Learn the secrets that enabled one bride to plan a formal wedding, hire a celebrity caterer and have the wedding of her dreams for under $10,000. With some careful planning you can do it, too.
As a little girl I dreamed about it: my fairytale wedding in a church illuminated with candles and the heady scent of flowers perfuming the air. The vision included a long white dress, bridesmaids all lined up and my husband-to-be looking exceedingly handsome in white tie and tails. The reception was an elegant affair with a sit-down dinner. Our ultimate honeymoon destination was the South Pacific.
Engaged at 30, with both parents deceased, the prospects of having everything I envisioned seemed dim. My husband-to-be and I were going to foot the bill for everything but the rehearsal dinner and our budget was no more than $10,000, including the honeymoon. The first thing we did was make a list of what we wanted and started the negotiations. Here's what happened:
We decided that an evening wedding was a must for both us (we also held it later than usual to allow guests to eat dinner before arriving). I got to wear that white dress and see the groom in white tie and tails. I saved money by making my own veil and having a friend who was a seamstress alter the dress I ordered. My husband-to-be already owned a tailcoat.
My sister was my maid of honor, my niece was a junior bridesmaid and my husband's brother was best man. We didn't add any other attendants and instead included our closest friends in the ceremony by having them read scripture, light candles, etc.
We cut the guest list to 100 and held the wedding in a beautiful church that didn't require much embellishment. Our music was a combination of organ and piano and we had some of our very talented friends sing during the ceremony. So we saved money on flowers and musicians. Although we ordered invitations, we created all the announcements, rehearsal dinner invitations and wedding programs ourselves.
Our outdoor reception was at the gorgeous home of a friend and the decorations were candles and twinkle lights with background music on CD. Because the wedding was later in the evening, we opted to serve lighter fare and spend money on a superb caterer well-known for their elaborate set-ups and fabulous food. We selected hot appetizers of stuffed mushrooms, exotically seasoned chicken and beef skewers served along with cheeses, wine and fruit.
We choose Hawaii instead of the South Pacific. But trust me, when you're on your honeymoon a palm tree on Maui is just as good as one on Fiji.
When all was said and done, we ended up having that fairytale wedding I dreamed of long ago even if all the details weren't exactly the same. People who were there still talk about it using the words stylish and elegant. And they really remember the fabulous food! Along the way we discovered the virtues of relying on friends and family to help make the event one of the most special days of our lives and the perfect start to our marriage.
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