Are you feeling pressured to plan a "unique" wedding? Initially, my fiancée Claudia and I struggled to find a balance between creating a wedding that is unpredictable and fun, yet still captures the beauty of the rite of matrimony. When we won our consultation with David Tutera, he told us one piece of advice that would change our entire wedding-planning process. He said, "Years from now when your guests talk about your wedding, it's the little things that they'll remember the most."
Together, we decided which areas we wanted to keep on the traditional side, including wedding attire, venue, and entertainment. Then, we brainstormed five areas where we can get a little more creative. David helped us realize that we don't have to spend a lot of money to impress our guests. Here, our favorite wedding details that cost $400 or less.
1. Bride vs. Groom Display
This project couldn't be easier. The bride writes 15 to 20 things that she likes most about her husband and places them on the "He" side; in turn, the groom does the same for the "She" side. The characteristics can be as funny, sincere, honest, and as personal as you like. The last line for each frame reads, "HE...is my husband" and "SHE...is my wife."
We brought the typed document to our local printing facility to blow it up so that it fits the exact size of the frames we want to use. We had so much fun doing this together!
Total cost (including frames): $25.
Photo Credit: Casey Fatchett Photography
Photo on Engaged and Inspired via Lover.ly
2. Say "Thank You"...in Advance
We really want our guests to know that we appreciate and love each and every one of them. Therefore, we decided to break tradition and give them their thank-you cards while we are together at the reception, instead of mailing them out days later. We created a basic card template in Word, then made a few different varieties with our favorite inspirational quotes.
Total cost: $40.
Photo Credit: KLinspirations on Etsy
Photo Credit: Dondalees on Etsy
Photo Credit: TheSweetUnfolding on Etsy
Photo Credit: Saidthepelican on Etsy
Photo Credit: WedDesigner on Etsy
Photo Credit: ThatPrettyInvitation on Etsy
Photo Credits (from left to right): Jaime Irene on Etsy and ThatPrettyInvitation on Etsy
3. Include Your Favorite Hobbies
We love the wedding tradition of card boxes and sign-in books, but we wanted to make them our own. Claudia loves to ride her bike and I play guitar, so we decided to incorporate those two pasttimes into our reception décor with a bicycle "box" and guitar "guest book."
First, we spent a fun weekend searching antique shops and yard sales for a vintage-looking bicycle that needed some love. We cleaned it up and replaced the basket with a card collection box.
Before:
And After:
Then, we removed the strings from one of Rigo's acoustic guitars, so that guests can sign it and leave us messages. It will then be restrung and displayed in our home for years to come.
Total cost of the bicycle project: $45.
Total cost of the guitar project: Free.
More bicycle décor ideas:
Photo by: Dana Grant on Every Last Detail via Lover.ly
Photo at left by: Dana Grant on Every Last Detail via Lover.ly
Photo at right by: Welsch Photography on Events by Heidi & Kate via Lover.ly
Photo by: Emily Porter on Wedding Chicks via Lover.ly
4. Express Your Personal Taste
We knew that many of our guests wouldn't indulge in wedding cake, so we decided to go with a smaller-sized one. We'll supplement it with a dessert table that will include cookies, cupcakes, candy, and even fresh fruit for guests to take home as a favor. We started this project about a year before the wedding. It was necessary to start early so that we could find the best deals on the glasswear that will display our desserts. Saving on a smaller cake allowed us to splurge more on the party favors.
Total cost (including glasswear): $400
Photo by: Diana Rush Photography on Bridal Musings via Lover.ly
Photo by: Diana Rush Photography on Bridal Musings via Lover.ly
Photo by: Paper Antler on Well Groomed via Lover.ly
Photo by: Ashleigh Taylor Photography on Wedding Chicks via Lover.ly
Photo by: Liesl Cheney Photography on Bridal Musings via Lover.ly
Photo by: Rena Harvey on Polka Dot Bride via Lover.ly
Photo on Wedding Chicks via Lover.ly
Photo Credit: Z Media on Style Unveiled via Lover.ly
Photo by: Jen amp Chris Creed on Every Last Detail via Lover.ly
5. Paint a Memory You’ll Never Forget
Claudia and I are most looking forward to our first dance as husband and wife, in front of all our loved ones. We decided to immortalize it by hiring a local artist to sit in on our reception and paint this moment, along with anything else at her discretion.
We visited the art department of our local universities and reviewed different student portfolios until we found an artist that completely understood our vision. The artists were very excited for the opportunity to network and add to their own portfolios. We can't wait to see how the watercolor painting of our first dance turns out!
Total cost (including 4 hours of the artist's time and all materials/supplies): $275
Photo Credits (from left to right): Stacy von Wormer on Etsy and Billie Bennett on Etsy
Photo Credits (from left to right): PeapodArts on Etsy and Julie Hill on Etsy
Photo Credit: Kelly Cameron Photography from Wedding Chicks via Lover.ly
Happy planning, everyone! Leave a comment telling us how you're personalizing your wedding day.
—Rigo Garcia
Meet the winners of our Pin to Win a Dream Wedding Design by David Tutera Contest, Rigo Garcia and Claudia Hernandez!Claudiais a registered nurse in the surgery department, which is where she met her fiancé Rigo Garcia, a nurse anesthetist. They became best friends and fell in love with very little effort, a trend that continues today. They will be married at Meyers Castle in Indiana on June 8, 2013. They are planning a fabulous wedding filled with traditions, entertainment, surprises, and many unique ideas inspired, in part, by David Tutera.
