Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Wedding
Rather than tying the knot at a traditional setting, Andrew and Whitney opted for a more unique venue. The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History provided the perfect backdrop for this quirky couple to say "I Do" and celebrate with their closest friends and family. Their outdoor ceremony was followed by a reception inside the museum decorated in pastel hues and DIY decor.
You can always see more details of this DIY wedding in the full gallery here, all creatively captured by Jess Roy Photography.
From A Charming Occasion:It's rare that I find a bride and groom who truly just want to get married, with or without a wedding. Andrew and Whitney were one of these couples, and it was so refreshing to work with a couple whose main priority was each other and their guests on their wedding day. The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History was the perfect setting for all of their personalized DIY details, from the cake topper to the ceremony backdrop, and even the flowers! It really was a fun, eccentric, and beautiful day.
From the Bride on What She Would Have Done Differently:There's not a lot I would have done differently! My biggest regret is that we didn't get to spend as much time with our out-of-town friends who were not part of the wedding party. So I wish I would have planned something to do with them on Sunday after the reception. Also, our caterer allowed us to provide our own alcohol and we bought way too much!
Read on to see how much this DIY wedding at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History 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.
Here are some of the major categories of expenses. This doesn't include supplies for a lot of the DIY projects I did (cake topper, ceremony backdrop, table runners, vases, bridesmaids gifts, table numbers) since I bought things here and there and didn't track those expenses very well. There might be a few other things that I'm not remembering or that someone else paid for.
Dress: $250
DJ: $1,000
Photography: $1,750
Cupcakes and Cake: $450
Venue: $3,000
Photobooth: $800
Catering: $6,600
Alcohol: $1,200
Ceremony/Cocktail Hour music: $500
Wedding License: $100
Event Rentals: $3,000 (lights, linens, chairs, extra tables)
Favors: $375 (custom wine glasses)
Save the dates and Invites: $400
Coordinator: $1,000
Flowers: $650 (we bought these wholesale from a flower mart and arranged ourselves)
- Bridesmaid Dresses: BCBG
- Cake: Crushcakes
- Cakes & Catering: DJ's Catering
- Coordinator: A Charming Occasion
- Lighting & Entertainment: Gavin Roy Presents
- Photography: Jess Roy Photography
- Rentals: The Tent Merchant
- Venue: Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History