From Inspiration to Wedding: The Wrap UP
It’s been a really great few days on SMP. I hope that through Libby and Patrick’s wedding you were able to see how a wedding is really built…from soup to nuts. Or as I should say, from inspiration to reality. I really feel like this little project has given me more motivation and excitement than I have ever had to infuse SMP with hands-on, really exciting features. Ideas and inspirations that will resonate with even more brides out there. Before we wrap things up, I thought I’d share a few more behind the scenes ideas as to how we managed to save a little bit of money while still designing a SMP worthy wedding. And at end of this post, you can see which of the super cool products we bought are now for sale at a discount! Oh and of course…a huge CHEERS to Libby and Patrick from all of us at Style Me Pretty!
Here are a few cost saving tips that really helped us to stay within our budget…
1. Whenever we could, we borrowed. Milk glass from one person, mercury glass votives from another. We even borrowed pillows from one of Sarah’s clients who was using them for her own upcoming wedding. Our tip for you…ask your vendors, friends and family members to borrow items that will enhance your decor. You can even buy pillow cases at IKEA for $6 and cover old throw pillows that you already have. Think creatively by reusing items!
2. “Gussy Up” simple purchases. Adding wrapping paper to the bases of our lucite trays would have provided a pop of print to our lounge space had we not found the zebra rugs at the very last minute. Spray painting old lanterns in black lacquer, adding fabric yo-yo’s to basic white linens, purchasing a SUPER simple cake then adorning it with a cute cake flower. Even something as simple as stitching a runner to top your table as opposed to renting expensive tablecloths. These are all little ways to make your wedding seem that much more unique.
3. Create focal areas and put your money there. Let the rest stay simple and clean. Our focal areas for Libby’s wedding were the 4 lounge spaces and the head table. ALL of our money went into these spaces. We kept the dance floor super simple, casually framed only by the food and the bar. The cocktail tables were dressed in a simple linen and flowers from the church were re-used as decor. The head table was the only table that we rented chair covers for, that we printed menus for, that we added tablesettings. It was placed right in the center so guests could ooooh and ahhh and really appreciate that one focal point.
4. Have one big “pop.” Our zebra rugs literally transformed the space. They were $64 each at Urban Outfitters and they did more for the space than many of our more expensive purchases.
5. Use inexpensive flowers in abundance. Granted, we had one chock-a-block full table of peonies. But, our larger arrangements were actually baby’s breath. For $6 a bundle! They were SO gorgeous, so impactful and didn’t make even a dent in our budget.
There were so many more ways that we saved money, from flat out asking for discounts to printing all of the paper goods (with the exception of the invitation and save the date) on our home printer (an Epson R1800) and having Libby’s friend do the calligraphy for free! We infused the day with tons of little DIY projects that didn’t cost much at all but that made the wedding unique to Libby and Patrick. We skipped favors in lieu of donations, we reused the bridesmaids bouquets and the church decor in our reception space. With every decision that we made, we considered our budget and tried to figure out a way to get more for our money.
And you know what…it was SO gorgeous no one would ever be able to tell that we really got creative. It doesn’t matter if you have a $5,000 budget or a $100,000, it’s NEVER a bad thing to look for ways to save money!
So in the name of saving a little mula, we’ve decided to sell many of the products that we purchased for the wedding. Here’s what we have and the prices that we are asking. If you are interested, please email libby.s.burke{at}gmail{dot}com. Please note, everything has been used only once, for Libby and Patrick’s wedding.
4 Urban Outfitter Zebra Rugs – $40 each (original price $64, on sale now for $50)
6 Urban Outfitter Chandeliers with Light Package- $35 each (original price approximately $50 total for light package and chandelier)
2 CB2 Lean on Me pillows – $10 each (original price $19.95)
7 large and 2 small stainless steel cb2 vases: $20 for large and $15 for small (original price $24.95 – $29.95)
4 Large and 8 Small Z Gallerie Lanterns: $5 for the small and $10 for the large (original price $14.95 and $7.95)
PLUS, for the grand finale…
1 fabulously beautiful Watters wedding dress–tag size 4, but it has been altered to be more like a 2. BUT, the seamstress didn’t cut the fabric at all, so it could be let out to a full size 4 if need be. And it hasn’t been hemmed at all, my shoes were very tall! PRICE: $1600.
24 Comments about “From Inspiration to Wedding: The Wrap UP”
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I love the Lean on Me Pillows - who do I get in touch with to make a deal?? :)
These are some great ideas on how to save money and still have a wonderful wedding. Another great idea for money saver that I might add is to buy your flowers in bulk. Bulk purchases greatly reduce the cost of some staple wedding items.
Is it possible for those of us who can't afford a wedding planner to create an extravaganza like this? It would be really interesting to know what Libby and Patrick's wedding budget was. I think SMP should try to include the budgets of some of the weddings that are displayed, so we can see what we can get for our money.
beautiful ideas and wedding! i'm interested in the lanterns, if they are available. what colors do you have?
the sofia champagne picture with the silly straws is so cute. i have been putting 2 in welcome bags with a note attached..."all you need is love" ~ super fun and unexpected.
I completely agree with Lisa. In addition to budget, it would also be helpful to know number of guests for the weddings featured on SMP. I really appreciate all the DIY instructions and budget tips, but like Lisa I wonder if it's possible to pull something like this off without so many connections and vendors. Having a wedding planner and an event designer and a floral designer is really pricey from what I have seen and seems unattainable even on a mid-size budget.
