Wedding of the Week: Dory from The Doyle Dispatch

That's right... Weddding of the Week is back! I really dropped the ball for a couple weeks there, but don't worry! I have a lineup of weddings set up for the next few weeks that will blow your mind!  Today's feature is Dory from the blog The Doyle Dispatch.  I hope you will love all the little details of this perfect wedding as much as I have putting it together!

Tim and Dory were married on 04.04.09 in the Charlottesville, VA.

Where was your ceremony & reception held?
Overlooking the golf course at Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, VA

What were the things you spent the most money on for your wedding?

Our photographer and the location. We met, saw the work of, and fell in love with Sarah Cramer (Shields) of Cramer Photography. She was worth every single penny. Not only was she our photographer, but she was a friend and gave me such great advice leading up to the wedding. We got the first glimpses of the wedding pictures on our honeymoon, and I burst into tears. She captured the day perfectly. We decided to have the pictures taken before the ceremony, so after we were married, we could just spend time with our family and friends. Not only did this make us so relaxed when it was time to formally walk down the aisle, but we really had a wedding DAY (not just evening... the ceremony was at 5 PM). Sarah let us just be us and she captured it all, from the smallest DIY details to the moment when Tim picked me a daffodil from the woods because he knew it was  my favorite flower.

For us, my family had a membership to Farmington at the time of our wedding. When we priced out the different options for locations, we realized that Farmington actually cost less than some of the hotel ballroom options, since we were members. Why would we turn down an amazingly beautiful setting (and delicious food) for less than the cost elsewhere?

Who were some of your favorite vendors? 

• Photographer: Sarah Cramer Shields from Cramer Photography
• Band: Big Ray and the Kool Kats
• Bride's Cake Baker: Raegan Gibson of Sweets and Soirees
• Save the Dates: printed by VistaPrint

How were you able to cut costs during your wedding planning?

We DIYed the entire wedding. We made the Save the Dates (and ordered them while they were on sale), pocket-fold invitations, programs, candle wraps, coloring books, individualized table number postcards, table number holders, candy buffet and bags, string balls, cake topper, message marble table decorations, ""thank you"" parasol, bridesmaids real pearl necklaces, and wedding photo matting guest book.

We also decided to not add any further decorations to the ballroom, as it was beautiful enough as it was. So many brides have added lighting and draperies to that room, but we just used the chairs and linens they provided for free.

We also shopped around for an up-and-coming baker and florist so that we could save on those costs and add a few more touches, like the Hokie Bird coming as a special guest (we entered the reception to Enter Sandman) and the Lane Stadium football cake.

Did you end up over or under budget for your wedding?

Right on budget!

What is your best advice for those planning a wedding?

Be realistic. When people found out we were getting married at a country club (probably the most expensive one in the area), they would never have believed we could do it for less than the typical cost of a wedding in Charlottesville. We did! When we started planning, we found out the typical wedding cost at the time. Then we cut about 5K (we wanted a challenge). We were realistic with our expectations, knowing when and where we could cut and splurge. We were able to purchase everything, including the dress, tux, location, food, alcohol, rings, and all the vendors, and we stayed on budget. We made mistakes along the way (changing our mind) and we were still able to make it work. If only we stuck to our original thoughts, this would have been much more under budget! 

Did you know Dory actually took all the DIY things they did for their wedding and turned it into a business? You can find it here, and I highly recommend you check it out.  You can also see more of Tim & Dory's wedding here and on her personal blog here.  Thanks again to this cute couple for letting me feature them! If you have any more questions about the wedding, you can contact Dory at dorydoyle at gmail dot com.