Budget Savvy Bride: Jade's Story

My fiance Jason and I have been together for 5 1/2 years - we discussed marriage for years but wanted to wait for various reasons, such as graduating from college, and of course the desire to be more financially stable. Just within the last month we decided it was finally time to get our wedding plans in order.  We plan on getting married on July 4, 2010.  I am by nature a very thrifty person, and I firmly believe you can have/do nice things without breaking the bank.  Jason is thrifty too, which is one of the reasons we get along so well!

So far, I've already managed to find low-budget options for many the main components of our wedding, even though it's over a year away.  First, we picked out the setting for my engagement ring.  I liked a Tacori band, but I managed to secure it for 20% because the store was selling their display bands as they would not be carrying the brand any longer.  They were also running a special where with the purchase of an engagement band, you also got a credit for a mens band.  Jason got the titanium band that he liked for free.

It also just so happens that Jason has an old friend that runs a local jewelry store.  Apparently he's willing to give Jason a deal on a diamond for my ring - I can't say how much as I don't know what he's going to choose because he wants to surprise me.

As our ideal date is a holiday, we already reserved our venue well in advance.  We live in the Northwest Arkansas area, and an hour away is Eureka Springs, which has a large wedding industry.  Many of the places there offer package deals for wedding, reception and honeymoon.  While searching online, I found the website for A Garden of Dreams in Eureka Springs.  We went one weekend to look at the place - they have a lovely garden area for a simple ceremony just like we had wanted.  The price is right too - for $550 we can have 25 guests, ceremony with ordained minister, reception area already set up, a bridal bouquet and boutineer with flowers of your choice, a 2-tier cake in your colors, champagne for us and punch for the guests, nuts and mints served...  Basically everything we need is provided in the cost, and the venue is reserved for us for 2 hours.  All we need to do is show up!  Not only is it budget-friendly, but it meets another one of our requirements - worry-free!

I love vintage, and I wanted to incorporate vintage things into my wedding.  One of my best friends in Chicago found me a lovely vintage cake topper at a resale shop with an adorable bride and groom.  They even kind of look like us!

As I am thrift-conscious and I also like to collect vintage items, I hit the thrift stores often.  Just a week ago I found a lovely wedding dress at a local thrift store for just $50!  It's Galina, so it's not very old, but it's lovely with nice classic lines.  It just needs to be cleaned, and of course I need to get some small alterations.  I also found some cute, classic shoes at Dillard's on sale for $40.

My friend in Chicago who found the cake topper for me is also getting her master's degree in Photography.  I've already asked her to take a few pictures to document the day.  I joked that she should be my wedding planner or my stylist - she also volunteered to be on the lookout for vintage jewelry for the big day as well.

Some of Jason and I's very good friends, a married couple, already told us they plan to give us $1000 as our wedding gift, to use how we please.  We can have it before the wedding if we choose.  I think we will use the money toward our honeymoon, along with airline miles that I have saved up.  That still hasn't been planned yet, however!

I was also concerned about making the wedding budget-savvy for my guests as well.  A had always thought about a destination wedding, but I knew that not many of our family and friends could afford to attend.  Jason's mother's side of the family get together every other year for a family reunion.  One of the reasons why we picked the 4th of July for our date is because we found out that the family reunion for 2010 was going to be in Branson, MO in July.  We thought this would be the perfect way to ensure that the members of Jason's family that live farther away will be able to attend.  It's also a nice way to meet in the middle, as our venue is roughly equal distance from where we live and where they would be vacationing.

That's all I've gotten for the wedding so far.  There are other budget-friendly items that I need to get still, such as print-your-own invitations, but I'm waiting until the date gets a little closer before I look at those more seriously.  So far I think it's a great start - it'll be so gratifying to see it all come together!

Photos of what I have so far: