A beautiful wedding for under $1,000

I really just wanted to share this story with anyone who passes through my blog, an absolutely beautiful wedding for under $1,000. The link: http://offbeatbride.com/2008/07/wedding-under-1000-dollar#referrer They had a cupcake cake (LOVE THAT), meat and cheese spreads, coffee, candles in mason jars (LOVE THAT TOO), and she wore an amazing homemade dress. This wedding was so stunning in it's simplicity. You really see the people shinning through, not the decor.

This wedding has inspired me to take another look at our "wedding budget" and see where I can make some changes. And improvements!

Cupcakes!

In light of our tiny budget we have realized that we need a DIY option for our cake. I'm thinking about making cupcakes and crafting some sort of stand for them. I wanted to make a few different flavors like red velvet with vanilla buttercream, chocolate chocolate-chip with chocolate icing, yellow cake with milk chocolate whipped icing.......Mmmm.

And this is why we make a prototype...

I went outside and found a branch that I liked. Then, I attached a few of the paper roses that I had made with some gold wire that I had in my crafting stuff. (Ignore the loose edges of gold wire that you may see in the pictures. I want to play around with the position of the roses some more so I didn't make them very secure.) Everything was going along so smoothly. I put the branch into one of the skinny vases that my mother had given me and I very gently began pouring in some glass beads that I had. Well, I guess one of the beads really hit against the side of the vase because it broke in half. It cracked all the way around into two pieces! So, now I have to find another container for my centerpieces. Which I LOVE by the way. I'm thinking of using old jars now.

Branch centerpiece

I found this branch centerpiece on http://www.offbeatbride.com/ and I of course love it! The bride (and helpers) made the little flowers for the branches out of tissue paper, using the idea originally from Martha Stewart. She also made the large tissue pom-poms and hung them above the tables. She said that these centerpieces cost her a total of 80 cents a piece to make!

Carnations

This pink bouquet is from Real Simple and so easy to make, not to mention pretty. I may just give this a try. The link: http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/weddings/flowers/wedding-flowers-bouquets-supermarket-00000000000483/index.html

I love the way that carnations look when they are massed together. This humble flower also comes with a humble price making it an affordable option for someone with a small budget, like myself.

I contacted a local florist and she would sell me a box of 100 assorted color (that's how they come) carnations for about $50. I think that I am going to go with this option. They would provide a nice pop of color at our outdoor wedding and allow me to put some fresh flowers on the tables. Fresh flowers, yay!

Centerpiece idea

I also came across this idea and I thought that it might make a nice centerpiece for our tables. I think that a theme for our wedding might be emerging...rustic and cheap.

The link for this project, probably not needed, but here it is: http://creaturecomforts.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/06/tutorial-tuesda.html

Awhile back my mom had given me some skinny glass vases and I have kept them with no idea what to do with them. They would hold a branch quite nicely and I could just collect them from our yard. I bought a package of cream colored cardstock a few weeks ago only because it was on sale for $2. I try to buy cardstock and scrapbook paper when it's on sale because it can be very pricey otherwise. I could use that cream paper to make the paper roses and then have centerpieces for all of our tables for $2!!

The more I look around the more feasible my budget seems! It's been a happy brainstorming afternoon.

Table number idea

I found this idea today and I think that it's perfect for our wedding for a couple of reasons. I like the idea of re-using a common household item in a new and interesting way and then recycling it of course. It would fit in nicely with the rustic atmosphere that I am trying to execute. It's a better option for an outdoor wedding than the little paper cards. Think big gust of wind. It would be very inexpensive to make. I have all the materials already in my crafting stuff and recycling bin, so free for me! I'm not sure if we will be using assigned seating but if we do I will make these. Here's the link for anyone interested: http://www.oncewed.com/7154/diy/decor/diy-table-number-jars-3/

My hypothesis

I have just begun the experience of planning a wedding. I'll admit that I have spent countless hours flipping through the pages of all the leading wedding magazines. I have sat and watched the women on the wedding television shows throw tantrums, scream and cry over the minuscule details. I have not however been sucked into the ideology that this one day in my life is worth tens of thousands of dollars and needs a team of professionals to pull off. I subscribe to the idea that I can do it myself. And successfully. And on a $1,000 budget! Crazy?! I'll have to see if my hypothesis will be a proven theory at the end of this experiment.