My Biggest Regrets in My Budget Wedding

[Guest Post] My Biggest Regrets in My Budget Wedding

When Buddy and I got married, we were still in college and in no place to pay for a wedding. But, we had some money saved up and stretched it as far as we could. Here are some things we both seriously regret cutting the corners on. Learn from our mistakes!

1. Not putting enough effort into formal wear

I found my dress at a consignment shop for about $300. It was a huge win! But I was lazy and naïve about the importance of a well fitting dress.

I decided to forego getting it altered to actually fit (it was about 2 sizes too big). This ultimately resulted in having to hold it up for most of the night. We were also cheap about the idea of renting a tux.

It wasn’t a super formal wedding so we didn’t think it’d be necessary. We went to a department store and found a nice jacket and slacks and called it a day. While I don’t think this is the worst idea (I’ve even seen some groomsmen make blue jeans look chic) we didn’t know anything about the way formal wear should fit and looking back – that was clear!

We really should have invested in a tailor/alterations so that we’d be more comfortable and look more formal in our pictures!

2. Not inviting all my people

Like I said, we were not in a place where we could feed 200 people (or even give them each a slice of cake lol). So, sadly, I decided to cut my intended guest list in half. We had a ton of friends that were gracious and understanding about not getting invited but I still regret not making room for them.

Ultimately, it would have been better to run out of food or cake than to look back and regret not having everyone we loved there!

3. Not hiring a professional photographer

Photography was the last thing on my mind as a college student planning a super low budget wedding. So, when I finally got around to looking for someone to “just push the button” I was shocked to see how expensive a professional photographer was!

We ended up asking an aspiring photographer to help us out and she graciously obliged. While I cherish the pictures we do have, I so wish that we had splurged to pay someone for this insanely important work.

These pictures are the ONLY pieces of your wedding that you get to keep for the rest of your lives. Why did I not realize that?!

Don’t make the same mistake I did – hire a professional. Look at their work and make sure you like their style. Interview them and make sure you get along/ are comfortable with them (they’ll be hanging out with you all day).

And order the fancy books or prints because these are the things that will last and you’ll get to keep to look back on this incredibly special time.

Although I have some regrets about my big day, there’s one thing that was perfect- the person I married. We have been having the time of our lives together for the past ten years and I wouldn’t have it any other way! Ultimately the only thing that matters is that you get to leave the party with your best friend by your side!

-Shannon Hallavant