3 minute read
Totally Vintage & Totally Doable!
Kel Ward of Kel Ward Photography gives the following advice about how to plan your intimate wedding for less than $600.
When planning your wedding, always start with a specific item as inspiration. In this case it was the white dress. I loved the retro-boho vibe of it, with the belled sleeves and short hem. The kicker was that it was on clearance for only $7.50!
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From there I knew I wanted to do something that matched the style of the dress, but also something that was budget and DIY friendly. I hit up my local event rental shop and found a variety of items, from the table and chairs, to the old typewriter, to the colored glassware and miscellaneous props. I spent $87.50 on those items for a weekend rental (Thursday - Sunday), and it really set the mood for this shoot.
Aside from the bowtie, which I found online for $12.50, all of the remaining attire was already in the couple’s closet. A few outings to thrift shops for some retro plates, an old thermos, candles, and a few odds and ends helped fill in the missing pieces for this shoot for about $20.
A quick perusal on airbnb. com lead us to our location, which was only $75 each night. The great thing about using a vacation property is that you have somewhere to stay after the nuptials.
Instead of a traditional wedding cake, I opted for miniature pies, which were only $1.50 each and came in a variety of flavors.
The cocktails were simple, made from lemonade and vodka, with blueberries and mint leaves from my own yard.
The last piece was the florals. It was our most expensive piece to this inspiration shoot, but well worth every penny. For $350 we got a beautiful wildflower bouquet and enough flowers to decorate the table.
When it came time to set things up, I went for a ‘more is more’ approach, filling as much of the table as I could. I knew that once the sun went down and the candles were lit that each little detail would be illuminated in the most romantic way.
As is common with many elopements, we had a ‘friend’ officiate the ceremony, free of charge. All in all, I only spent about $560 on this elopement inspiration shoot.
Total Cost:
• Dress (Ross Dress for Less): $7.50
• Event rental pieces (table, chairs, colored glassware, props): $87.50
• Thrift store pieces (plates, candles, owl glasses, props): $20.00
• Bowtie (amazon.com): $12.50
• Venue: $75.00
• Mini pies: $9.00 ($1.50/each)
• Drinks (vodka/lemonade): $5.00
• Flowers (bouquet and table flowers/greens): $350.00
• Blueberries & mint: free
• Officiant: free
Total: $561.50
