Elizabeth Brown

• Jul 31, 2015

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!

http://www.debeers.com/engagement/engagement-rings/de-beers-signature-solitaire-ring-j1he01bp

Elizabeth Brown

• Nov 04, 2015

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 06, 2015

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.

http://www.juliabachphotography.com/

Elizabeth Brown

• Jan 20, 2016

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

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

• Mar 14, 2016

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

• Mar 24, 2016

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

• Apr 01, 2016

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

• Apr 10, 2016

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

• Apr 11, 2016

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

• Apr 13, 2016

What woman would pass up the opportunity for a new pair of shoes? Elizabeth certainly didn’t, which explains this expense!

Elizabeth Brown

• Apr 15, 2016

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

• Apr 23, 2016

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

• Apr 27, 2016

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 06, 2016

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

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!