• Real Weddings

This fabulous couple opted to focus on their future together, so rather than having an over the top wedding they decided upon a very intimate elopement at a gorgeous rustic location.
With their two closest friends by their side, Hugh and Jackie said "I Do" in the Texas countryside. Read on for insight from Jackie about their special day, especially their full budget breakdown. Head to the full gallery here to see more details from this intimate country elopement, all beautifully captured by Ryan Price Photography.

From the Bride:When Hugh and I talked about our future together, we were more focused on forever than a large day of bells and whistles. So, after a little thinking, it made sense that we would consider an elopement. While we were planning, we asked ourselves again and again, “Why are we doing this particular thing?” If we were doing it because it was a tradition with no sentimental value to us, we chose whether it was important to us. We didn’t do anything because it was what we had always seen in weddings.

I wish I would have booked “the big day” sooner. Because it was on a Thursday evening, we were in no rush to book with vendors. If I had booked The Prairie sooner, we could have reserved it for the entire weekend, making for a wonderful mini-moon for me and Hugh. We aren’t taking our honeymoon for another 6 months, when we got to Australia to visit family and friends.

We wanted a beautiful, quiet day that would allow us to remember all of the details. We wanted to get ready separately and share a “First Look,” which really added to the excitement of the day. We decided to choose our two closest friends to share the day with us because we wanted to share it with people we loved and shared the same values with. It was important for us to hire our photographer and videographer, because we wanted people we could trust to capture a beautiful story of the day to share with all of our family and friends who were not there with us.

Hugh and I wanted to look and feel our best on our special day, so each of our attire and preparation expenses were of no big concern to us. We picked a beautiful location that needed absolutely NO decorations, so we saved quite a bit of money on that. Once we found our photographer and videographer, we started asking for suggestions on local vendors. Wedding photographers know where the best cakes and flowers come from, and the vendors love hearing who referred a new client. The location was a great deal. We got a 3 bedroom ranch house with living room, dining room and kitchen. It was perfect for getting ready without Hugh sneaking a peek at me and was a beautiful backdrop for the photos.

When we began purchasing small features, like the cake cutter, cake topper and cheese tags, we wanted something different. When I started looking on Etsy, I was truly convicted of the opportunity to make purchases from small business owners and craftsmen of some lost arts. It was wonderful getting to customize all of the little details and deal with some awesome vendors who supplied everything from our wedding bands to the gifts we gave our best friends.

At the end of the day, Hugh and I were married. We shared a beautiful, stress-free day with our two best friends. We were able to relax and dance to celebrate our special day… and we weren’t crazy exhausted! It felt as though the entire day was a shared experience between the two of us.

After booking Ryan, our photographer, we asked his opinion and reference on getting a videographer. Once we saw Clayton’s work, we fell in love and knew we wanted Stringer Productions to be a part of our day. Because it was such a private day that was shared with only 2 friends, it is wonderful to have a beautiful video that truly captures the feel of the whole day. It’s wonderful to be able to share with our loved ones, and something we will cherish and look forward to showing our children one day. These two expenses were priceless to us, and we are so happy we had these two guys to capture our day.Get a closer look at this intimate country elopement by watching the fabulous wedding film created by Clayton Stringer Productions below.

https://vimeo.com/68243424

Dress: $700
Brides Earrings & Bracelet : $150
Hair & Makeup: $420 for bride & maid of honor Suit: $450
Boots: We bought these on our first date & Hugh’s first trip to Texas Custom marriage certificate, cake topper, cake cutter, best man & maid of honor gifts, Something Blue tag, Bride’s hair flowers, Groom’s tie, Groom’s cuff links, cheese labels, wedding bands, vow notebooks, officiate’s portfolio: $375 (All Etsy vendors)
B&B Ranch House: $530
Flowers: $280
Cake: $90
Snacks: $100
Photography: $2,050
Videography: $1,250.00

• Cake: The Garden Market & Bakery
• Cinematography: Stringer Productions
• Dress Designer: Sergio Armas
• Event Planning & Design: MOSAÏQUE
• Flowers: Moose Feathers Florist
• Groom & His Men: J.Crew
• Hair & Makeup: Thalio Beckham Makeup Artistry
• Jewelry: Kendra Scott