Tom and Allyssa’s summer wedding combined the intimacy of a private backyard shindig, with the class and elegance of a luxurious ballroom. They transformed the yard of a Healdsburg private residence (with stunning vineyard views!) into a glamorous affair full of mercury glass, gold and blush details, soft florals and a stunning sweetheart table.
Keep reading to see the benefits of a private venue and how to make the most of it! See more of this private and pink wedding in the full gallery here, captured by Courtney Stockton Photography. Be sure to keep reading to get the full budget breakdown.
Try two hair dos
Allyssa looked gorgeous in her beautiful lace gown, and I loved how she changed her hair between the ceremony and reception. She wore it up with an elbow length veil, for a more traditional look during the ceremony, and then added a touch of old Hollywood glam to her look at the reception by taking her hair down and pinning half back with a sparkly pin.
find the venue that’s right for you
Tom and I had just about nine months to plan for our big day and it flew by! After much research, we decided to choose a venue in the heart of wine country where I grew up. Deciding to explore the option of renting a large vacation home that allowed events was a no-brainer. Although we would lose the luxury of having a venue with staff on-hand and certain amenities included, we gained the freedom to plan our day just how we wanted. A place with no harsh time, noise or alcohol restrictions had our name all over it! We were also able to have family and friends from out of town stay with us at the venue throughout the week as an added bonus. I made about 4-5 trips down to California from Seattle (where Tom is stationed) to meet with vendors, find my dress and do as much planning as possible.
schedule in time to unwind
Although our wedding was just what we wanted, it was A LOT of work! Having made the decision to bring in all of the rentals and do the setup ourselves, things got a bit hectic leading up to the wedding day. In hindsight, I think Tom and I (and my family) both wish we would have paid the extra set-up and breakdown fees in order to have the event rental company take care of that burden. We only had our venue rented out until that following day until noon (also a huge mistake!) so it was an early morning of slugging chairs, tables and lights around after late night. My advice for any bride looking to rent the same type of venue would be to book the space for the night following the wedding and give yourself some time to unwind!!
Read on to see how much this private and pink 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.
Budget Breakdown: (70 guests)
Overall Budget was $35,000
Photography and Videography were the most important: $5500
Catering and cake: $8,500
Event Rentals: $3500
DJ & Officiant: $1600
Venue: $10,000 – 3 night stay with event fee Florals: $2600
Hair and Makeup for Bridal party: $2000
Partial wedding planning: $2000
