed to look like4x bridesmaids’ bouquets ($50 each) literally 4-5 falling apart wilted roses tied togetherGroom’s Boutonniere ($15)Best Man’s Boutonniere ($15)A toss bouquet that was literally 2-3 very ugly rosses with maybe and inch and a half of stem on each on. We “tossed” it into the trash along with the left-over flowers that were meant for the cake. They truly were the ugliest wilted garbage flowers. $100 fee for spending less than $1000 with her (I wish I had given her no money at all) I may have been a pain changing my mind about what I wanted but what bride doesn’t??? Also, she made it difficult because she would give me one great price then turn around a month later and shrink down the centerpiece a ton or try to quadruple the price!! She was so much more affordable than any other florist, so I stuck it out even though she constantly had a bad attitude. Turns out you truly do get what you pay for, but also not because florist #2 was wonderful for a fraction of the price! Florist 2 – She Loves Me Floral in Kansas City, KS (would recommend) $160 Included: Single rose and petals for 14 tablesShe brought a tone of extra roses so her and the coordinator set them up on the head table to fill in for my crappy bouquet and on the cake because it now had no flowers. The roses she brought really were beautiful big full roses and she was a major sweetheart! Also, you can’t beat that price! Alterations – Sandy Sewing in St. Joseph, MO (would very highly recommend!) $75 Included: 9-point custom bustleTaking in top of dressHemming entire base (ie not just the front) with multiple layers Removing the lace applique from one veil and sewing it onto a different veil She was so nice and easy to work with. She worked from her basement, but it was a very pleasant and professional space. Also wow that price! Oh and of course her work was phenomenal! Clothing and Accessories $4,672 Included: $750 dress purchased shortly after proposal and unable to wear$1000 approx. spend on clothing for engagement pictures. We decided to only use part of it and not do an outfit change ☹$60 on DH’s tux rental (this was just for his shoes because his tux was free with a promo from a bridal expo) (also would not recommend tip top tux. Seriously buy don’t rent. They didn’t get their tuxes till a day or 2 before and even after checking multiple times, there was one item not the right color ((my dad’s pocket square)) and multiple people had to return items for correct sizing)$250 on Etsy for DH’s accessories (DH pocket watch, Dr Who tie clip, 20-sided-die cufflinks)$150 at David’s Bridal on jewelry I didn’t use$ 150 T-shirts for bridal party (plus my mom)$150 robes for bridal party $50 my outfit for under my robe while getting ready$100 my heels$50 my sneakers $100 my corset I didn’t use$112 on different sticky bras to find the right one$100 my A-line slip that I hated and should have just had layers of tulle sewn into my dress$850 My dream dress 9seriously I went through 6 different dresses before I decided on this one. Thankfully I only actually lost money on 1 $150 on my veil$75 hair piece (I should have gotten a tiara)$150 pearl necklace I wore$150 on diamond necklace for my mom that she couldn’t wear because she bought a new dress, so she wore the jewelry I didn’t wear from David’s Bridal lol I am clearly my mother’s daughter!$100 bridesmaid’s jewelry$75 groom’s men’s matching dress socks$100 groom’s men’s pocket watches Hair and makeup $5018 Included: $1500 very big Ulta haul because I had literally no makeup or skin care products. I ended up only using a couple of these items for the wedding, but this is how I learned to do my own and I will use all of it now that my wedding tan is gone$208 gifts for my sister/maid of honor because she was always doing so much for me and I just kept thinking of more things to get her. $95 selfie mirrors for the bridal party$50 masks and undereye patches for bridal party$90 trials, day before cut, and day of styling of hair for FH $30 day before cut and day of style for best man$150 2 trials and day before nails$20 eye brow wax$120 hair and makeup trial done the day of the engagement pictures (this lady backed out because of a family emergency but per Facebook was styling other people’s hair the morning of the wedding)$60 hair trial (this lady kept adding more and more money to the total. I.e.: $300just to be there before the price of the services)$100 hair and makeup trial (this lady started some major hateful drama with my sister/MOH about 2 weeks before the wedding ((don’t hire friendors)) and she was terrible, so it worked out) $150 hair extensions I ended up only using for the engagement pictures because it was too hot the day of$790 makeup actually used for the wedding$350 sigma brushes because I was sad all my makeup artists were duds so don’t judge me$340 money wasted on makeup that was the wrong color or poor quality because the friendor previously mentioned said she liked it ☹ (seriously who gets yellow undertone foundation to cancel out their natural red undertone???? Dumb!!!)