Turned out beautifully! Click here to view.

Most couples planning a wedding are on a budget. A wealth of information and ideas are available online, yet those beautiful images of centerpieces, bouquets, dresses, and desserts don’t always have our price tag attached. We all want a “dream wedding”, but many times our budgets may not be in line with our vision.

So how can a couple get what they want and stay within their budget? Visualize and prioritize.

Visualize how you want your wedding to feel. Not the exact details, but the feel -warm & friendly, classy and cool, vintage country, swanky night club, summer garden. What key elements can help create that feel?

Venues can be crucial. Maybe that remodeled barn with a lake front dock isn’t in your price range. So can you re-create the same rustic outdoorsy feel with a space by hanging string bulb patio lights and mason jars with candles from the ceiling? Both are incredibly affordable, you can use them again yourselves, or sell to bride with the same vision following your wedding on Craig’s list or eBay.

You could also work with the chairs and linens at your site. Most times bringing in white padded outdoor chairs will be the same price or less expensive than traditional chair covers. Linens make a HUGE difference as well. If you can get your hands on a sewing machine or serger, you can create your own linens or runners for a fraction of the price. Go to your local fabric or craft store during a sale and stock up on a few rolls of burlap. You can simply cut to the correct size for table linens or runners and use. No worries about have a knack with needle and thread. If you’re going for country garden feel pick up a pretty floral instead. You can even cut down to runner size and surge the edges. Use this with your venues standard white linens to create a bright, sunny, and vintage look at a price that can fit within your budget.

Centerpieces and floral arrangements can sky rocket in price when you’re not open to adjusting the type of flower for the look. Many times it’s the color and arrangement that are most important. Be willing to work with your florist and have a conversation about how to create a similar look on your budget. Most importantly, be willing to adjust elements that won’t change the feel of the final product.

In addition, could you create your own? Instead of seeking out 50-60 small assorted milk glass vases, could you spray paint a few everyday but beautiful glass bottles. You’d be surprised how beautiful a steak sauce or imported water bottle can be in white. No one will ever know your secret.

So in short, weddings are about the details. But in the end it’s about the feeling the details create. Any bride and groom can have the wedding of their dreams with a little creativity and brain storming with their vendors. If you select your wedding vendors correctly they will be a wealth of ideas and resources that are priceless.

A glimpse at the images from Brian and Sarah’s amazing wedding sparks a smile. This couple has a sense of humor that makes their laughter contagious! We were blessed to not only capture their wedding day on film, but celebrate the marriage of two amazing friends!

Tip of the Week

See beyond the wedding.

Don’t get me wrong we love weddings.  We get lost in the experience, the bride and groom, the details, the families, the hilarious bridal party dances.  But as newly weds we understand the best part starts the day after your wedding – your marriage.

Matthew 19:4-6 says, “Have you read,” he replied, “that in the beginning the Creator made them male and female’ and said ‘ For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two become one flesh’.  So they will no longer be two, but one.  Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

The whole “two becomes one” thing is AMAZING.  But it’s also hard work.  So take time during your engagement to work on your relationship.  Discuss how you’re going to deal with finances, housework, future children, split holidays between families, etc.    Tyler and I were blessed to attend Family Life’s Weekend to Remember®!  It’s a weekend for married and engaged couples to discover what God has in store for them and how they can treasure and make the most of it.  It’s a fantastic opportunity to start building a foundation for a great marriage.  For more information on A Weekend to Remember® visit: http://www.familylife.com/site/c.dnJHKLNnFoG/b.6086655/k.2B1B/Learn_about_Weekend_to_Remember.htm

Finally, remember to continue dating during your engagement and marriage.  It’s easy to get swept away by bridesmaid dress colors, invitations, and guests list.  Make time to grab a drink or coffee, head to the movies, or walk hand in hand on Main Street.  You can even make your date nights, “wedding free”.  It may just reduce some wedding planning stress.

Cheers to your future and your marriage!

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These two were so much fun, they are always smiling!
Thanks for sharing your special day with Surreal Photography & Videography!

This is Cassie, she is the newest member of the Surreal Photography Senior Model Crew.
She has been amazing to work with.