When it came time in the wedding planning process to order my invitation suite, I was immediately drawn to the calligraphy handwritten addressing on beautiful shiny gold envelopes. I was also immediately discouraged when I saw the price of these beautiful envelopes.
Of course I was determined to figure out a way to have this type of envelope as part of my invitation suite.
For this project I went to my local Goodwill and purchased the cheapest frame in the size and color that went with my wedding theme.
I then used my Silhouette Cameo 3 to create and cut out the design using gold Cricut vinyl. Measured the width of the glass frame to determine how large to cut out the design. Choose your favorite font and design, cut, weed, and place the design on your frame.
My father build a redwood stand to hold the frame and I had the florist add a nice floral wreath to add the finishing touches.
The one thing I absolutely loved is that it definitely set the tone for guests arriving to the wedding ceremony.
The downfall is that the glass made the wording a little challenging to see at a distance. Looking back, I wish I had either used a different color vinyl so it would’ve been easier to see at a distance or placed a plain paper in the frame so it wasn’t clear. But regardless I still love the welcome sign!
Photography: Danyelle Dee Photography
Our beautiful wedding ceremony location! Once I visited I knew instantly that this is where I wanted to say “I Do”.
There were certain things that I knew I wanted in a wedding venue. First I wanted the venue as outdoors as possible. We got married in August so it’s still very warm at that time of year in California. His venue was great because the ceremony was under this beautiful floral arbor and then the cocktail hour was outdoors as well. The reception was technically indoors but we had access to the courtyard where the cocktail hour was held which was outdoors. The courtyard was just through a double set of doors so you could still see the dance floor even if you were outdoors enjoying the nice evening weather.
Wedding Venue: Chaminade Resort and Spa
Location: Santa Cruz, California
The second most important thing was obviously cost. This venue was a little more costly than my original budget BUT the wedding coordinator did everything she could to make my dream wedding happen. We had an alternative menu and I diy’d most of the decor so I was able to stay on budget. I also didn’t do any upgrades that were offered in the wedding packages mostly because I didn’t think they were necessary but to also stay on budget.
Those were really my only two top priorities. Location was important but most of our family and friends are local or within a couple hours so I knew Santa Cruz was already a good location. Santa Cruz also offers so much and since we got married on a Friday that gave our guests the opportunity to make a mini vacation out of the weekend.
The staff, resort amenities and accommodations, and our overall experience at Chaminade Resort and Spa was phenomenal. I would do this day 1000 times over if I could!
We hired Kawaii Foto to add a bit of fun to our wedding day!
They were super friendly and professional. They do all the set up (and they were so quick about it that I didn’t even realize it was actually all set up), and I love that before your event (during the planning phase) they work with you to personalize the booth to your needs. I highly recommend their services if you’re looking for a photo booth for your next event.
Photography: Danyelle Dee Photography
I cannot take credit for making this redwood podium BUT I can say that my awesome father made it!
I asked my father to make a simple podium for our officiant and readers to be able to stand at if they wish and he sure delivered.
We had an ample supply of redwood so this podium is 100% free and added quite a dramatic difference to our ceremony site.
If you know of a handy man/woman that can build then a podium would be an easy and inexpensive way to add character to your wedding.
Photography: Danyelle Dee Photography
I’ve always thought that wedding favors were a nice touch to a wedding but also thought they were also a waste of money and time. Instead of giving a physical item to our guests we went with a sweet treat.
“Love is Sweet. Enjoy this Treat.”
The cookie itself is a sugar cookie in the shape of a heart with a delicious frosting with our wedding date. They’re made by husbands aunt and they are seriously the most delicious cookies I’ve ever tasted!
I purchased these transparent cookie bags from Amazon to place each cookie in. I love the frosted dots to give it a little something extra! These were approximately $11 for 100ct.
I also purchased these Avery labels from Amazon as well and followed the directions to print the design from Avery.com/print. These were the Avery 2.5″ round labels in kraft brown. These were $7.
All in all it was a relatively inexpensive wedding favor that our guests loved to munch on!
Super simple and inexpensive wedding favors, especially if you make the cookies yourself. Just pick your design, print, and stick to your bags.
Photography: Danyelle Dee Photography
My little sister made us this cute diamond ring cupcake cake display for our engagement celebration. Made with simple box cake mix and colored mini malt balls it added the sweetest touch to our celebration.
My husband and I met at UC Berkeley where our colors were navy gold. It was only fitting that we did a navy gold theme but with a little twist of blush.
Our table linens were navy and our napkin linens were dusty rose. They were a little more on the pink side than I originally wanted but these were the linens available through the venue and I didn’t want to add an additional cost by renting something less pink so dusty rose we went with!
I spray painted terra cotta pots with gold spray paint which is way cheaper than buying official vases.
A family friend did our floral arrangements (aren’t they gorgeous?!). Flowers were purchased at the San Francisco Flower Mart.
The table provided enough contrast to have a moody setting without taking away the soft romantic vibe.
Venue: Chaminade Resort and Spa
Photography: Danyelle Dee Photography
The wedding menu I created completely on my own! I searched Pinterest for free downloads but just couldn’t mind anything I truly liked. This was a combination of ideas which turned into my own creation. And if I may toot my own horn, but I think they turned out pretty decent.
Our venue was Chaminade Resort and Spa in Santa Cruz, California. I absolutely loved the venue the second I saw it and knew this was where I wanted to get married. Unfortunately the catering cost per person was way over my budget. Luckily, the wedding planner worked with my now husband and I to create a delicious meal while also staying within our budget.
Venue: Chaminade Resort and Spa
Photography: Danyelle Dee Photography
Believe it or not but my bridesmaids dress was a lot harder to chose than my own wedding dress! Maybe because I wasn’t going to be the one wearing the dress and I wanted my bridesmaids to be comfortable but stylish or because there seemed to be way more options (color and style) that it was really overwhelming.
The dress worn is White by Vera V Neck Halter Gown with Sash in the color Blush. The dress was purchased at Davids Bridal.
The great thing about Davids Bridal is that there are promotions/discounts pretty often. I told my bridesmaids to purchase the dress when there was a 20% off sale. There are also tons of colors, dress styles, and designers!
I chose a simple baby’s breath/eucalyptus combination for their bouquets and nude shoes. I let the choose their own shoes, which 3 of the 5 wore sandals. It didn’t matter since the dresses were long.
I love how the dress looked beautiful on all my bridesmaids and I hope its a popular dress/color that maybe they can be worn again at another event or wedding.
Photography: Danyelle Dee Photography
Venue: Chaminade Resort and Spa
Mariesah 
You must be logged in to post a comment.