Budget Bear: We Did It!!!

YAY! Mommy and Daddy finally got married last weekend with the help of many wonderful people, vendors and, of course, my hard work. All in all, it was a perfect day – even with the rain. Mommy was convinced she was going to have a “hillbilly wedding” with her “hillbilly budget” but all that worrying was over nothing!

Dressing the morning of! SO EXCITED I couldn’t sleep! (Photo by Alice)

The venue was gorgeous and the food was amazing thanks to My Chef Catering! Everyone couldn’t stop talking about the bacon wrapped scallops, mashed potatoes and late night snacks. Also, mommy got so many compliments on her beautiful and very fragrant bouquet of dahlias by Fasan Florist. Most importantly, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, the dance party thanks to Nick from Your Night Production and, of course, the photo booth.

Overall, Mommy and Daddy spent less than $22K which was slightly over their original budget but not too much over! The budget included special costs: transportation for their guests staying at the hotel (limo service to and from the venue during peak times), passed hors d’oeurvres, cocktail hour, late night snacks, welcome bags for their out of town guests, photo booth (as guest favors) and wedding décor (glow sticks, flip flops, DIY crafts, etc.).

Me and Mommy’s dress the morning of! SO EXCITED I couldn’t sleep!

Through this process, I learned a few things:
1) Top Three Things: Spend your money on important things such as your food, venue/location and photographer (those picture last a lifetime!)

2) Get a Professional: A day of coordinator will save you time, many headaches, and is your go-to person! Thank you AS YOU WISH EVENTS for making mommy and daddy’s wedding day perfect! Mommy and daddy were able to enjoy their day and not have to worry one bit!

3) Less is More: The less people you have, the better it is. Now, I know this may be difficult to pick your favorites out of the pack but seriously… don’t invite people you don’t know because most likely, they don’t know you either. Celebrate your big day with the important people who have helped you both along the way and will continue to support you throughout your life and journey together.

Now that the wedding planning and budget tracking is over… I think I am going to go into retirement. I probably will spend my free time pinning inspiration from pinterest and testing out whether or not these posts really work.

Written by Freckles Brown-Bear

Freckles is a four year old brown-bear from Build-A-Bear. She was adopted by Team Aliver early in their long distance relationship one winter day in Michigan. Freckles enjoys wedding planning, shopping, finding good deals and honey. She is a huge believer of Smokey the Bear and is an active member of the Bears Against Forest Fires Association (BAFFA). In her spare time, Freckles enjoys traveling in purses and loves street festivals and visiting new cities.

Freckles is a contributor to MONEY MONDAY on theBrideScoop where she writes about keeping Team Aliver in check with their budget and shares DIY fun.

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