Andrea, project manager & sean, sales strategy manager

Sum-up of the wedding vibe: A balance of traditional, modern, and easy-going Southern Californian vibes.

Planned budget: $20,000
Actual budget: $29,000
Number of guests: 121
LOCATION: Pasadena, California

Where we allocated the most funds:

When we first got engaged, we had no desire to spend any crazy amount of money on catering. However, once we started planning the wedding, we knew something like a food truck wasn’t going to cut it. Since we were able to save on other aspects of the wedding, we wanted to share an elevated food experience with our guests. After our tasting with Border Grill, we knew their delicious, fresh, and clean eats were the perfect fit for our vibe. Another bonus was that they took care of the bar, were able to serve our donated beer and wine, and managed the cake service too. One-stop shop!

Every wedding needs a incredible photo team, and ours was worth every penny. Laura Ford captured the entire day with her photo assistant, and they were a dream team. There was no real crazy theme for our decor or wedding reception, other than rose gold and copper accents, and what became the main inspiration for everything else—the ghost chairs. When Andrea first saw these, she somehow landed on a Disney’s Frozen touch, and as a huge Disney fan, this was perfect, clean, and a subtle standout decor choice.

Where we allocated the least funds:

Dress. Sometimes lots of focus is put on “the dress,” and although Andrea knew it would need to be something she loved, she also refused to put down more than $1,000 on her entire wardrobe for the day. PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com was a perfect match for this goal, and the dress was a sample Jenny Yoo worn once priced at $475. Score!

Live entertainment, flowers, wine, and the church. We were very fortunate to have an outpouring of support from our friends and family that allowed us to save money in a variety of areas. Andrea’s bosses happened to be in a great cover band, The Drakes, and they played the reception as our gift. She also had co-workers who offered their time to create our floral arrangements. Her Tia and Tio from Paso Robles also got us a crazy deal on great wines for the bar through their friend’s relationships with vineyards. Our church fees..