This Bride and her amazing family are one talented bunch. They took DIY to a beautiful and sophisticated level, and made this budget wedding nothing short of perfect. Every perfectly planned detail was beautifully captured by Kristin Jordan Photography, and it’s all waiting for you right here.
From the Bride…Planning a wedding for 130 guests on a budget is a hard thing to do for any bride and groom. Thankfully for Matt and I, we both come from families of incredibly talented, hard working, and generous individuals who were more then willing to put in the time and effort to make our day as beautiful and special as any expensive wedding.
When looking for the perfect budget friendly venue, it never crossed my mind to consider the Rockport Golf Club in my home town until my mother reminded me she and my cousin used to throw parties, weddings, and benefits there on a regular basis and that she could do so with her eyes closed. We went to look at it and I fell in love with its rustic, elegant charm. Matt and I knew right then this was the ideal location for our wedding.
Aware that the country club required a lot of sprucing up, I began brainstorming colors and buying lots of white Christmas lights and white candles when I saw them go on sale. Etsy and Pinterest became my new best friends. Rather then renting glasses for all of our guests to use throughout the night, which can quickly add up, we ordered personalized wine glasses to serve as each guests glass. As an added personal touch, I spent several hours mixing, stamping, and using heart shaped cookie cutters to make a Christmas ornament engraved with our initial to hang on each glass. As the wedding got closer our guest room quickly became packed to the brim with decorations, napkins, favors, and supplies
The week before the wedding was purely crazy, as anyone could expect with a do-it-yourself wedding. My mother flew in from California and she spent two days hand writing the signs we were going to use in the ceremony and reception on chalkboards I had made with two dollar picture frames and chalkboard paint, as well as writing out the seating chart on an old window pane my father refinished.
On Thursday, my now mother in law dropped off 150 stems of white hydrangea that a fellow friend had offered us for the table center pieces and bouquets. Knowing that My mother and aunt are both from a family of florists, and that my mom used to create beautiful wedding bouquets and arrangements, this worked out perfect. They got hard to work creating 20 center pieces, as well as 4 beautiful bouquets for all my bridesmaids.
As part of the contract with the rockport golf club, the renters are responsible for set up and break down of the entire venue, including all tables, chairs, linens, decorations, food, and anything else used. So bright and early Friday morning myself, mother, father, step mother and several aunts and uncles got to work putting together what I had dreamed and imagined for the past six months, hoping in my head that by the end of the day it would come out as I had imagined. We worked hard for seven hours while my other step mother, grandmother, and several aunts prepared each and every appetizer we were to serve.
The day of the wedding was finally here, and I was busy getting hair and makeup done, enjoying mimosas with my girls, and trying to relax as I anxiously awaited my walk down the aisle to my future husband. When I got to the country club I wasn’t allowed to look out the windows down to the ceremony for fear of Matt seeing me. I was bubbling with nerves wondering who was there and if Matt was anxiously waiting as well to see me! As I heard my song begin, an instrumental version of Katy Perry’s’ “A Thousand Years,” I walked down the aisle, crying my eyes out, with my father on my arm to the man of my dreams, and I couldn’t be happier.
I watched his eyes tear up as I walked towards him, and all I could do was cry and laugh. The night flew by in a blur as Matt and I said our hellos and thank yous and danced the night away with our friends. It wa the happiest night of our lives.
Overall, without spending all the, at times, frustrating hours planning and researching, as well as without the help of both our families, our dream wedding would never have come together. We were Able to have the fun and beautiful wedding that we dreamed of for a fraction of the cost. The day was absolutely perfect, and despite every person saying “something will go wrong, just go with it,” not a single thing did!
Photography: Kristin Jordan Photography | Floral Design: Sage Floral Studio | Wedding Dress: Sottero And Midgley | Wedding Cake: Cakes for Occasions | Reception Venue: Rockport Golf Club | Catering: Mount Tabor Park | Makeup: Rosalyn Englehardt | Hair: Bella Hair Studio | DJ: Dave Casanave | Bridal Accessories: Nordstrom | Bridal Boutique: Camilla's Bridal | Bridesmaids\' Dresses: David's Bridal | Cake Topper: Diana Parkhouse | MadLibs: The TrendySparrow | Rentals: Gloucester Rental Center | Wine Glass Wedding Favors: Discount Mugs