Tuesdays are normally a chance for me to pass along a practical tip to readers – tips I’ve collected from readers, resources I’ve found online, etc. Today’s post is like a bonus. It’s a beautiful plantation wedding + it’s loaded with practical tips. Would you believe that what you’re about to feast your eyes on was planned with a budget of just $4,000? Now of course Erin was able to save on rental costs (thanks to her kind employer) and design costs (she’s a designer), but Erin and her husband Jon were savvy, savvy, savvy with all of the other decisions they made, which helped them be true to themselves and their vision for their wedding. So, let’s do this Q and A style, sound good?

Q. How did you and your husband strike a balance between achieving your vision for the event and sticking to your budget?

A. It was important for us to start out our marriage debt free – so we insisted on paying cash for everything. That meant sticking to a very strict budget. Our goal was to stay under $4,000 for the entire event. Jon and I are simply, happy people, and we wanted our day to reflect that, to have a carefree feeling. We didn’t want a “fussy” feeling day.

Jon and I are both lucky that we work in artistic fields, so we reached out to our colleagues and friends and were surprised at the outpouring of support. Everyone seemed to want to donate time and lend a hand to make our day feel special.

Q. What were your biggest frustrations while you were planning your wedding?

A. What was very frustrating for us in the beginning of the planning was the prices that vendors wanted to charge for such a small wedding of just 20 guests. Some vendors didn’t even want to bother with us. Several folks wouldn’t even respond to email inquiries about food or venues or respond to phone calls. Other vendors felt that they could charge us “boutique” prices for such a small affair.

Sad to say, but when you mention to word “budget” to vendors they cringe. You can see it on their faces – they picture your wedding taking place in a Bingo hall and guests eating Oscar Meyer finger sandwiches. Being an artist/designer myself, I know what it takes to create certain things and was appalled at the prices people wanted to charge.

Q. What were your biggest joys?

A. My biggest joy was that the day was better than I could have imagined. All the important people in our lives were there and the day was beautiful. That’s all we really needed. All the planning and things I stressed about for months didn’t even matter in the end. And the fact that my mom cried at the reception because it all turned out so classic and beautiful – was the icing on the cake (no pun intended).

Q. Three most important things about your wedding day?

A. Besides my husband, my new step-son and my parents, the photographer, the caterer, and the venue. The photographer was a former VCU student of mine and her friend — Andrea Matarrese and Alana Kucharski–who offered to spend the entire day with us. They created some of the most beautiful shots that I will cherish forever. Our caterer, Chef Maura, worked with us to create an unforgettable menu that everyone loved and raved about. And last but not least, my generous bosses at CRT/tanaka who lent me our historic office building to hold my reception.

Q. Biggest splurge?

A. Flowers. I had never planned an event with flowers before, so this was a totally new experience to me. I worked with Betsy Dailey to create all of the flowers for the event, and she was so creative not only with the arrangements, but with my budget.

Q. Biggest savings?

A. Hands down the wedding invitations, reply cards, table cards, table menus, etc. I am an illustrator and graphic design by trade, so I made all of the printed materials myself by hand, down to the stamps. You can design your own and order them at stamps.com. That alone saved us hundreds/thousands of dollars, and they turned out beautifully.

Q. What’s the one piece of advice you’d like to pass along to other brides?

A. Be true to yourself. Don’t let someone else tell you what you should do or what you should spend to make your day memorable. Be unique and think outside the box. And most of all, don’t be afraid of the “F” word…the word “Frugal” can be your friend. It just means investigating your options more and thinking of alternative solutions. And don’t be afraid to ask those around you who have special talents – you’ll be surprised at what your friends and family can add to your special day!

Other tips from Erin:

• Wedding shoes – Payless online has a entire wedding shoe collection that can be dyed. Also, look at places like DSW warehouse for a wide selection of wedding shoes for half the cost.
• Flowers – go with flowers that are in season. They’re much friendlier to the budget!
• Venues – try to pick locations close to the family to cut down on travel/hotel costs. Bed and Breakfasts are wonderful for small weddings. They are cute, charming, usually have wonderful unique locations, and your entire wedding party can stay there as well!

Venue: North Bend Plantation (a great bed and breakfast in between Richmond and Williamsburg. North Bend is no longer offering the grounds for weddings.)

Catering: Chef Maura

Cake: Heather Taylor of Icing on the cake

Photographers: Andrea Matarrese (Double Image Studios) and Alana Kucharski (Circle S Studios)

DJ: Jay Levitt, manager of Plan 9 Music in Carytown

Dress: By BCGG, strapless satin cocktail gown with chocolate brown sash

Flowers: Betsy Dailey

Ceremony music: Supplied by my husband’s bandmate, Kevin Inge and good friend Eric Manwiller. Both sang and played acoustic guitar.