Mr. D and I knew that we were going to pay for the wedding ourselves. So when we set an initial budget, we were shooting for $10k. So how close did we get? Well, let’s find out!
Attire:
Mrs. Doily:
Dress (including bustle, undergarments, and tax—no alterations needed): $1,309
Accessories:
Earrings: $54.60
Bracelet: Gifted
Necklace: Borrowed
Veil: Borrowed
Shoes (Both the heels and the Toms): $87.54
Hair Flower: $5.78
Beauty:
Hair and makeup (trial and tip for both included): $180
Manicure: $50
Mr. D:
Tux: Free rental
Shoes: Converse $65
Haircut: $25
ATTIRE TOTAL: $1,732.70
Ceremony:
Site rental (including DOC, rehearsal, cleanup, sound technician): $350
Pre-marital counseling: $50 gift given to the couple that counseled us
Ceremony décor (backdrop, reserved signs): $8
Ceremony music: $24
Ribbon wands: $32.40
Flowers (including all bouquets, mother/grandmother pins, boutonnieres, Sign Dude’s sign, and flower girl’s pomander): $43.67
CEREMONY TOTAL: $508.07
Reception:
Site rental
This included our catering, sparkly backdrop, cake table backdrop, white linens, and open wine and beer bar: $3,477.35
Tablescapes
Milk glass and vintage books: borrowed from Mr. D’s mother’s antique shop
Coffee filter half-pomander “flowers”: $22.73
Doily chargers/place cards: $18.45
Candles (including votive holder and eight-hour long-lasting tea candle): $66.98
Linens (including 110 white chair covers, 110 apple green sashes, 11 navy blue tablecloths, 5 navy satin runners): $426.29
Tablescape Total: $534.45 (Another way of looking at it is $44.54 per table.)
Guest Welcome Table
Seating chart: $5
Welcome sign: $1.60
Tea tin: I had owned it for years.
Card box: $12.43
Green box for guestbook pages: $2.50
Ink to print guestbook pages: $18.99
Markers for guestbook pages: $12.50
Welcome table total: $53.02
Cupcake Table
Cupcakes:
Cupcake-batter supplies, frosting, and decoration: $28.39
Cupcake liners: $15.79
Cupcake tower: given to us by a friend
Cake topper: $8.45
Pictures: I made the designs and printed them myself, and the frames cost $6.68.
The linens and backdrop were included in site rental, and the candles were included in the price of the tablescapes.
Cupcake Table Total: $58.89
Memory Table (including favors)
Assorted frames: $7.34
Candles: $8.24 (This includes the vellum, but not the ribbon, as that was part of the purchase in flowers.)
Customized rubber bracelets (200 of them): $53.44
Basket for bracelets: $2.63
Runner is included in price of linens above.
Total Memory Table Cost: $71.65
DJ: $850 (This includes the price for seven hours of music, a light show, and our blue uplighting.)
RECEPTION TOTAL: $5045.36
Paper Products:
Invitations (This includes the base invites, the stamps, and the ink for printing them.): $81.55
Save the dates: $18
Thank you cards: $45.56
TOTAL PAPER PRODUCTS: $145.11
Miscellaneous Wedding Purchases:
Rehearsal Dinner: $512.84
Rings: $364.29
Wedding-party gifts: $312
Marriage license: $35
Photographer (included engagement sessions, 10 hours on wedding day, wedding album, $500 print credit, DVD of all images) : $2,195
Flip cams: $185.73
Hotel room for wedding night: gifted to us by family
MISC TOTAL: $3,604.86
Which brings us to the final tally…drum roll, please (bum bum bum bum bum bum).
We managed to only go over by $1, 036.10. As we got closer, we realized that were going to be able to pay for the wedding with no problem and added things to our budget (like chair covers and the backdrops at the reception site). I am extremely proud that we managed to stick so close to our budget and get everything we wanted out of our day. It really was the perfect day, and I often think back of it in extreme fondness. It’s a day that I will remember forever and always.
I’m a little sad to say it, but also a bit relieved (recaps can take a lot out of you! 
, but that is it for the Doily wedding. There is only one more thing for me to do, but I will share that for another post. Thank you so much for letting me share this journey with you!
All photos that are watermarked are from An Unforgettable Memory Photography; the rest are guest and personal photos.
Just curious where this wedding was ? I am planning a wedding in NY and everything is so much more expensive :/
@Aly: Hi! We got married in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Weddings are pretty affordable here!
@Aly:
Tell me about it!!!! I live in Brooklyn and don’t even want a large, traditional wedding, but we just can’t afford to spend even 10k on it. That can go towards a down payment on a house! I think we are just going to city hall it and have a party at our loft after. Good luck!
WOW! I am so impressed by how you were able to stay on budget. Everything looked great, and by the way, you were an absolutely stunning bride!
Great job keeping so true to your budget and having a great looking wedding while at it!
I think you did amazingly: you stuck to your budget almost perfectly and your wedding looks amazing. I love seeing these breakdowns!!
Thanks for sharing Doily! I wish more bee bloggers did, to really get a good idea for different areas!
Wow, great budget post Doily! Thank you for writing it. I think it’s so helpful for bees to read when planning. 
wowsa! congrats!
@Aly: @mybelle84: i’m in your boats too – city weddings are insanely more expensive.
Amazing breakdown! I’m in Iowa City Perhaps once this semester is over, we can meet up in CR!
You got an awesome deal on your DJ.. including a light show and up-lighting.. that’s awesome!
@carolyn.sp.79: We definitely should! I’ve been trying to get an Iowa Meetup planned for over a year now, but unfortunately the Iowa boards are not that active….we shall have to change that! Though I feel like I should warn you…I’m a Cyclone fan. Can you forgive that?
@X0JLYNN03: His prices jumped a ton right after we book him, so I know how blessed we were to get him when we did. If we had booked even two months later, we would have paid at least $300 bucks more, so I’m so glad he fit so perfectly into our budget!
Congrats on staying so close to your budget! That’s super impressive. Your wedding was beautiful, Mrs. D.
Way to go, Doily! You kept close to your budget and created a beautiful wedding!
Great job of staying so close to your budget!
Mrs. Doily, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Age and Occupation: 25, Autism Paraeducator/ Student Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, IT Hosting Support Engagement Date: August 27th, 2010 Wedding Date: March 2012 Venue: Father’s Vineyard Church/ A Touch of Class Banquet Center About Me: I’m an Iowan girl with a deep love of Harry Potter, classic movies, cardigans, and Post-Its. My type-A Virgo tendencies often cause me to drive my laid-back college sweetheart fiance batty with lists and PowerPoint presentations. I love to be crafty and do things myself, which explains why my two crazy kittens often will prance around the house covered in glitter and ribbons. When I am not bogged down with work, school, or wedding planning, I like to travel to visit my expansive family and have wild adventures with my best friends. After a rollercoaster ride of a love story, I’m ready to take that final plunge, marry the love of my life, and become a Mrs.!
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