constance, Assistant Principal & melissa, market communications strategy specialist
Sum-up of the wedding vibe: Texas Summer, Austin Chic.
Planned budget: $30,000
Actual budget: $35,000
Number of guests: 100
LOCATION: Hutto, Texas
Where we allocated the most funds:
Venue, Flowers, Photographer, DJ
Where we allocated the least funds:
- Dress and Suit: Melissa’s dress was actually cheaper than the suit! She found it on Etsy and had it tailored through the dressmaker.
- Food: We did Rudy’s BBQ. It was delicious, well-known, very Austin, and very affordable.
What was totally worth it:
Getting a wedding planner six months from our wedding day was totally worth it. Callie really liberated us from all of the wedding stress, and at the same time, made it so we were full participants in the planning. She brought great expertise and insight when making our decisions; it made us feel confident in all our choices. She also introduced us to a group of awesome women who owned small businesses here in Austin. Our florist, photographer, personal trainer, and cake maker were all incredible, hardworking women.
What was totally not worth it:
Oh man, this is really hard to answer. I hate the thought of discounting everyone’s efforts to really make this day special for us! The hardest part was spending money on things that are necessary, but we didn’t really care for. Like, napkins, or chairs. When you total the cost of all of the little things, it comes out to thousands! We rented very nice furniture to create an elegant seating area in the reception room and, although it was so gorgeous and we took a ton of photos, the cost was really high.
A few things that helped us along the way:
Our parents were a huge support financially. They helped us when they could, and we were so grateful for that.
My best practical advice for my planning self:
Always put money away when you can. Every. Dollar. Counts. Set aside a regular weekly check-in with your soon-to-be-spouse to talk through wedding stuff.
Favorite thing about the wedding:
Having our two families come together, specifically on this day, was really special.
Something else We’d Like to Share:
There were many times when I would forget that Melissa and I were getting married as two gay people. It would click, “Oh yeah, we are gay,” when I needed to contact the florist, cake maker, or the tailor for my suit. And in there was always a little anxiety about being turned away. Growing up, I never could’ve fathomed the idea I would live my life with an amazing woman, and everyone would be really into it, too. On our wedding day, I got to experience the love that had always been there for me, but also the love of my parents that was once difficult to receive when I came out. I’m really lucky they were able to complete their journey of love and acceptance with such open hearts. Through the process of planning a wedding and being at the wedding, my parents were able to see their daughter as someone who is loved and cared for, and I’d like to think that brought them a lot of comfort.
