FEATURED WEDDING: Chelsea from Itty Bitty Birdy

Many thanks to Chelsea of Itty Bitty Birdy for being my very first featured wedding! All of her pictures are so beautiful , I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Name: Chelsea Ann Redinger
Wedding Date: 6/23/2007
Location: Union Town, Washington
Number of Guests: 100
Approximate Budget: $10,000

What was your inspiration for the overall look and feel of your wedding?
I wanted a whimsical country style wedding.

What was the best aspect of wedding planning?
This is tuff…The best part was seeing my vision come to life.

What was the worst part of wedding planning?
Budget concerns – we were told that we could keep whatever didn't spend for a down payment on our first home. I was very conscientious about where every dime was spent. I remember wanting these pretty chairs for the reception but finally I just decided that chairs were far less important than my goal of owning a home.

What was the thriftiest aspect of your wedding?

Location was probably where we saved the most money. My mother really wanted me to consider a vineyard wedding but I was determined I was going to get married in the same church that my husbands grandparents were married. I also wanted to have a barn reception. We were able to use a barn that was donated by my husbands' great uncle to the city for an artist studio. It was the first wedding reception in the barn. We also rented the old nunnery to keep my immediate family. For all this we paid around $1500

You can save a lot of money in smaller rural areas in general. I found the prices for services and goods to be generally half of what I might have gotten in Portland Oregon where I live.

The smartest thing you can do is hiring a wedding planner. Spend a little to save a lot! Having a wedding planner really helps for finding the right photographer, baker, musicians… and having them their the day of the wedding takes so much stress off you and your entire family.

I created all the decorations for my reception. I collected such items as antique candlesticks, milk glass, and birds from thrift stores for 6 months. It was great because I was able to use the decorations from my wedding afterwards in my own home. Almost every room has a little token of the most memorable day of my life. I was shocked at the price for photography. I was finally able to find a young college student who didn't have a ton of experience, but I loved his portfolio and I was really excited to see what he could do. I couldn't have been more pleased with his work. He was extremely professional and had some great ideas for unique shots.

We hired a small town florist to make the bouquets, corsages, and buttoners, but for the reception my mother and mother in law went to a flower field and picked beautiful pink peonies. They brought back 4 buckets for $40. You might try asking someone at your local flea market to supply you with flowers… try to research what flowers are in season before picking your flower or even wedding color choice. 

What was the biggest splurge for your wedding day?
My biggest splurge was also the cause of the most stress.

I had set a good portion of the money aside for my dress but I figured we would try a chain bridal store out with the idea that I might find something I loved for a bargain. We I did find a dress and on sale. Still the most expensive dress in the store but it was perfect, and it fit me like a glove. We ordered the dress and when it came in it was 2-3 sized to large. It was terrible. The alterations were never right and in the end it bubbled in places and was eventually made too small and I struggled to breath comfortably the day of the wedding. But the worse part was that they made me pay for all the alterations. And additional $300 dollars for a dress that was suppose to be ordered in my size. I would never recommend going to a commercial chain bridal
shop… I have heard this exact story from many others afterwards. 

Are there any resources you would recommend to brides who are planning their wedding now?
My biggest recommendation would be to look past the big name suppliers. Hire a self-employed graphic designer to do your wedding invitations, or a small mom and pop florist to create all your arrangements. I truly believe you get more personal time and care and in the end they will save you time, frustration, and even money. 

What is your fondest memory from your big day? 

Gosh this is an impossible question.

The simple moments… the moment my mother hugged me and said she couldn't be more proud, the tear in my fathers eye when he first saw me, my husband's clammy hands.

Wow you start to look back and you get butterflies and every single moment seems more special than the next!

The children… I carried one of my brides maids little girls on my hip almost the entire reception. She thought I was a princess and didn't want to part from me. I purchased fairy wings for the children and every once in a while I'd catch a glimpse of one of them fluttering
by. It was really magical.

What advice do you have for brides to be?
Just let it happen. Don't try to control every single detail. It will drive you crazy! Let things happen organically, let the color of the wedding find you with the flowers of the season or the perfect bridesmaids dress. Let friends and family get involved, even if their vision is a bit different than your own. A wedding is something that is so much bigger than you. You wont remember all the details but you will remember the love of everyone around you and how they all came together to make your day the most magical and perfect day – JUST FOR YOU!

Wedding photos courtesy of Isaiah Eyre, http://rival-photo.com  He is available for hire Isaiah@ieyre.com