Each week, we feature a couple from our latest issue.
A couple’s special day can also be pay-up day. And while money hardly holds a candle to love, most couples wouldn’t pass on the chance to save a penny or two. For Kristen and Ryan Ross, who will celebrate their first wedding anniversary on Sunday, the trick to saving some dough was to get crafty.
Tackling DIY wedding projects was a labor of love, but thankfully Kristen already had a knack for crafts. She made handkerchiefs and bow ties for the groom and groomsmen, as well as corsages for mothers, grandmothers and aunts. She also bought flowers in bulk to create the floral arrangements and bouquets herself. And all that was just for the ceremony! Homemade reception décor also included wooden hearts for guests to sign in lieu of a guest book and a DIY photo booth setup, props and all.
“To make all these things is a sense of accomplishment for me, while it also helped with the wedding budget,” says Kristen.
The Details
Wedding date: April 29, 2017
Wedding colors: Blush and pink, with sparkle accents
Attendants: Six bridesmaids, six groomsmen, a flower girl and a doggie of honor
Bride wore: Hayley Paige gown, bolero and veil from IVY Bridal Studio; Kate Spade shoes
Hair: Jill Lane’s Hair Unlimited
Groom wore: A suit rented from The Black Tux, with a bow tie and handkerchief made by the bride
Rings: Carioti Jewelers
Rehearsal dinner: Mindy’s Diner
Ceremony: Rivercrest Farm
Reception: Rivercrest Farm
Caterer: Fat Freddie’s BBQ and Catering
Florist: DIY arrangements with blooms from Costco
Photographer: Hillary Ferguson Photography
Videographer: Samantha Mauney Aiken
Invitations: Level 33 Graphics
Reception tunes: Tricky Dick & the Cover-Ups
First dance: “When You Say Nothing at All,” by Keith Whitley and Alison Krauss
Guest favors: Goodie bags with homemade treats
Guests stayed at: Country Inn and Suites
Honeymoon: River Maya, Mexico