Aside from hiring their photographer, Jana Marie, Justin + Chelsea had the wedding of their dreams for a very sweet price tag of $2,500. Everything was handmade by their family & friends (their dads playing a huge part in this). Let us stress, everything. Really, they didn’t buy one piece of their decor. They couldn’t bear the thought of spending thousands of dollars on one day, but wanted their day to be personal, special, rustic, simple, cheap & memorable.
How Chelsea scored her vintage wedding dress for less than $300:
Aside from thrift stores, I hate shopping so I knew that wedding dress shopping would be a nightmare for me. I decided to stray away from trying on dresses to purchasing one online. It was a tough job finding the right one, but when I saw my dress online I knew it was the one! I thought about it for a few days & then BAM! Purchased it a couple days after first seeing it for $280.
We saw each other before the ceremony and that was the best decision we made! I know that, had I not seen Justin, I would’ve been sick! I was calm, peaceful, content, happy and just so joyful! Seeing him before was what made me so calm.
That entire facade was made by both of their dads!
So many fun DIY wedding moments here.
LOVE these streamers for the backdrop!
Gotta have a well-stocked photo booth!
We are living proof that it is possible to have your dream wedding (I had mine!) and not spend a fortune. You just have to get creative, call on the people you love most and who love you, and work hard! A wedding is meant to celebrate the marriage that is happening – not the fancy cake topper, not the pretty aisle decorations, not the gown. One thing I had to keep telling myself over and over again was that this celebration was for Justin & I, our families & friends who were present. It wasn’t about anything else aside from the uniting of two people becoming one.
Photography: Jana Marie Photo / Venue: Groom’s parent’s house out in their pasture in a little town in Floyd, Iowa / Wedding dress: Vintageous / Rings: Eidel Precious on Etsy / Bracelet: Lynay Jewelry on Etsy / Necklaces: various garage sales / Shoes: Mod Cloth / Flower girls: handmade by bride’s mom / Bridesmaid dresses: all their own / Bow ties & boutonnieres: handmade by bride
