So this is going to be a similar truth post as my previous ones, but it’s going to be about my wedding! Before I start this I would like to say that I ABSOLUTELY ADORED my wedding just the way it was! However, looking back at it now, there are some things that I would change! Hopefully this will help some brides with their decisions about their weddings!
#1. Our wedding cost us about $3500 total, including my dress! We were determined to pay for it all in cash, and we did! That is something that I’m SUPER proud about!
#2. I wish we had done fake flowers for the bridesmaids. Flowers are expensive! I originally wanted to grow my own flowers for my wedding, but time wasn’t really on our side. There’s also that chance that mother nature intervenes in a negative way – so it’s good to have a back-up plan! Honestly though, flowers were one of our biggest expenses, even though we did it locally. You can make fake bouquets now that look so real and so gorgeous!
#3. Steven says he wishes he had pushed harder for a backyard wedding. I didn’t like the idea at the time, but now, I think it would’ve been really neat to have a potluck wedding with our closest friends and family 🙂 However, I’m not sure that it would’ve been cheaper, since tents and tables can add up very quickly!
#4. I’m glad we went with the deal at the Ramada Inn. We moved our date to the next day, a Sunday, and we got a free DJ and a complimentary bridal suite. Can’t really complain there!
#5. We had originally wanted to go to New Hampshire and climb for a week for our honeymoon. Instead, we took Steven’s parents up on their offer to pay for our honeymoon at Disney. There ended up being a hurricane that week, so I’m glad we didn’t go camping! Also, our honeymoon rocked!
#6. Everything that could be done by hand, we did by hand, and it saved so much money! We made all of our own invitations and programs, as well as table decorations and seating labels. I also love that we had goldfish for our centerpieces 🙂
#7. I wish that the DJ had played less instruction-dancey-music, like the YMCA and such, so that Steven would’ve danced more. But that’s okay, we all still had a ton of fun 🙂
#8. Looking back now, I wouldn’t do a dollar dance. I don’t think that we had enough people, and it was pretty awkward at first. Haha. Asking for money is always uncomfortable for me! Also, I probably wouldn’t have done the bouquet and garter toss. Again – not really enough people in my opinion!
#9. I would’ve had my make-up professionally done. My friend did my hair and make-up, and I really LOVE how it looked, but I think getting it done with a bunch of girlfriends is part of the experience! Also, as a wedding photographer, now, I can see how the makeup can really play an important role in photos that the bride loves! I also feel like I had asked too much of my friend. She made our beautiful cake, and did the hair and make-up of a few girls at my place, and helped me with all the table decorations. She was amazing!
#10. Words cannot express the chance we took on our photographer. She was “cheap,” and only had a couple weddings under her belt. Needless to say, she did a phenomenal job, and I still get emotional over my photos, and now we’ve built this great relationship! I have a whole new understanding and appreciation for wedding photographers and their work.
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