Bohemian DIY Wedding For Under 10K
What is the greatest thing about a DIY wedding? Yes they save you money, but all of the details truly express who you are and can culminate into something completely unique! This was definitely the case for Eileen and Garrett's hand made wedding in Big Sur. Not only are they both artists, but they are both very free spirits that didn't want to be defined by typical wedding traditions. Garrett used his eye for design and created all of the wedding stationary while Ellie gathered all of the flowers from the L.A. flower district and put together her own floral crown, her bouquet, and all of the centerpieces. But these aren't even the most exciting pieces of their Bohemian DIY Wedding, you'll just have to keep reading to hear all about it!
If this wedding has you feeling a sudden need to blast Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," may we suggest you turn it up while you look through the full gallery. All of these gorgeous images were captured by the groom's little sister and sought after photographer D. Lillian Photography.
From D. Lillian Photography:Not only was this wedding special because of its magical, forest setting in the tiny, enchanted town of Big Sur, but the wedding was shot from the perspective of a little sister that completely idolizes her older brother. This was my brother's wedding, and I couldn't be happier to share the images from this day.
There were a handful of details that made this wedding completely original, besides the fact that it was held at the Henry Miller Library. For one, my brother, an artist living in Los Angeles, made their 'library card' themed invitations as well as the wedding programs, and the bride did all the floral pieces herself, including her floral crown. They named their wedding, "Fiesta De Amor" and had guests dress in their best bohemian-inspired outfit (her Free People wedding dress was beyond perfection), and combined the bride's Argentine background by adding lots of vibrant colors, and even served heart-shaped empanadas during the reception.
From the Bride:I'm not just saying this - but I really would not have done anything differently. The advise I got was "delegate, delegate, delegate", and the morning of the wedding, our friends and family really came together for us to help set everything up. One of my fondest memories was looking around and seeing family put up the ceremony arch, while friends decorated the tables, while we put together the DIY photo-booth. It was a true collaboration.
We pulled our wedding off for under $10k and are really proud of that. We made a pact to get creative with our choices, and to not get wrapped up in what we called the "wedding game", and we feel like we beat it by getting creative and having fun! We saved by designing our own invitations and allowing our guests to RSVP on our website.
The one thing we would have absolutely splurged on (photography) was perhaps our greatest gift! D. Lillian Photography's wedding gift to us was wedding photos. One of the many perks of having a talented and highly sought after photographer as a sister in law!
From D. Lillian Photography:As their wedding gift, they gave all their guests Guatemalan Worry Dolls, to tend to their worries so everyone could sleep peacefully through the night, as a symbol of peace and love coming into their own lives.
From the Bride:I purchased beautiful wildflowers in the downtown L.A flower district and just read blogs on how to keep them fresh and traveled with them up to Big Sur. I used them to make my bouquet, flower crown, and for the center pieces. We borrowed signage and knick knacks from recently married friends who were happy to share their goods.
Our beautiful venue was on the less expensive side compared to most venues in beautiful Big Sur. Most of the decor we bought at the Pasadena Rose Bowl market which is held twice a month and has everything you could possibly want. Our Taco Truck was straight forward and to the point, no frills, and our guests said it was some of the best food they had ever had. We kept our bar simple; just silver tequila mixed with agua Frescas (fruit juices), and red and white wine. You don't have to have a full bar to have a good wedding. Just serve something fun that the guests can be excited about.
Wedding Cost: under $10,000
Guest Count: 80
Major Details:
Venue: $2,500
Taco Truck: $1,200
Bar: $500
Dress: $500
Suit: $500
Flowers: $100
Photobooth: $100
- Caterer: El Tonayense Taco Truck
- Dessert: Monterey Donuts
- Groom's Attire: Indo Chino
- Hair: Natalie Garza
- Jewelry: Accents Jewelry Design
- Photography: D. Lillian Photography
- Prop or Furniture Rentals: A to Z Party Rentals
- Shoe Designer: Carlos Santana
- Stationery: Garrett Vander Leun (groom)
- Venue: Henry Miller Library
- Wedding Dresses: Free People