This is hands down, bar none, absolutely one of the most beautiful weddings (and some of the most beautiful pictures) I have ever seen. I saw them on Katie Day Photo's blog and knew that it doesn't get much more fabulous than this... it just HAD to be my introductory post for Smart Bride!

Although I'm not a huge fan of color schemes, I really think Andrew & Tara pulled off an insanely awesome wedding and the astounding amount of color played a huge role in that!

Pictures from Katie Day Photo

But, I don't just want to share these pictures with you – I figured it'd be kinda spiffy if I also imparted a couple of budget-saving tips that can help you achieve the same effect as Andrew and Tara did no matter what your color scheme, so read on!

Flowers

1. Do 'em yourself. I know about 50% of you are cringing right now. Go ahead. Get it out of your system. I'm going to attempt to change your mind. The typical bridal bouquet will run you between $40 and $70 on average; when a bunch of flowers at a grocery store or farmers' market will cost you $12-15. Even if you don’t use all the flowers in the bunch, you still save a ton of money, and you have more control of what your blooms look like.


Pictures from Katie Day Photo

2. What you'll need:
• Ribbon (whatever colors or thickness your heart desires)
• Straight pins
• Florists tape
• Floral wire
• Flowers


3. Arrange the flowers you want in your bouquet in a bunch – use as many or as few as you want. Wrap your ribbon around the stems (secure in place with straight pins).


4. Tip: If you're using a bunch of flowers and find that the stems (where you’ll be holding the bouquet) are getting too fat to hold comfortably, cut off the stems of some flowers and use floral wire to affix the blooms to the stem of other flowers… smart, right? :)







Pictures from Katie Day Photo



Dessert Bar


• Do it yourself. By now, you shouldn't be cringing. It's easy. Start "thrifting" now. You can find some awesome vases and other glass pieces for pennies… literally. Pennies. You'll find that you can buy all the serving pieces for your dessert bar for less than you would pay to rent them. Then, all you've gotta do is go to a wholesale candy shop and pick your candy, or make some cupcakes… the sky is the limit.







Pictures from Katie Day Photo



Linens


• Don't do these yourself! Go ahead… breathe your sigh of relief. I'm not going to tell you how to make tablecloths, or tell you to get them at thrift stores. Instead, go with the plain 'ol white table cloths that your venue may provide (or that you can get cheapest through a rental company), and play up your tables with colorful napkins, DIY floral centerpieces, or even awesome paper luminaries (a la Andrew & Tara).




Enjoy! I'll be back next week!



More Budget Friendly Advice from our B2B:


• Inspiration: Budget Friendly Grooms
• How to Find Cheap Bridesmaid Dresses
• Budget Friendly Wedding Venues
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About Our Guest Bloggin' B2B Nicole:
Nicole didn't think a thing about Mr. Man when they met. Not a thing. Two whole years later, he gathered up the courage to ask her out. She, completely disinterested, nervously accepted. After all, he was a nice enough guy. One date turned into several, and after being surprised at work one day (and getting some serious butterflies), Nicole knew she was in trouble. Almost five years later, they're finally tying the knot; throwing one hell of a party with one little caveat... they're only spending $10,000. Follow her posts to learn more about the couple, to pick up a few DIY tips and tricks, and to see exactly how they plan on celebrating their Big Day for $10K!