A Beautiful Afternoon in May

Although I our wedding was almost 6 months ago (where has the time gone?!) I want to share some little tidbits of what I think was an elegant wedding done on the cheap.  With a less than average budget, I played up the DIY goodness and tried to make my special day something special and different than the rest!

Today we will start with wedding fashion.  Do you ever watch any of these wedding shows like "Say Yes to the Dress" on TLC?  These girls spend ridiculous amounts of money on a dress they will wear for a few hours of one day!  Don't get me wrong, I wanted my dress to take my husband's breath away just like the rest of you, but spending thousands was not gonna happen.  My mom and I started the dress hunt at a run of the mill wedding dress shop, but nothing really  wowed me.  We went to a couple of other stores, leaving with nothing.  Finally, we decided to go to an expensive store where they put the dresses on you and offer you wine and play the sappy music that somehow makes you feel like it is worth it to drop 5,000$ on the dress they have put you in.  As we walked in, my mom and I were almost embarrassed to the little sales woman our budget of less than 1,000$.  Let me tell you something, don't lie about your budget.  Be straight up with the little ladies trying to sell you something way out of your price range.  Often, they will off the rack dresses that they are trying to get rid of.  I got my off the rack dress, which was originally 3,000$, for 700$! A few alterations and a good cleaning, and the dress was absolutely perfect for my big day.  

Now onto the the other things that cause wedding attire budgets to blow way out of the range of possibility.  

Shoes: J. Crew factory store 35$

Hair accessories: 50$ organza flower because vale prices are outrageous!

Flowers: Go for a simple elegant one flower look.  We used ranunculus  wrapped in leaves.  Way cheaper than using billions of different kinds of exotic flowers and it still looks very classy.  

Jewelry:  Really look at that 100$ piece of costume jewelry the sales lady is putting on you at the wedding boutique and then ask yourself, "Could I get something just like this in the 50% off jewelry section at Dillards or Macy's?"  

Enough of me...Lets talk about the real beauties in the wedding.  My bridesmaids were all such beautiful women, that it wasn't fair to put them in some long straight from a catalogue looking number.  It also was important to give them options that were right for each of their figures and personal styles.  Ann Taylor was the perfect place to go for bridesmaid dresses.  Great colors in different styles for each maid to pick from.

And finally...the groom and his men.  I HATE it when the men are put in rental tuxedos that never fit right and then they pair the suit with some turquoise or silver vest.  Sorry ladies, but I think it is the number one thing that tackies up a wedding more than anything else.  Why not have the groom and his groomsmen  where a nice J.Crew or Brooks Brothers shirt with tan or black pants?  Then maybe add a bow tie, or suspenders to spice it up.  Its different, and I guarantee you its cheaper.  Our dudes wore their own black pants, paired with a black checkered J. Crew shirt, cheapo suspenders, and a black skinny tie.  It turned out beautifully!