Wedding Lockdown

Ryan and I are getting married in November, which is just a few short months away!

With the reality of the wedding beginning to set in, I am busy DIY-ing my heart out in preparation. The wedding will take place in New Orleans, so the invitations need to go out earlier than for a hometown wedding.

I am hand-making all of my invitations and favors, which with the budget we enforced early on, is a must. Invitations are ridiculously expensive, in my opinion. Sure, some people keep them as remembrances, but most end up in the trash. I can't imagine throwing a ten-dollar invitation away, now that I know!

I would highly recommend that thrifty brides design their own stationary. It's fun, usually much cheaper, and it gives you a chance to really express your personality as a couple.

I designed my wedding aesthetic around New Orleans in the 19th and early 20th century, while my dress takes much inspiration from the 1940s. I just couldn't pick one era, I love so many. The wedding venue is beautiful, and I can't wait to deck it out in preparation! I am so lucky to be surrounded by so many talented people that love me. My sister is doing all of my flowers, and one of my best friends is a phenomenal photographer and is giving me my wedding shoot as a gift! Lucky!

Great weddings can be done on the cheap - destination weddings give you opportunity to be a little more casual and not quite as concerned about the finer points of etiquette you must observe for more formal, larger weddings. Our recessional is funny and irreverent, for example. I like to break with tradition just enough so that everyone is in on the joke, but not offended either.

We have lots of creative ideas for the elements of our wedding, some traditional and some not. The overall look and feel is going to be very retro and fun. I am looking forward to sharing our special day with everyone involved!