05 Jun Laura and Matthew {A Vintage DIY Soiree}
This vintage chic DIY wedding was precisely the intimate event that Laura had dreamed of having. The couple was conscious of their budget and found creative solutions during the planning stages so not to compromise their vision for the celebration.
{I started by envisioning my ideal wedding. It’s different for everyone – but a wedding should mirror the couple rather than abiding by customary expectations. It was important to us that the wedding planning begin with a vision behind our actions. First, we prioritized the most important aspects. My ideal wedding was outdoors and at night. The most important things to us were the location, atmosphere, and number of guests. We wanted it to be small and intimate.
We choose a location that included both the ceremony and reception site. We planned our wedding on a Thursday night to conserve our budget by moving it to mid-week. Not only did we save on the location, we also saved money with the jazz band. The wedding was planned around a time appropriate for heavy hors d’eourves. By doing so, we gained leeway with number of invited guests, and alleviated my stress.
My best advice is to accept the offerings of help from the talented people around you! All brides benefit from assitance with organization and cooridination. A good friend of mine offered to help. She was extremely organized, professional, and excited. It’s a great way to involve people who you love. Another friend made all of our invitations by hand, which then inspired me to make the ceremony programs. Tomme Hilton and Ashley Knowles photographed the wedding and we are so pleased with the photographs.
We offered cold hors d’eourves that did not require servers. We were fortunate to find Francesca with Newton Farms Catering, who not only delivered but is also willing to prepare the food for easy setup.
Regarding favors, we wanted it to be personal and I am passionate about coffee. We ordered a couple hundred-¼ lb brown coffee bags and stamped them with an ornate coffee design I ordered online. We filled the bags with Starbucks coffee for the guests. We supplemented the coffee with the option of a fruit and nut mix. The favors were simple and thoughtful.
Our wedding was seamless because we engaged people who wanted to help, kept the importance of simplicity at the forefront, and prioritized only what was most important to us. We honestly could not have planned for anything better.}
{Photographs by Tomme Hilton :: Catering: Newton Farms Catering :: Officiant: Doug Farmer, Charleston Wedding Officiant}
