Full-blown themed weddings are definitely getting rarer. Most of the couples I speak to say their weddings were just styled around “random stuff we liked”, which is cool, but there’s something a little bit extra special about weddings where everything fits perfectly together.
Jordan and Emily had a Victorian themed wedding and their attention to detail was incredible! “We achieved our authentic décor by extending our antiquing and thrifting sensibilities to more than just the attire”, the bride began. “We created the majority of the decorations by reusing old items. I put together an assortment of decorations for the tables which were were made with small candle holders and foam balls covered in gold flowers and painted ceramic spheres on top.”
The wedding was held at Farmin’ Betty’s in Columbus. “We were married outside, underneath a tree on the property. The ceremony itself was brief and our officiant even joked about the overly verbose sermons often delivered by other ministers at weddings. Ours was more personal and to the point. It celebrated our individuality but also focused on how we complement one another.”
The bride’s dress was second hand and was found, unexpectedly, just a couple of weeks after they got engaged! “I was out shopping with my mother and found a Alfred Angelo ball gown at St. Vincent’s in Appleton”, she explained. “She asked me to try it on just for giggles however it turned out that it was a perfect fit, there were no visible flaws and I loved it (even though I originally thought I’d go for something quite different). For $40 I couldn’t not buy it!”
The couple also saved money by doing everything themselves. “Our whole wedding planning process was geared toward being creative with our selections and focusing on alternatives to spending a fortune. We figured that since we were two unique people, why not have a quirky and unique outlook when it came to the day? We saved some money by purchasing tablecloths and runners, rather than renting ones. This was, surprisingly, much cheaper! The DIY mindset played into practically all of the décor too and lots of the things we made our now being used to decorate our home!”
“Since neither of us drink, having an alcohol-free wedding also saved us a fortune. Many of our guests don’t drink either and it’s amazing how much money is spent on the cocktail hour at weddings.”
“Even though we wouldn’t change a thing about our wedding planning, it would have been good to know beforehand that you really have two options”, she concluded. “You can you either make your wedding more personal by spending a lot of time putting everything together yourselves, or you can pay someone else to worry about the details. Since we had such a long engagement we went for the first choice, but it was a blessing and a curse sorting everything ourselves.”
