Joe and Christine put together a colorful California wedding while living clear across the country on the Atlantic Coast. While the distance presented challenges when it came to the planning, the wedding came together beautifully thanks to the help of friends and family — including several DIY elements. Read on to hear more from Christine about their special day, including their full budget breakdown.
Don’t miss any of the unique details from this chic vintage outdoor wedding by viewing the full gallery here, all exquisitely captured by David Pascolla Photography.
From the Bride:One big decision we made was to not hire a florist. I made as much as I could in advance, using artificial flowers to make the bridesmaids’ hair flowers, the flowergirl’s hair garland, and the mothers’ corsages. I painstakingly crafted boutonnieres using dried lavender and wheat, feathers and vintage buttons. On the day of the wedding, my mother and mother-in-law, along with other family members pitched in to help make all the bouquets and flower arrangements. My dad even held the flowers as I put my bouquet together.
Joe and I discovered a wine that we both fell in love with from Paso Robles, California. When we got engaged, it was easy to decide to hold our wedding on the Central Coast. We planned our wedding while living near Boston, Massachusetts. It was a challenge planning a wedding from the opposite coast, and we couldn’t have done it without my parents’ help visiting potential venues, and family and friends on the East Coast transporting items for the wedding in their luggage.
My advice to brides and grooms planning their weddings would be: Use your wedding as an opportunity to display your uniqueness as a couple. Defy convention. Splurge a little on the photographer. And on the day of your wedding enjoy the spontaneity which is sure to unfold. I didn’t plan on my wedding day being windy, causing my nose to run, resulting in me taking Joe’s pocket square to wipe my nose, and then putting it back in his pocket, but it was apparently the highlight of the ceremony.
Featuring a Signature Cocktail at your reception is great way to minimize your liquor budget and add more personalization to your wedding. This couple chose a French Martini Champagne Teaser that fit into the color scheme as well as the French provincial-inspired decor. Check out the simple and delicious recipe below!
French Martini
1 1/2 oz vodka
1/4 oz Chambord® raspberry liqueur
1/4 oz fresh pineapple juice
1 twist lemon peel Combine all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker, then pour into a cocktail or martini glass and serve.
We didn’t start out with a concrete vision for our wedding, but we knew we wanted the wedding to be as laid back as we are. Instead of having a particular wedding theme, we simply put together the things that we love: for me, fashion, wine, lots of beautiful color, and French provincial-inspired decor; for Joe, the outdoors, beer, and woodworking. I couldn’t find a chevron fabric in a light pink or lavender color, so I spray-painted yards of burlap to make the chevron table runners.
Read on to see how much this chic vintage outdoor wedding cost. Please note that costs change as the years go by, and prices are subject to change. This is just one couple’s breakdown to give you a rough estimate on how much a wedding like this may cost you.
Our wedding planning challenge was to have the gorgeous wedding of our dreams, yet not be burdened by debt. Our total budget was roughly $23,000. We splurged on photography, catering and my custom-made dress.
We were able to save on:
• invitations — we designed our own invitations and RSVP postcards in Photoshop and had them printed at a local printer
• flowers — I would only recommend this to brides who have some experience with arranging flowers and will have a dependable team to help just prior to the wedding
• alcohol — we bought good-quality wine/beer/liquor from a store that was able to refund unopened bottles the next day
• endless DIY projects — which are very cost-effective while also giving the wedding a very personal touch, which is definitely win-win!
