Jade, Freelance seamstress & Farid, It Analyst
Sum-up of the wedding vibe: High glamour, but not decade specific. Eleganza extravaganza, feel your fantasy. We told everyone that there was no possible way to be overdressed.
Planned budget: $30,000
Actual budget: $45,000
Numberthe of guests: 160
LOCATION: Los Angeles, California
Where we allocated the most funds:
The venue was the biggest expense but it included catering and bar. Because it was all inclusive (we only had to provide photographer, flowers, DJ, and cake) and we got a discount for having it on a Sunday, it was a great value! The Art Deco building is an insanely beautiful and picturesque space. And the food was delicious! Adelmo and his team are true professionals. They are incredible and everything over there runs as smoothly as clockwork. The photography was also a big expense, but it was beyond worth it! We couldn’t be more pleased with our pictures! We looked at tons of vendors but Rad + In Love really stood out in a sea of billions of cheesy wedding photos. Michelle was incredible and cool and went above and beyond documenting our special day. Also, our cake was super beautiful and super delicious. It was slightly above average in cost but totally worth it. To this day people are still telling me it’s the best cake they have ever had.
Where we allocated the least funds:
I am so lucky that my matron of honor is an amazing hairstylist. She did the whole bridal party since there were only three of us. My godfather was our officiant and performed a ceremony that was heartfelt, hilarious, and beautiful all at the same time. Also, our friend Tayler provided us with dance lessons for our first dance. Social dance is not something either of us was familiar with, but she is an incredible teacher and made it easy. Learning the choreography together was so much fun, and it made for a great pre-wedding bonding experience.
What was totally worth it:
Although we planned the wedding ourselves, having a day-of coordinator was totally worth it. She was there the entire day, starting with the bridal party in the morning, making sure we had everything we needed and that everything was running on time. She was the point of contact for all of our vendors, so she handled deliveries and payment. She even made sure all of our cards and gifts, belongings, and the top tier of our wedding cake made it back to our hotel room from the venue after the wedding. Also, instead of typical wedding favors, we decided to splurge on a Paper Moon photo booth, full backdrop and all, and let the photos be our favors. It was a great way for our guests to mingle. Everyone had so much fun and loved having such a special and personalized memento to take home.
What was totally not worth it:
Nothing! We were able to plan things exactly how we wanted. And if something was astronomically priced we were so turned off, we would find a way around it anyway.
A few things that helped us along the way:
Having amazing supportive people in our lives that are level headed, creative and talented, and a small wedding party!
My best practical advice for my planning self:
Things don’t always go 100 percent perfectly according to plan, but it doesn’t matter. Roll with it! People only remember the love and the fun stuff and what a great time they had! Also, adopt the rule of three. For decisions that have too many options or that we didn’t always have a clear idea of what we wanted, I would narrow down my top three picks, then made Farid choose one.
Favorite thing about the wedding:
Our first dance! We had so much fun and it was exciting to surprise our friends and family with a performance. For us, it unexpectedly felt like we were in a movie where everything around you is bleary and you could only see each other. It was magic!
Something else We’d like to share:
Before we started planning the wedding one of our recently married friends told us to be prepared to constantly have to make decisions, decisions about a plethora of things we could never imagine needing to be decided. He was absolutely right. There are always decisions to be made and things to be done up until the day of the wedding. Make sure you stick to your deadlines because it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Time management is essential.
