The wedding totaled $9,731just barely within our $10,000 budget.
It was perfect in every way, but it was by no means effortless.
While Ive always dreamed of being married, I never dreamed about the wedding.
Photo:Blake Nelson
When Gustavo proposed, I jumped into wedding TikTok and lost all bearing on realityand what thingsactuallycost.
I was sure we could have a wedding for 80 people under $10,000, no problem.
If it was, it would require major trade-offs.
Photo:Blake Nelson
In our delusion, Gustavo and I started to inquire about venues in Madrid.
That was a reality check.
Our $10,000 would hardly get us in the door for an 80-person wedding.
Photo:Blake Nelson
(For that price, we were offered midweek or Friday afternoon wedding spots.)
Despite these challenges, we did find a venue outside of Madrid that we loved.
It was more reasonable than the others and so beautiful that the splurge felt worth it.
Photo:Blake Nelson
For what we were getting, it felt like a great price.
I even went so far as to confirm the catering and get the contract.
But I couldnt bring myself to sign it.
Photo:Blake Nelson
The idea of putting that amount of money into one day made me nauseous.
Plus, a blowout wedding simply wasnt ever my goal.
Getting married itself was a dreambut how that came to fruition, I didnt really care.
Photo:Blake Nelson
Everything changed when Gustavo and I had a conversation over dinner.
With all the focus on the wedding, the apartment hunt had fallen to the back burner.
Getting married this year was one of our dreams, but it wasnt our only dream.
Photo:Blake Nelson
My biggest questions related to the guest list: Did it hurt peoples feelings who werent invited?
Most people said any initial awkwardness dissolved with time and that the majority of their family and friends understood.
With the $10,000 budget, the details came together with remarkable ease.
Photo:Blake Nelson
If something was proportionally too big of a share of the budget, it was ruled out.
Before we started booking anything, we clarified what was important to us and what we could compromise on.
(They were the chicest paper plates out there, I promise!)
Our biggest splurges were on photography and music.
I will cherish the photos for the rest of my life.
Live music was a fun addition that turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the night.
It was worth every penny.
The other best spend was on a day-of coordinator.
Once I came to my senses, I called Kate and she agreed to quarterback the event.
We did, however, have to get crafty to check that we hit our budget.
In the end, my friend Claire did my makeup, and Ive never felt more beautiful.
For my hair, I had a $60 blowout.
Our flowers were done at cost by my incredibly talented friend Lindsay Jones, the florist behindStudio Jones.
The event had so much love poured into it.
You could really feel it.
Doing a wedding under $10,000 isnt for everyone.
But when I look back on my wedding day, I feel a sense of complete peace.
For a $100,000 wedding, you pay for perfection.
For $10,000, you get what you pay forand for us, it was more than enough.
To me,thatsperfect.