$210 tan (lotion, spray, and bed)$575 more makeup and tools purchased but not used the day of because well I dove into the makeup addiction with both feet lol $200 wedding scents for DH and I Décor $700 Included: $25 card box$10 card sticker for box$50 sign$45 sticker for sign$15 guest book$5 pens$15 misc. vases on Facebook Market Place$95 bunch bowl, ladle, mint bowl, pinchers, truffle bowl and scoop (not used), cake plates and forks, cups and napkins$50 misc. vintage trays (not used except a couple used for photo props w/ the accessories)$80 lanterns (not used)$20 isle runner $80 candles used on tables$25 fake candles (not used)$30 Mr. & Mrs. Sign$10 buckets for money dance$25 sparklers, lighters, and sand for grand exit$40 cake topper$20 table numbers and spray paint$60 fake flowers (not used) Gifts $300 (more but the rest was included in other sections) Stationary $793 Included: Save The Dates from “simplytoimpress.com”Invitation suit (with RSVP and envelopes) from “elegantweddinginvitations.com”Tons of tape and glue dotsTons of stamps Rehearsal Dinner – Pizza Ranch $250 $50 tip Food the Day Of -DOC brought breakfast -Sam’s club trays for girl’s lunch ($120) -Buffalo Wild Wings for guy’s lunch (fog paid for) Rings – Niche of time Jewelry & Kay Jewelers $1250 155 people invited. 107 RSVPed yes or said yes when contacted later. 26 no shows. 8 came uninvited. Total Spent = $ 26,821.69 I obviously could have saved a lot of money on this had I made better decisions, but I think it all worked out very well The Good: We heard endless praises for the food and the feel of the night. Everyone was so surprised at how classy it was! Even my mom who constantly acted as if I should go simpler and cheaper thought it was beautiful. More than anything I am so happy to be married and I really think our photos capture just how happy and romantic we felt all day! There were so many tears and so much laughter it really was the best day ever! The Bad: I really think our vendors butted heads a lot. We hired some amazing vendors, but I think they were all a bit of alfas but really, they held it together and did a fantastic job. We had a lot of no shows. I am very disappointed and hurt but most of all I am so frustrated that I felt like I had to invite so many people who clearly didn’t care to attend. Before our pictures came in, all I could think of was what I wish I had done differently, and it was so hard to remember if we had done things, so I felt like we forgot stuff. After really opening up to DH about my sadness and frustration and emptiness without wedding planning, him and I were able to rebound and remember a lot of good. We also started planning our postponed honeymoon to Ireland since Punta Cana is off the table now lol The Advice: Hire photographer and videographer from the same company or that have worked together beforeMy photographer and videographers assumed I would want photos of my not entirely dress. As in before my dress was zipped. They assumed so I felt pressured and went with it. I was super uncomfortable and now out of so many amazing photos I hate a hole little chunk of them because even though they are beautiful, and I look cute 😉 you can see my exposed back in the mirror and I never lost the weight I wanted so it is not very flattering… stand up for yourself. Don’t let anyone assume you want the normal thing. Don’t shove the cake! DH and I always planned to. It would have been so “us” but last minute I chickened out because I saw a photo of someone breaking out after because of it. So many people were so glad we didn’t (including us). It just felt so much more romantic. Open Bar is not a must! We knew we had an older crowd of nondrinkers. Literally 8 people visited the bar and we paid for 4 of them (bride, groom, maid of honor, best man) the others were glad we had the option but in no way expected us to have an open barDon’t rehears your “thank you” speech! Just thank everyone from your heart. When DH and I left the dance floor after our first dance and headed for our table, I whispered to him “next is our speeches, make sure to thank your wedding party and parents” he looked at me like a dear in the headlights! We had very briefly talked about the thank you speech but not much. He made the entire room laugh out loud and I made everyone cry lol I don’t even remember what all we said (thankfully we have the video for that lol) but it was great! The Pictures:
