One Day : Will and Jen

This is the first post in the series called One Day where I’ll be featuring couples who recently got married. They’ll share what they remember most, what stressed them out, and give some great advice! This week’s post is about Will and Jen. They were married September 25, 2009 in the great city of Chicago. They were engaged for 8 months and managed to pull off a $10,000 wedding while inviting 300 of their closest friends and family. Enjoy their tips, pictures, and inspiration board!

1. Now that it has been over 6 months since your wedding day, what do you remember most about the day? I remember being around all the people the meant the most in mine and my husband’s lives. I know it’s cliche, but you don’t notice or even care about any of those little details you cared about so much during planning – and honestly, your guests most likely don’t either.

2. What was the vision for your wedding day before you started planning? At first, I wanted a backyard wedding in a tent, very relaxed and outdoorsy feeling. I thought this would save me money – but in the end, it cost just as much as having a professional do it and stressed me out 5 times as much. Once I came back down to reality, it was just about making sure we found a place big enough to hold as many friends and family as possible.

3. What difficulties did you face while planning a wedding in Chicago? A budget wedding in Chicago is nearly impossible. I think we did manage it, but only because of some wonderful friends and family that helped us out. We had family friends play all the music, Allie Lehman helped with our beautiful invitations and programs, and Will’s family friend gave us a huge break on photography. We decided early on that we would rather have more people come than have a served meal, so we went with appetizers. You have to prioritize in the beginning, and stick to what’s important to you as a couple.

[From top to bottom: potential bridesmaids dress via J.Crew, decorative tree via theknot.com, rehearsal dinner clutch or bridesmaids’ gift idea via Ziazia’s Etsy shop, wedding program idea via theknot.com, ballet flats via J.Crew, and personalized note cards via Fubabee’s Etsy shop]

4. What was your least favorite part of wedding planning? Budgeting! While it is one of the most important things to do for a wedding, nothing causes more stress and sleepless nights than money. But ultimately, I’m glad we couldn’t spend that much, because how much you spend doesn’t make your wedding a special day.

5. What was your favorite part of wedding planning? Does the honeymoon planning count?

6. How did Will (the groom) fit into the wedding planning process? Mostly, he didn’t have an opinion. He’s a musician, so the ceremony music was pretty important to him, but other than that – he took care of the honeymoon.

Will and Jen’s wedding photography by Meagan Lindsay Shuptar.