OSIRIS, Marketing, PR, and Events Coordinator & MICHAL, Chef

Sum-up of the wedding vibe: Cultural.
Planned Budget: $5,000
Actual Budget: $3,500
Number of Guests: 80

Where we allocated the most funds:

Food. We had a lunch, which had a roasted pig, barbecue, and a bunch of Czech and Filipino sides. For dinner around 11 p.m. we had a huge crab boil! The following day for our reception after party we had more food!

Where we allocated the least funds:

My dress was fifty cents and was from an old Victorian tablecloth. I made my crown myself. Michal bought his outfit from H&M. I did the entire event design, graphics, branding, and styling myself.

What was totally worth it:

Aesthetically, the way our wedding turned out was exactly what I hoped for.

What was totally not worth it:

Michal and I both work in the wedding industry with catering and event planning, so we thought we could do all of it. I should have hired a day-of coordinator to help with the processional and ceremony portion of the wedding. That part of the wedding got a little wonky, but I was running on four hours of sleep, so I didn’t care at that point.

A few things that helped us along the way:

Friends and family, and their talents and skills! My officiant incorporated some true Northwest indigenous love by wearing regalia to the ceremony and having a well-known Native American hoop dancer perform afterward.

My best practical advice for my planning self:

Don’t be so anal. Delegate tasks, and spend a little more money on floor-length linens!