How to Get the Vintage Wedding of Your Dreams on a Shoestring Budget

It is no secret that weddings can be expensive, no sorry, scratch that – weddings can be extremely expensive.  This survey conducted by The Knot cites the average cost of an American wedding in 2017 as $33,391, which is actually a dip from the previous year’s average of $35,329.  And while this past year’s number is a bit lower, it still can represent the take home pay of a working adult that has a pretty decent full-time job!

If that number seems shocking (and potentially stressful!) to you, don’t despair!  You can still have a truly amazing wedding at a cost that is affordable and comfortable for you and your family.  Experts say that setting, and sticking to, a budget are key to avoiding sticker shock when the vows are all said and the cake is all eaten and everyday life returns.

If you have a budget that is a bit lower than the national average, or even if you just want to incorporate some really fun, personal, vintage touches into your big day, you are going to love this article on how to get the vintage wedding of your dreams on a shoestring budget.

Plunder Thrift Stores For Vintage Wedding Decor

The great thing about doing a vintage theme is that you can find really cool old stuff at your local Goodwill that you can repurpose into gorgeous decorations, or even wear!  Vintage wedding dresses are all the rage right now, so finding your dress or dresses for your bridesmaids at a thrift store would be very cool, and way less expensive. All it takes to make thrift store finds work is a little bit of creativity and style.  Old glassware can make awesome vases for centerpieces.  Old lace can be pinned in your hair or cover a table.  An old broach can adorn your bouquet in a very fetching way.  Tear the pages out of old books or sheet music and glue them together for a funky and fun way to decorate reception tables.

Ask Your Relatives For Help

Weddings have a way of bringing the whole family together, no matter how far flung they may be.  Get the gathering going early and phone your great aunt Mildred to see if she has any cool vintage heirlooms that you could use to decorate for the big day.  I guarantee she will be flattered that you asked, and pretty excited that something that she loves will get to make an appearance for your big day.

Decorate Vintage Weddings with Wildflowers

Wildflowers are vintage, romantic, and simply  Plus, they cost a lot less to buy than some other types of flowers.  Maybe you can even grow your own, or maybe you know someone who already has beautiful wildflowers growing on their property that you can pick and arrange yourself!

Get a Great Venue

The best venues will have built in vintage touches that won’t cost you any extra.  At Spring Lake Events our rustic barn wedding venue in Georgia is the perfect spot for romantic vintage weddings, and we provide tables, chairs, linens, and beautiful vintage style lantern centerpieces for guests lists up to 200 people!

Plus, Spring Lake Events has an entire cabin chock full of vintage wedding décor for you to dig into to create the vintage wedding of your dreams!  Check out some of the beautiful vintage decorations that are in here.  In addition to all of this, we’ve also got a really cool old truck that is picture perfect to pose with for you and your bridal party, a handmade cedar arch, vintage style wooden pews, a red canoe to drift along the lake in with your sweetheart for photos, and another canoe that is perfect for putting all of those wedding gifts in.  When it comes to creating the perfect vintage wedding, we can’t be beat!

Less is More

Planning a wedding can be overwhelming.  There are so many ideas for decorations, food, entertainment, and all of the little details that you will be bombarded with that you can feel like you have to have it all.  Let us tell you a secret: you don’t.  You can have the beautiful, romantic, vintage wedding of your dreams without having all of the things.

Sometimes, less is more.  Sometimes, the understated elegance of simple flower arrangements and some sweet personal touches can create just the right atmosphere for you to commit your life to the one you love better than some more over the top (and expensive!) display.

After all, when you look back on this day years from now, the biggest thing that you will remember will be that you married the man, or woman, of your dreams!