Ericka, Sexual Health Educator & Emily, Health Coach
One sentence sum-up of the wedding vibe: An inspiring very Brooklyn loving affair.
Planned Budget: $15,000
Actual Budget: $20,000
Number of Guests: 125
Where we allocated the most funds
We allocated the most funds for our catering, outfits, decorations, and rentals. We knew we wanted to look awesome, so between the two of us we spent $4,000 on our outfits (shoes, flower crown, earrings, outfits included). The Bat Haus is a raw industrial space, so we wanted to have a good amount of decor to fill the space. We spent over $2,000 on decor (this includes flowers). Rentals were $2,000. Our catering came out to roughly $10,000.
Where we allocated the least funds
We gave the least to flowers and decor in the beginning, but that quickly changed as we saw how important it was going to be fill the space with flowers.
What was totally worth it
School bus rental was totally worth it! Having the ceremony and reception in two different places with so many out of town guest, was certainly a hit to escort them from place to place. Custom-made blazer was totally worth having done. The blazers that Emily was finding were super underwhelming and not what she wanted. Having the blazer custom-made increased the cost, but got her exactly what she wanted.
What was totally not worth it
It was all worth it. Even the things we bought in error.
A few things that helped us along the way
In the midst of our planning, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. A lot of our saved money was going to hospital visits. So, we started a gofundme account and raised $15,000 generously from our family and friends. Without their generous donations, our wedding was not going to be possible. We also have a very very very smart graphic artist friend who made all of our signs and escort cards. That helped a ton!
My best practical advice for my planning self
Plan the wedding of YOUR dreams, not the wedding of your guests’ or families’ dreams. Have the elements that you as a couple value. Do not plan to please others.
Favorite thing about the wedding
Everything. Every last detail and moment was absolutely perfect.
Anything else you’d like to add
Emily and I met for the time on our way to serve as Peace Corps volunteers in Ethiopia. When we arrived in Ethiopia, we stood in the lobby of our hotel as they called off the roommates for each room. As people started to dwindle away, I thought Peace Corps really had it all planned out to have the two lesbians in the same room. Turns out that Emily and I have the same initials, E.H. After spending two days as hotel roomies, Emily and I hit it off and the rest was history. We served in the Peace Corps one hour apart and didn’t spend much time apart for the time we were volunteers. We moved back to the States and moved to New York City soon thereafter.
We knew my diagnosis would throw a wrench in our planning but we were determined to still have our celebration of love!
