Elizabeth Brown
Started a budget 2 years ago
Elizabeth Brown
July 31, 2015, 9:15 a.m.
- Engagement Ring
They say an engagement ring should cost the groom three months salary. While Jamie didn’t quite go that far with this beautiful DeBeers engagement ring, it was certainly a substantial cost!
Elizabeth Brown
Nov. 4, 2015, 4:40 p.m.
- #Wedding ceremony and reception
Clearly, this is where you'll spend a bulk of your wedding budget! Reception, the venue, any rentals, service, food, beverage, DJ and bartenders.
Elizabeth Brown
Dec. 6, 2015, 10:59 a.m.
- Photography and Video
Your wedding might only last one night, but pictures and videos will help you remember it for the rest of your life. We were so happy to go with Julia Bach Photography for our wedding and we would recommend her to anyone.
Elizabeth Brown
Jan. 20, 2016, 2:16 a.m.
- Honeymoon
If there’s one thing we can recommend when planning your wedding, it’s this: don’t skimp on the honeymoon! The honeymoon is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enjoy each other’s company and live lavishly without guilt. We went on a fabulous two-week honeymoon in Hawai’i and we wouldn’t trade that experience for the world!
Elizabeth Brown
Feb. 23, 2016, 6:06 a.m.
- #Cake
While the cake is an iconic part of any wedding, we chose to save money here by only having one decorated layer for the cake-cutting ceremony. Guests were served from a less expensive (but more delicious) sheet cake that we kept in the venue’s kitchen. A great way to save money!
Elizabeth Brown
March 14, 2016, 10:15 a.m.
- Wedding Rings and Other Jewelry
The engagement ring isn’t the only piece of jewelry necessary for a wedding! Of course, we needed wedding bands for the ceremony as well as jewelry to go with the bride’s ensemble. We were conservative here compared with the engagement ring, but still happy with the results!
Elizabeth Brown
March 24, 2016, 8:57 a.m.
- #Flowers
Our flowers didn’t just include the bridal bouquet! We used flowers as decorations for our ceremony and reception venues, provided bouquets for attendants, and created boutonnieres for the groomsmen. The more flowers, the better!
Elizabeth Brown
April 1, 2016, 6:13 a.m.
- Mother-of-the-Bride Outfit
It’s important that your parents feel good on your special day, and we wanted to surprise the mother-of-the-bride with a beautiful outfit that matched the colors of the wedding. We were happy to provide Elizabeth’s mother with a dress, shoes, and jewelry so that she would know that she was one of the most important parts of our wedding day.
Elizabeth Brown
April 10, 2016, 5:10 a.m.
- Stationery
An often-overlooked budget item, stationery costs can be managed by designing your own save-the-dates, invitations, and programs. By avoiding the costs of a graphic designer, we were only left to pay for the actual printing and postage costs for invitations.
Elizabeth Brown
April 11, 2016, 6:08 a.m.
- #Dress
Arguably the most important item on the list! While Elizabeth would have liked this to be the largest expense on the budget, she found a gorgeous dress for a reasonable price at a sample sale. We highly recommend these events for brides looking to score designer gowns at a fraction of the original cost.
Elizabeth Brown
April 13, 2016, 10:23 a.m.
- #Shoes
What woman would pass up the opportunity for a new pair of shoes? Elizabeth certainly didn’t, which explains this expense!
Elizabeth Brown
April 15, 2016, 8:09 a.m.
- Headdress and Veil
Don’t forget to factor these items in when budgeting for the bridal outfit. A beautifully-designed veil can set your ensemble apart and create a jaw-dropping image that your husband will never forget.
Elizabeth Brown
April 23, 2016, 6:13 a.m.
- Groom’s Outfit
Elizabeth isn’t the only one who gets to enjoy a new outfit on her wedding day! Jamie invested in a new suit to wear for the big day. While it only cost $420, he looked like a million bucks!
Elizabeth Brown
April 27, 2016, 8:11 a.m.
- Attendants’ Outfits
With four bridesmaids and four groomsmen, we had to be smart about how to provide their outfits without going over budget. We were able to find beautiful bridesmaids’ dresses on sale at a local shopping mall, and then purchased matching ties that the groomsmen could wear with suits that they already owned. They looked good, we saved money!
Elizabeth Brown
May 6, 2016, 6:12 a.m.
- Favors and Gifts
Last but not least, we made sure to supply our guests, attendants, and parents with gifts and favors in recognition of everything that they did to help make our day so perfect. We provided small gift bags for our guests; gifts for attendants included bottle openers for the men, picture frames for the women, and special bracelets and watches for our mothers and fathers.
Elizabeth Brown
May 24, 2016, 3 a.m.
- Beauty Supplies
If there’s ever a reason to splurge on hair and makeup products, this is it! This expense covered makeup and hair supplies for the bride, bridesmaids, and mother of the bride. Everyone looked spectacular!
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