More from Meg & Matt’s super lovely vintage wedding…. I am so in love with Jenny’s work!!! If you’re in the Seattle area, you gotta check her out!
Wedding Date: 5/16/09
Number of Guests:17
Initial Budget: $2000.00 (not including photography)
Ceremony: $200 “Since we eloped, the resort was much more willing to work with us on the price of the site fee. Realistically, we only used their garden for 15 min, but they were so great about it. They arranged for music to play and chairs for everyone to sit in. They also helped us contact a local officiant, so we didn’t have to pay a travel fee to the location. Just as a comparison, another resort on the island quoted me $2000 for the same thing, but they didn’t want me taking pictures anywhere on the grounds.”
Officiant: $275
Reception: We had the reception in the restaurant of the resort. We had to pay a 18% service charge, but it only came out to an extra $100, so it seemed worth it. The private room had a balcony overlooking the bay, and they set up an ipod with music for us. They also had some flowers in vases and nice linens. Honestly, it was way more than I expected and I was thrilled with the result. The food was to die for, and we brought our own wine ($20 corking fee, but well worth it, because we had brought some bottles we had been saving from Italy and Sonoma, CA).
Catering/food: $300 “Matt and I had a prime rib dinner to die for – 2 cocktails each and couple glasses of wine. Everyone paid for their own food – so we spent about $300 for our food and site fee.”
Bridal Gown & Alterations: $200 for supplies Meg made her dress so she had no need for alterations.
Bridal Accessories: $180 “I splurged on a lilac colored ribbon to use as a sash – cost $75. I bought the shoes about a year earlier on sale for around $65. I made the birdcage veil (after 3 tries…) and spent about $20 on that and $20 on the hand made ribbon flower I wore in my hair.”
Hair/Makeup: $200 “For the makeup, I went to Sephora and had a professional show me what to do for free and then dropped $200 on the makeup to do it. Some would say that was a lot of money, but I’d say now I get to look good every day. If my make lasts 6 months, I’ve only paid a little over a dollar a day, and the Laura Mercier stuff I bought was well worth it.”
Groom’s Attire & Accessories: $500 “Matt didn’t have a suit, so we went to Men’s Warehouse and bought him a dark grey suit that came with 2 pairs of pants. He wore the suit about 3 times before the wedding and since has been a great investment.” $200 of that for the fur felted hat he wore. “Kind of a splurge, but Matt actually wears a hat every day, so we felt it was a good.”
Transportation: $65 for ferry ride
Flowers: $200 Meg did all of the flowers herself.
Other décor: $0 “I didn’t do any décor, and it worked out great. I picked a beautiful place to get married in, and there wasn’t a need for anything else.”
Cake: $65 “…best cake I’ve ever had. It was carrot with cream cheese frosting, and the local baker decorated it with a fondant ribbon and gum past orchid. I told her to surprise me, and it worked out great.”
Miscellaneous: $500 “We stayed at the resort and paid about $500 for two nights in the off season! We had a king bed, and the room was furnished with antiques. A lot of the pictures are in the room. We also had a claw foot tub that was great to use in the morning before the big day. The balcony looking over the water had a breath taking view – total bargain!”
DAY OF GRAND TOTAL: $2685 (not including photography)
OTHER COSTS
Wedding Bands: $2000
FINAL GRAND TOTAL: $4685
Thank you so much for sharing Meg! Congratulations to you and Matt- wishing you all the best and endless happiness!
Advice from the bride:
Best cost-saving advice: Be flexible. Let a wedding image come together to fit the situation. We didn’t intend for our vintage inspired wedding, but it just worked out with the location and the clothes we wanted to wear.
If you can splurge, do it here: Photography. We worked out a separate deal for our photography, which included a travel fee. It was by far the biggest splurge, but I wouldn’t change a think. Jenny is professional and an EXCELLENT and Talented artist. Ya, I had the vision, but it would have only lasted a day if it weren’t for her skills in capturing that vision and really bringing it to life.
Don’t bother with: Expensive cakes, fancy food and drink. No one remembers this stuff after it’s gone. Spend on things that will improve YOUR experience. It’s your wedding, and five years later, you’re the only one who’s going to remember and still going to care. Sure, not everyone can make their own wedding dress, but there’s got to be something that you’re good at that will add to the day and you should take total advantage.
Other Advice: Go online. I also bought flower girls dresses for my nieces for $25 a piece and they look adorable. I bought a couple of paper parasols for about $20 that they carried and they looked great. Do your own flowers. I practiced for months before hand, and I love how they turned out. You might not be a florist, hair stylist, or makeup artist, but with a little practice you might be! Oh, and lots and lots of wedding porn! (hey get your mind out of the gutter!) I’m talking about pictures of other peoples wedding ideas. I’m not very good at coming up with ideas on my own, but I’m good at re-creating what others did. They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery, and I’d have to agree!
Congrats to Laura & Deejay! To see more from Dana Grant, 
