Rustic Backyard Wedding: DIY Charm on a Budget
With all the intimacy, and comfort of a backyard barbecue, Patrick and Shawna's wedding was a plainspoken and playful event that displayed all the love they have for each other. From the stationery and decor that was lovingly created by the bride to the heartfelt musical entertainment that the groom prepared, this wedding ensured that it wasn't just the summer heat warming everyone's heart.
This adorably handcrafted wedding has some of the most charming details you will ever see. Be sure to check out all of the photos captured by Jody Savage Photography in the full gallery here.
From the Bride:My husband and I are about the most laid back as a couple can get - so when we began planning our wedding (only about 4 months before the actual date!), we kept it simple. We knew exactly what we wanted: a backyard bbq we could casually enjoy with our closest family and friends.
All weekend long, we had dozens of friends and family members swarming the property like busy little bees, creating our perfect space. Unfortunately, the entire weekend hit record high heat indexes - it was 105 on our actual wedding day.
Our entire day took place in our pastor's beautiful backyard. That property is like a dream - sweeping willows, lush lawns, a completely tree-lined space, and the kind of garden only grown by the most experienced of green thumbs (our pastor's wife!).
Our ceremony was moving and so perfectly us - it included a humbling foot washing, multiple Bible readings, and tons of heartfelt prayer. We endured the heat - and thankfully, you can't even tell we were melting away in all the photos!
We love all the red and white features at this wedding reception! Best of all, just about all these neat elements were created by the bride herself. Take a close look and you will see just how easy and fun it is to put a playful picnic spin on your wedding day.
To top off the picnic vibe, we paired it with mini-pies for dessert instead of the traditional cake, and had a candy buffet with mini-cupcakes and all our favorite treats available to take home in bags. For good measure... we had a popcorn bar, too.
I do wish I had a second dress on hand because of the heat. I would have loved to have changed; my long dress clung to me all night and prevented me from dancing as much as I would have otherwise!
The only other thing I would have done differently was to assign an MC: We had different family members our bridal party members make announcements. It was a little confusing at times and some things were overlooked.
Read on to see how much this adorably handcrafted wedding cost. Please note that costs change as the years go by, and prices are subject to change. This is just one couple’s breakdown to give you a rough estimate on how much a wedding like this may cost you.
Our overall budget was to remain under $10,000. We ended up going about $1000 over it. Here is a general breakdown of most of the day:
Brides dress: $500 with discounts and sales Brides shoes: $70
Brides veil: $5 for materials (handmade by bride)
Brides headpiece: $10 for materials (handmade by bride)
Grooms attire: $125
Catering: $1750
Desserts: $360
Candy & popcorn table: $250
Photographer: $2000
Rentals: $4000
Stationary and other prints: $150 (completely done by bride)
Flowers: $725
Transportation (Stillwater Trolley Company): $575
DIY expenses (all centerpieces, etc, done by bride): $600
- Cake: Dorothy Ann Bakery & Cafe
- Caterer: Famous Dave's
- Event Designer & Coordinator: Scarlet Thread Weddings
- Event Planning & Design: Events by Bliss
- Groom Shirt & Pants: H&M
- Makeup: Sugar Bomb Makeup Artistry
- Photography: Jody Savage Photography
- Prop or Furniture Rentals: Midway Party Rentals
- Shoes: Toms
- Stationery & Flowers: Shawna Kiloran