Let’s talk about money

Who isn’t thinking about their finances right now? It seems that nearly everyone is ready to reconsider how they spend their money. Especially if you’re getting married. For the last several years it seems like a big, blowout wedding was something most every couple felt entitled to. But I wonder if maybe that’s changing?

The good news is that a stylish, meaningful, wonderful wedding does not have to be expensive. I revisited our archive for images from this wedding at the Coast, which I recall as a fabulous, simple and stylish and completely reasonable wedding.

Since the couple’s entire family was travelling to Oregon for the wedding, the couple rented out all the rooms at Coast Cabins, which also allowed them to have a lovely intimate venue in the garden. The couple tented the small parking lot, making sit-down space for about 75 guests. Now, I don’t know if Coast Cabins still makes their property available for weddings, but it does illustrate how many untraditional venues you could consider. Boy Scout Lodge? Summer camp? Lake House? Roller rink? Stable? Farm?

Their altar was a willow arch, simply adorned with a ribbon and a few choice blossoms. The bride carried a hand-tied bunch of callas and dahlias. The centerpieces were simple seasonal dahlias in a range of pinks, oranges and reds in a collection of ceramic containers. The guest favors were ordinary chocolate bars, dolled up in a personalized wrapper. The “cake” was a big batch of tiny cupcakes on a simple tiered base. Everything was beautiful, simple, meaningful and absolutely not too expensive. I can’t think of anything more romantic than setting a reasonable budget with your spouse-to-be, then coming up with creative ways to stay within it.