A couple of details from my wedding courtesy of Dabito
I’ve received quite a few emails in the past month requesting that I share how I was able to pull off a 200 person DIY shotgun wedding on a budget. The answer is– with a whole lotta help. Calling our wedding a DIY wedding is not really fair. I like to call it a DIT (Do It Together) wedding–because I had help from so many talented friends, friends of friends and family members…that having been said, I do have some tips of how to keep costs down. (Also, I’m dying to share more pictures of the wedding with you but we recently got the exciting news that our special day will be published in June/July on a website that I just adore–so it’ll have to wait just a little bit longer…) Anyways, here are my top 10 tips of how to keep things reasonable:
1. Go for a city venue–they’re *way* cheaper.
2. Make sure your venue has plenty of parking. Valet and paid parking can get very pricey.
3. Go vintage with the decor–AKA thrift your hearts out–(then re-sell the stuff when your done to recoup costs)
4. Borrow from friends and family–don’t be afraid to ask! That, “something borrowed” can go a long way!
5. Ask for help from your homies–they are fun to work with, talented and afforadable.
6. Go rustic with the florals — we used a lot of florals from our back yard!
7. Rentals get pricey–thrift where you can.
8. Vegetarian meals are eco, yummy, and budget-friendly
9. Pick a color scheme, then let your bridal party wear what they want, add only accoutrement
10. Let your take-aways be a part of the wedding decor.
Hope this helps!
chedva says
Love your tips (the last one is kind of brilliant). Your wedding sounds like our dream wedding (but we let our parents go wild with their dreams) – can’t wait to see more! xo
Justina Blakeney says
Thanks Chedva! We were lucky our parents let us do our own ‘thang’–honestly– I just think they were happy we were getting married at all! Ha ha!!
chedva says
Ha ha! I got married at 18;)
Justine @ Urban Scarlet says
ok, i absoultely LOVE this. such great tips. your wedding sounds fab thanks to all those extra help. my friend just got recently engaged and wants to get married in 1.5 months. i will share this with her :) PS. great blog. i’ll be here for awhile!
Ro says
Just came across your blog today and I love it! I’m getting married myself this year and a fuss-free wedding is my priority, so I appreciate your advice. Looking forward to seeing more pictures!
Justina Blakeney says
Oh yes– ours was certainly fuss-free–that’s our vibe!
Will @ Bright.Bazaar says
Great tips! I’m off to a city wedding in London this summer – looking forward to it!
Amanda says
Great Tips! Can’t wait to see the photos!
OLD BRAND NEW says
You’re doing my wedding! ;D And I can’t wait to see the wedding photos!
Kristen Marino says
Don’t forget to include the father-daughter dance into your wedding planning. The father daughter dance songs need to be perfect to incorporate the memories of a father and his little girl. These songs generally have meaning within the lyrics to signify the daughter’s relationship with her father. There are many beautiful songs these days that were written specifically for this memorable moment. Or, you can choose an older song such as “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder, to embrace the love between a father and daughter.