Budget Warrior

When me and my husband got engaged in 2004, we realized that our budget would be pretty small. This meant no big hotel reception, no wedding planner, etc. It would be me, the internet and my handy glue gun. At this point I had never really undertaken anything this major craft wise. I played around in high school, making things, but had never really been serious. That was all about to change. I found a great hall for a great price in Milan, Michigan. The downside was that they would set up the tables, that was it. I had to set-up and tear-down myself. I got out my paper and pencils and began to draw...

After looking through a million magazines, I decided on long tables versus the traditional round ones. It allowed for more seating and would accomodate smaller, less expensive centerpieces. I've laways loved lilacs and (bonus) they grew in my parents yard and at my in-laws, so they would be free. So each table had three vases with lilacs and cream roses, and two candles stretched down the length of the table. Here is the head table and one of the guest tables.

One of the things I've always loved are pew candles. I grew up with them in my church during the holidays and love the way they look. So I knew that I absolutely had to have them for my wedding. I managed to spruce them up with some Ivory ribbon and lots of Ivy I bought on the internet. It really did look exactly like I always imagined it would. Then once the flowers were there, it was perfect. What could have been disasterous, buying flowers from a website, turned out to be a great desicion. My husband's cousin did an amazing job!

Probably my favorite part was the cake. I found a baker in Milan, who made the cake exactly like my pencil sketch, then I got to put the flowers on when she brought the cake. Here are a few other pictures of things I made and how I decorated for my wedding.