Get ready for some seriously lovely winter wedding inspo in this romantic California wedding at Villa de Amore! Using a sophisticated black and white color palette, Whitney and Brian combined lush white florals with antique accents to create a modern, elegant vibe. We love this couple’s chic style, especially the bride’s two-piece Monique Lhullier ensemble and custom crystal-embellished veil and belt. We also cannot get enough of the pure joy both the bride and groom exude in every single photo! Our hats off to Hom Photography for capturing their happiness and tender love with such honesty!
I wanted to have a clean look to my wedding. Since it was a winter wedding I wanted lush whites and vibrant greens. The vines on the property were in hibernation so it was really important that our colors vibed with the darkness of the vines.
I absolutely loved my two piece wedding dress with designer belt. And my veil!!! It was custom made with rhinestones similar to my belt.
Honestly, the most memorable part about our day was how it was raining throughout all the processionals and as soon as I went to walk out the rain stopped. It was pretty wild to have every one of our guests say how goosebump-inducing it was.
We wanted a romantic winter wedding. Once we selected our wedding venue and then I found my dress it all fell into place. We wanted clear and mercury glass for the candles and then high candlesticks with accent greens on the top. We had over 35 different antique decanters on all the tables filled with red wine.
Processional – “Forever” by Ben Harper
Recessional – “You’ve Got the Love” by Florence and The Machine
First Dance – “The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra
Congratulations to Whitney and Brian, and a special thanks to Hom Photography for sharing their beautiful photos with Junebug! Planning a winter wedding of your own? You’ve got to see these 15 winter bridal looks we can’t get enough of to get some great fashion inspiration!
Nora and Andrew’s wedding at Journeyman Distillery was as cool and stylish as it was sentimental. The distillery was located in one of the couple’s favorite weekend spots in Michigan, and they visited this particular distillery on the day they bought their first piece of furniture as a couple. To pay tribute to both of their religious traditions, they had a mixed Jewish-Catholic ceremony under a chuppah that was passed down from Nora’s brother’s wedding and will continue to be passed down through the family. The couple also gave some extra special nods to their beloved Chicago Cubs with custom cookies for the guests to enjoy at the reception and with custom Cubs socks worn by the groom and groomsmen. We love all the sentimental details this sweet couple incorporated, and Sally O’Donnell Photography captured every detail beautifully!
Ever since Nora was young, she has been visiting the Harbor Country region of southwest Michigan to stay with family and friends during summer weekends. Harbor Country is a collection of eight towns that run along the tip of Lake Michigan. Now as a couple, the area has become one of our favorite weekend spots for antiquing, beach time, dunes hiking, and brewery/winery/distillery hopping.
We wanted to get married in a meaningful location where we could create a weekend getaway without asking the majority our family and friends to travel too far. Only an hour and twenty minutes from Chicago, the Journeyman Distillery in Three Oaks, MI was the perfect venue for creating a wedding with city-vibe in the country. During Andrew’s first trip to Harbor County, we stopped at the Journeyman Distillery for a cocktail and lunch after purchasing our first piece of furniture together at a nearby gallery. When we decided to get married, the Journeyman was the first place on our list because of our fond memories of that day picking out something that represented our future life together.
To represent our respective religious backgrounds, we were married by both a Rabbi and a close friend of the Catholic faith. We were married under a Chuppah, which in the Jewish tradition signifies the couple’s new home together as husband and wife. It is open on all sides representing our commitment to creating a home that will always be open to friends and family. The Chuppah cover was made by Nora’s mother for the wedding of her brother and sister-in-law. It will be passed down to other family members who wish to use it. We plan to embroider the names of everyone in our family that have married under the canopy. The birch branches of the Chuppah were decorated with olive branches to represent Andrew’s Sicilian heritage.
Sally O’Donnell and her husband Nick were a dream to work with on our wedding day. They integrated seamlessly into our plans for the day from the moment they arrived. Sally knew exactly how to pace out pictures with our family and bridal party, and Nick kept the groomsmen entertained throughout the photo sessions. They captured everything we asked for and more. Their eye for beautiful lighting and framing is exceptional. I didn’t have to worry about anything with Sally and Nick. They perfectly captured our spirits and the joy we felt that day!
We gave our guests fresh Honeycrisp Michigan apples and Chicago Cubs cookies. The apples were a nod to our love for Michigan and wish for a sweet life together. The Cubs cookies were a game-time decision. Our wedding was the day before the Cubs played their final game of the 2016 National League Championship against the LA Dodgers. This game was significant because it would break the 108-year curse of the billy goat. Luckily the Cubs won, entering the team into the Championship finals. For these two die-hard Chicago families, it was a dream weekend— a wedding and a Cubs win! Andrew also bought his groomsmen Cubs socks to change into for the party. We felt these Cubs touches were a subtle way to bring in some fun, but without interfering with the décor.
