Welcome back to another pretty day in the life of SMP! Today we’ll showcase seven, yes seven gorgeous weddings all full of inspiration galore and there’s something for every bride-to-be whether you’re a DIY crafting goddess or a glamour chic chica, we’ve totally got you covered today.
Kicking off the pretty parade today is this sweet-as-can-be Iowa wedding. We’re loving the casual, outdoor vibe full of vibrant yellow florals. But what’s the best part of this wedding you ask? They did it all, from hiring their photographers Niña.Cecilia {creative spark} and floral and event designer Shelly Sarver Designs for under $10,000! Now that’s amazing! See even more of this budget friendly, beautiful wedding here in the full gallery!
Click here to see the entire gallery of images!
From the Bride…When we announced our engagement, my parents said they would pay for the wedding but they gave us a budget of $10,000. I knew it would be close, but I also knew that I could use a lot of my own ideas and creativity to keep costs low. The most important things to me were the decor and the photography of the wedding. However, I also got a great price on both of those, thanks to a couple of things. First of all, I found a couple of WONDERFUL up-and-coming photographers who just happened to be starting up a business together, so I got a great deal on their beautiful photos! Creative Spark is a duo of twin sisters Nina and Cecilia, who take some of the most beautiful and unique photographs in the area! Also, I happen to be good friends with the most creative florist in the area – Shelly Sarver, who also happened to double as my wedding planner! We had many brainstorming sessions and she was able to help me narrow down all my ideas into a single theme. It was like Shelly was inside my head and able to see the vision that I had and then make it come to life! She is amazing!
I don’t think the ceremony site could have been more perfect! My cousin offered her backyard, which she has had landscaped beautifully for years and shown in many garden parties. With that as a beautiful background, Shelly worked her magic and put flower petals lining the aisle, flowers in mason jars lining the aisle hanging from shepherd’s hooks, and of course the gorgeous sprays on the arbor and the large bouquets at the back and front of the aisle. One of my favorite touches were the strands of beads we hung in the trees. I borrowed these from my church and I think they added so much to the front of the ceremony!
My mom, Shelly, and I had a lot of fun brainstorming and coming up with reception decor ideas. My mom and I decided to make a string of flags that hung from the entire length of one side of the reception room. I wanted to bring some rustic outdoorsy feel into the reception since it already had the outdoor feel with so many windows that overlooked trees and a golf course, so the table decorations were simple plants in a twiggy burlap container, a group of bottles with burlap and single flowers stuck in the middle, or one of the blue mason jar arrangements that lined the aisle at the ceremony (Shelly transported them to the reception site for table decor). I also made about 50 tissue paper flowers that hung in groups from the ceiling. These were a very affordable decoration but they took some time to make. Jake and I have so many great memories from our special day. The weather turned out gorgeous, despite a small scare of rain in the morning. We had so many wonderful friends and family there to make memories with us amongst a gorgeous backdrop! I must thank SMP for much of my inspiration, and I hope our wedding can inspire other brides as well!
Wedding Photography: Niña.Cecilia {creative spark} / Wedding Cinematography: Eli Groenendy / Floral + Event Design: Shelly Sarver Designs / Event Planning: The Bride + Mother of the Bride / Ceremony Location: Private Residence / Reception Location: Bos Landen Golf Club / Invitations: DIY + Town Crier, Ltd. (printing) / Bride’s Shoes: Rampage / Wedding Dress: Allure Bridals