• Real Weddings

Amanda wanted a wedding with soft and woodsy vibe that had relatively neutral colors throughout. She did not want Christopher to feel like their wedding day was super girly, so yellow and gray were the main colors with accents of light pink and blue.
Thanks to  their splendid event designer and coordinator 5th Avenue Weddings & Events, their stylish yellow and gray wedding turned out to be simply beautiful. You can read more from Amanda and about her wedding budget below, and as always you can see all the images in the full gallery here. Beautifully photographed by Abby Caldwell.

From the bride:I really wanted to do from DIY things. I felt it would save money and add personal touches. I used Pinterest a bunch to get inspired for what kinds of decorations I wanted. I found a picture of paper rossettes going down an aisle and I knew I wanted to make them for all over the wedding.

I wanted to buy pompoms to hang in the tent but my wedding planner, Meena Lee, showed me how to make them so I was able to save some money and make those myself as well.

What the bride would of done differently:The only thing I would have done differently is I would have gone running the morning of the wedding. I was so incredibly nervous to walk down the aisle. I'm pretty shy and don't feel comfortable with a lot of direct attention. I think a run in the morning would have helped with jitters, but I honestly don't think I had any time to do that anyway. Everything else was absolutely perfect.

Falafels for the menu ... yum yumOne of the first decisions we made was the catering. The Pita Spott is a Mediterranean restaurant in Mystic, CT that we have loved for a long time. We went there for our 4 year anniversary a few months after they opened, and kept going back almost every week. They make you feel like an extended part of their family. After we got engaged we went right over there to celebrate and soon after asked them to cater our wedding. We have been vegan for the last 3 or 4 years, so it was important to us to have a vegetarian spread for our dinner. Everyone raved about the food, it was great.

One day while at my local package store I found moonshine in mason jars. I was immediately obsessed with them. I loved the packaging and the idea of them. It was simple yet rustic. Thankfully they were delicious also. They came in 6 different fruit flavors and they were a huge hit at the wedding.

Also, we wanted to have a vegan dessert table. We got in contact with Erin Cowley at NoRA Cupcake Company, who I knew is a vegan baker, and planned the dessert table. Our favorite part of planning the whole wedding was the tastings at NoRA bakery. We had mini pies and mini cupcakes, as well as a two tiered cake. My dad made two cupcake stands out of wooden slices, which was probably my favorite part of the wedding. They were so beautiful. Chris's mother and step father made the awning that we got married under, which was so special to us.

Photographer: Abby Caldwell Coordinator, Event Designer, Flowers, Stationary & Lighting: 5th Avenue Weddings & Events Venue: Stonington Vineyards Cake: NoRA Cupcake Company Caterer: The Pita Spot Dress Designer: WHITE by Vera Wang Groom's Attire: J. Crew Jewelry: Anthropologie Shoe Designer: Chie Mihara purchased at BHLDN Prop or Furniture Rentals: Arrow Party Rental & 5th Avenue Weddings & Events Officiant: Joe Paskewicz | DJ: Friend of the Family | Makeup: Hanna Shea | Hair: Kayce Chester Read on to hear more about their wedding budget:

It was such a great day and I could not have done it without my wedding planner. She really kept me on task and helped me organize what to do when. The day of, everything went off without a hitch, she was on top of everything. I highly recommend a wedding planner to those planning a wedding. The reduction of stress is well worth the investment.

My Dress - $600My shoes - $300Accessories - $50Rings - $1000Venue Rental - $2000Catering $6500Tent/tables/chairs $2500Tux - $300Dessert Table - $300Bartending - $500Moonshine - $150Wedding Planner - $4,500Invitations - $500Flowers - $2,100Total = 34,200