While there are definitely more fun parts of wedding planning (dress shopping! setting up your wedding website!), your wedding budget is one of the most important. We know it can be overwhelming, and even knowing where to start is a challenge. Not to worry — we’ve broken down how to set your wedding budget step by step, and even given a few tips for saving money on the big day!
Step One: Discuss your priorities. Before you start throwing out numbers, it’s important to determine what’s most important to you both on your wedding day. Different priorities have different price tags attached, but we’ll get to that in a minute. This first meeting should be realistic with a dose of idealistic — what do you envision for your dream wedding day? We recommend finding real weddings that you love and starting a list of the things you love and can’t live without. Based on these priorities, come up with an initial budget draft using our Wedding Budget Tool focusing on the most important things to you. It’s also a good idea to consider your wedding size, as this can make a big difference in your wedding budget as well. Lastly, keep in mind that a longer engagement gives you more time to make payments before the big day! Your initial budget will likely change quite a bit as you go, but it’s good to have a starting place before reaching out to wedding vendors. Which, brings us to…
Step Two: Start meeting with vendors. Once you’ve decided on your priorities, it’s time to start contacting the vendors who can bring them to life! As you collect quotes from each vendor and vendor type (which you can also track in our Wedding Budget Tool!), you can begin to adjust your initial budget. If you really connect with a certain photographer or fall in love with a particular venue that costs more than you budgeted, revise the price points for other areas of your day so that you stay under (or as close as possible) to your initial budget number.
Step Three: If necessary, consult with family. Family members often offer to “help out” with the wedding cost in the early stages of an engagement, but the offer may be vague or in passing. If there is a specific aspect of your wedding where outside funds would make a difference, follow up on those offers. However, do not expect that family is going to pay for all, some, or even a little bit of your wedding without having a conversation about it first!
Step Four: Start a miscellaneous fund. One thing most couples don’t fully expect when setting their wedding budget is the unexpected! Without a doubt, there will be unseen expenses along the way, and especially as the day draws closer. For instance, an AirBnB to get ready in before your wedding, gifts for your bridesmaids and groomsmen, second envelopes for your wedding invitations, or a gorgeous hairpiece you can’t stop thinking about. And don’t forget to tip your vendors! Whether you keep a change jar or sign up for a program like Digit that saves your spare change, starting a miscellaneous fund as early in the planning process as possible provides that extra bit of financial padding for unseen budget needs!
Get married on a weekday. With only so many Saturdays in the year, many wedding vendors are eager to book weddings on alternative days of the week and are often willing to offer a significant discount if you do so! Not only do venues provide lower rates for weekdays than weekends, but your local photographers, planners, and other vendors may give a sweet incentive to show their appreciation for the opportunity to work with a great couple on a day they aren’t already booked.
Throw a stock the bar party. Alcohol can be a bit of a budget suck, and a cash bar can be a bit of a bummer for guests. Planning an engagement party? Invite guests to bring a bottles of liquor, wine, or beer to have served at your big day in lieu of a regular engagement gift. While you still need to find a licensed bartender who has insurance (serving your own liquor is a big no no!), providing the liquor yourselves can save a lot of money.
Rely on your setting. Whether you prioritized a beautiful venue into your budget or found a charming area in the woods to say “I do,” your setting can do a lot to enhance the look of your wedding. If your budget is tight, let the surroundings speak for themselves and go for a more minimal tablescape of found items.
Skip the favors, skip the paper. When it comes to aspects of a traditional wedding you can skimp on, consider what your guests really want. For most, the experience and photos to look back on are the most important things, making favors and paper menus or programs extraneous. Instead of paying to print a program and menu for every guest, utilize signs in your decor that get this information across. Hiring a calligrapher for one sign is much less of an undertaking than for every invitation envelope. Got a bridesmaid with fabulous handwriting? Even better!
A catered buffet is the way. When it comes to catering, a plated dinner can add up to a huge bill. Going buffet style used to have negative connotations, but these days wedding guests are happy to grab a plate to get fed (and even get seconds!). A catered buffet saves you a considerable amount of money per guest and even gives your favorite people a chance to mingle before hitting the dance floor.
Ditch the Plan B. This may be the most controversial of our tips, but hear us out! If you’re planning an outdoor affair, you may be encouraged to pay for a backup space in the event of rain. An additional venue charge eats up a lot of your budget that could go to other things on your priority list. While weather may be unpredictable, checking the Old Farmer’s Almanac can be a good way to take a look into the future and get an idea of conditions on and around your wedding day. Plus, we think rain is pretty darn beautiful. Just look at these gorgeous rainy wedding days: this Castleton Farms wedding, this Handsome Hollow wedding, and this Stones & Flowers Retreat wedding.
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