Yesterday marked two years since Jerry and I tied the knot and all the wonderful photos made me think about all the planning that we did leading up to that special day. Not only did we have a fantastic wedding day, but it was relatively inexpensive. The wedding industry is  a billion dollar industry, but there are also a ton of brides on a budget out there too. I was one of those brides. Here are a few tips that I used to get through the wedding that kept our special day affordable. 

DIY Decor

The biggest money saver for our wedding was the decorations. Rather than pay hundreds of dollars for flowers, centerpieces, and favors I handmade each of these things. Many people will say that they are not crafty enough to do that. I have to say, neither was I... until I was planning a wedding. 

My flowers were made out of paper. You can purchase one of these bouquets here on Events Simplified in the Shop section in your own wedding colors. You can also make them yourself too! Each bouquet takes about 4-5 hours to make, so what I saved in money I made up for in labor. That's typically the case with DIY projects, so be prepared. Total cost: $150. 

The centerpieces were also done completely by hand. These were flower pots spray painted white, topped with a styrofoam platform with ribbon hot glued to the outside. I used a stencil to paint flowers on the platforms. The platforms were topped with a vase with paper pinwheels and cupcakes.

I also made the "table numbers." The "table numbers" were actually names of places that Jerry and I had visited together. The table names were images relating to the table names. These images and text were pasted on the chalkboards. I also glued blue themed paper on the borders.  Total cost: $375

People were able to find their tables by using the lids of the mason jar favors. Each of the mason jars were placed on the table. The jars had a heart-shaped chalkboard sticker on the outside with the words Danielle and Jerry and our wedding date painted on the heart. The mason jars had straws and cupcake holders for toppers. The lids were located on another table and doubled as place cards. Total cost: $80

Wedding Dress

This tip will probably be the scariest thing for many brides, but I have to share. When I got engaged I scoured the Internet for the "perfect dress" and I had some good ideas. Then I stumbled upon it and it was $217.78 with shipping. I had not stepped foot in a bridal store at this point or tried on any dresses. Every one of my bridesmaids was nervous. I was ecstatic. I checked the sizing chart and ordered it. It arrived and fit like a glove. I only went to have the train altered so that I could bustle it after the ceremony. I couldn't be happier. I definitely recommend www.discount-dress.com. 

A little help from your friends and family

I couldn't have put together such a fantastic event without a little help of my friends and family. Everyone stepped up with I needed them the most.

My Aunt Sonya took all the wonderful photography at the family discount of free, and I couldn't be happier with the results.

My bridesmaids slaved in the kitchen with me making cupcakes for all the tables.  My friend, Erin made the flowers for the cupcakes and the wedding cake. I made the topper. Total cost of dessert: $125. 

Our dear friend, Windi, did all the girls' hair for the wedding. Her daughter Riley was the junior bridesmaid in our wedding. She did this for the reasonable price of free as well. 

My mother-in-law and father-in-law hosted the rehearsal dinner at their house and provided burgers, hot dogs, and sides for everyone. 

Finally, I had the help of my family and friends to decorate the venue the day before. We had all hands on deck and everything went incredibly well!

It was a day I will not forget and most of all, I will not forget that I did not break the bank to make it happen. In fact, in lieu of gifts we asked that people contribute to our house fund. We were able to put a down payment on our house and we couldn't be happier to have a beautiful home to raise our son and future child!