I have the same thoughts as Lisa. While I adore this wedding and love all of the compassion it took to get it together, I can't help but wonder If she didn't have the ability to obtain all of this professional help, could she still get the same end product?? And how much
About the borrowing from your event designer, I've experienced that most even designers would make you pay to "rent" whatever it was you wanted to "borrow". I imagine this would occur across the board with other vendors. In Libby's case it was different for her, but how would just asking to borrow help for others?
Anyway, I loved the wedding and was soo happy that the inspiration became a real wedding rather than "reality". Thanks SMP!
I think everyone deserves to work with a wedding planner and event designer. It isn't just just a luxury for the rich and famous. If you start working with someone right from the very beginning their years of experience, relationships in the industry, advice and guidance in the process of building your team of vendors and designing your wedding end up saving you hours of time, and money. There is also the option of hiring someone to assist in the overall design/styling to help take your vision and make it a reality. It is in the personal details and little touches that really make your wedding unique to the two of you and memorable to all of your guests. There are so many different ways to work with an event designer/coordinator and if you find the right person they will customize their services to you. When I work with clients it is always a combination of things when putting together the right package, based on overall budget, vision and how we can best work together in the process.
Christine we have the lanterns in black! Aren't they fabulous?!
I agree with Sara and Lisa - it would be helpful to quantify this feature -guests and budget!
Hey guys! The bride wasn't comfortable sharing her budget. I would say that 99% of couples aren't comfortable sharing their budget as finances are such a private thing. I always ask, trust me! What I will tell you is that we made EVERY decision trying to keep costs as low as humanly possible.
im interested in 1 zebra rug. i tried to email libby but it says its not a valid email address. Please email the email address or forward this to her please. thank you
Wow this wedding was beautiful. It was mentioned that all paper goods aside from the invitations and save the dates were printed from a home computer does this include the menus? What type of material was used and font? They were really neat and I would love to do something like that for my wedding! Thanks!
Hey Ashley! I made the menus myself using Illustrator. I had them printed at Kinko's on transparency paper, then trimmed to size. I used three combinations of fonts...Engravers and Burgues. Hope that helps!
Definitely, 100% possible to pull it off. Most of the products that really POP and make this design so cool are mainstream products. The zebra rugs and chandeliers from Urban were HUGE in making the design gorgeous and really weren't that expensive. You can collect milk glass as you plan and fill in with spray painted white vases that you pick up at flea markets. The flowers seems SO abundant but there was only one table that had lush flowers. Most of the others just had candles on them.
I will say...It's ALWAYS easier with a planner + a designer (Angela, the planner, got discounts for us that we never would have gotten if it weren't for her relationships as did Sarah True, who was gracious with her time and energy) but if that isn't in the budget, then you just have to get in there and get your hands dirty yourself. It's hard, but totally doable.
I would love to put the budget breakdown for every wedding we feature...it would be so incredibly helpful. But as I am sure most of you know and can respect, most people don't want their finances and financial situations made public.
Hi all;
I just wanted to chime in quickly and say that I am working with Sarah (I am so lucky!) in planning and designing my upcoming October 2010 wedding. When I initially met with her I too was skeptical on whether or not I could afford a wedding planner and if it would be right for me. With less than 4 months to go until my big day I can 100% say that I cannot imagine NOT having Sarah involved with my wedding. It is like working with a friend who is just as excited as you are and she is completely respectful of your budget (whatever it may be) and will be totally honest in suggestions and comments and working with you to find out the best way to maximize your money. She is completely creative in finding ways to achieve high end looks on a small scale budget.
My wedding is going to be at a venue where we have to bring in everything so having her input/suggestions in vendor selection was also critical - with so so many vendors out there it is really hard for the newly engaged bride to know who will work the best with them and deliver to your standards. (and to know how much things should really cost) I know a planner may not be right for everyone, however, based on my experience I do think that any stigma that they are only for big budget weddings is completely untrue/outdated.
p.s. absolutely lovely feature - what a treat to see the entire process!
As a bride that recently got married having a wedding like this is totally doable as long as your willing to put the work into it yourself! I didn't have a planner and got lots of high end details by doing a lot of the work myself. I had visions of everything I wanted and I worked so hard to get those things. My fiance and I both made a list of our priorities for the wedding and we each definitely got our top two, but we did have to cut down in other areas. Our bar became smaller and was beer and wine only. Our vendors really worked with us though. I went to tons of cake and flower appointments until I was able to get what I exactly what I wanted for the price I wanted to pay. If you ask for discounts or something in addition most likely you'll get it especially if you book during the winter months! Our baker gave us a sugar flower for free b/c she knew how much I wanted one, but we couldn't afford it. Our venue included local beers for us at the domestic price instead of the higher rate b/c they knew how much we loved Boulevard. People are usually always willing to work with you to make you happy you just have to have the courage to ask!!! Never settle!
I love the peony filled table but like most people they aren't in my budget to do on every table. I would love to see the baby's breath arrangements and how they fit into the entire look of the event.
Very inspiring to read stories about how you can create a personal and stunning look by DIYing and being creative. This wedding just looked gorgeous. :)
"5. Use inexpensive flowers in abundance. Granted, we had one chock-a-block full table of peonies. But, our larger arrangements were actually baby’s breath. For $6 a bundle! They were SO gorgeous, so impactful and didn’t make even a dent in our budget."
Is there a photo of the larger baby's breath arrangements...? It would be useful to see how they looked.
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Hi there!
I am very interested in the lanterns! How do we get in touch to see about buying?
Please let me know!! Thanks!
I love everything...what great ideas!
I am wondering who the designer of the bridesmaids' dresses is. I am starting to look around, and I love those!
Look forward to hearing from you!
Thanks!
Abby,
Are the chandeliers still available?! :)
Thanks!
Jessica