Hi friends — I’m Courtney (Melissa’s daughter). I’m excited to share wedding planning advice and a look back at our wedding from this past July. I posted a few updates on Instagram while planning, but now that we have all the photographer photos I can share more details from the day and the budget-friendly choices that made it meaningful and manageable.
If you missed it, I shared the proposal story in a previous post — my husband Dong planned a surprise beach proposal. I also posted a wedding mood board and planning details earlier, and today I’ll walk through how the day unfolded and what worked for us.
NOTE: Pin this post and share with a friend who’s getting married. Weddings come with a lot of decisions and it can get overwhelming. Real wedding details from someone who’s already navigated the choices helped me when I felt decision fatigue. I’ll include specifics to save you time and help you simplify.
SOURCES: I reference many of my sources throughout the post and collected similar items on a Wedding Sources page. I hope these ideas are useful whether you’re planning a wedding or just enjoying the inspiration.
Get cozy with a cup of tea — this is a long, chatty read!
Here’s me and my husband — it still feels surreal to say! Our wedding day felt like the start of a new chapter surrounded by people who shaped and supported us. We felt incredibly grateful and blessed.
Family support made the day possible. Our aim was a beautiful, personal celebration that felt magical and welcoming without being over the top. We prioritized what mattered most to us and saved in areas that weren’t essential. That balance will look different for everyone, but thinking through what would truly enhance the day helped guide every choice.
In our mood board I described the vibe as somewhere between formal and casual — a magical, cozy, charming, and fun party. We kept that vision front and center while making decisions and I’m happy to say the result felt just right for us.
I won’t list exact budget numbers here because costs vary so much, but for context we spent below the average wedding cost in our area. We were thrilled with the outcome and felt it exceeded our hopes.
My mom’s book Simple Gatherings reminded us to focus on what guests remember most: atmosphere, the feast, conversation, and small touches. That advice patiently guided our planning.
The first detail we booked was the venue: Christianson’s Nursery in Mount Vernon, Washington. It’s a charming garden nursery with a historic schoolhouse, rose gardens, greenhouses, a rustic barn-like event space, and mountain views. I fell in love with it on a tour and liked that it was close enough to visit often while planning. It already felt special, and now it holds wedding memories too.
Our wedding was a Wednesday. We chose a weekday because the venue’s available dates were limited and weekday weddings often cost less. We sent save-the-dates early so guests could plan — about 115 people attended, which was perfect for us.
Behind the schoolhouse is an English rose garden. We used the lawn for a garden-party-style welcome reception with lemonade before moving to the barn-like building for the ceremony.
Fun fact: the schoolhouse was built in 1888 and moved into the rose garden after restoration.
We used A-frame chalkboard signs for directions and the schedule. I found some secondhand signs locally for free, painted them, and hand-lettered them with a chalk paint pen. Look for items on local buy/sell groups or wedding groups to save money. If you prefer, hiring a calligrapher saves time and gives a polished result.
Posting the schedule helped guests know what to expect and prevented anyone from missing important moments. We also printed programs with the order of events.
I designed signage and paper items using Canva and printed them on thick paper. A simple Ikea frame and an easel with faux eucalyptus made a warm welcome display without a big expense.
We set up a Polaroid guest-book station. I bought an instant camera early in planning and used the photos later to assemble a memory album. We also displayed guests’ photos on a corkboard using twine and clothespins — a simple and inexpensive way to collect memories.
We rented drink dispensers for the reception and set up a welcome table with a card box. Botanical elements — pressed flowers, dried flowers, and fresh garden blooms — were woven into many details.
We designed save-the-dates and invites in Canva and printed them on deluxe matte paper. I decorated envelopes with pressed-flower stickers and a botanical stamp for a cohesive, garden-inspired look.
I found my dream dress on sale and ordered it online, with a quick try-on and small alterations. I loved the sleeves, tulle skirt, subtle sparkle, and back bow. Comfortable shoes with a sturdy heel were perfect for grass.
Dong looked sharp and even had our wedding date embroidered inside his suit jacket. We kept wedding-party styling relaxed and cohesive: mismatched floral bridesmaid dresses that each bridesmaid chose so they felt comfortable and could likely re-wear the dress later.
Our bouquet came from a local florist who used garden-grown blooms and tied it with a natural silk ribbon. I added a small heirloom pin from my grandma to the ribbon for a sentimental touch.
I got ready with bridesmaids in a 1920s cottage behind the schoolhouse. My sister served as maid of honor and kindly helped with hair and makeup — a special memory.
We used the nursery’s greenhouse for first-look photos and appreciated having both indoor and outdoor spaces for different parts of the day.
The venue set the tone for everything. It was naturally beautiful, so added decor felt like icing on the cake. My mom gathered rose petals from a family rose bush to line the aisle, which added a meaningful pop of color.
We saved by ordering buckets of seasonal blooms from a local flower farm and arranging bud vases ourselves. My sister arranged the vases and made bouquets the night before. For many tables we used rented vintage milk-glass bud vases for a cohesive look without buying and transporting dozens of individual vases.
The tables featured white tablecloths, light gray napkins we purchased affordably, pops of color in garden flowers, warm wood accents, and many candles. We rented linens and vintage vases and bought simple napkins we sold afterward to save cost. Lavender sprigs from my mom’s yard and baker’s twine finished the napkin bundles.
Because our dinner was from a taco food truck, we embraced casual but thoughtful tableware. We used sturdy compostable plates and birch flatware, and printed small menus so guests knew what the truck offered.
Local artists contributed special touches like hand-painted floral candles. We used ceramic taper holders in mixed sizes to prevent wax drips and create a warm candlelit feel.
Each table had a thank-you note and “about the newlyweds” cards with fun facts to encourage conversation and help guests learn more about us. Guests loved exploring the room to find these little details.
Message in a Bottle Station
We set up a station where guests wrote advice and well wishes on paper scrolls and placed them in a large glass bottle — the same bottle used in our proposal. Pre-rolling the scrolls with jump rings made it easy for guests to participate. It was a sentimental, interactive way to collect memories.
We used one upper loft for drinks and another for desserts and the Polaroid station. The Polaroid guest-book allowed guests to take one photo for themselves and leave one for us; I added a few props for fun.
I made a small guest-book sign by attaching dried flowers to a printed sign in a shadowbox frame — a simple hot-glue craft that added charm without a lot of time or money.
A dessert bar was our dream. A friend generously baked and displayed a delicious spread of cookies, brownies, cupcakes, cheesecakes, and options for dietary needs. It was one of the most-talked-about parts of the reception and such a generous gift.
Our friend also made the wedding cake, which ended up being a beautiful, memorable centerpiece. It was a wonderful surprise and reminder of how much help and love surrounded us.
We didn’t hire a planner, so we handled many details ourselves. On the day it was so rewarding to see everything come together — the food, music, flowers, and little touches we’d chosen were all enjoyed by our guests.
For the dance I changed into comfortable shimmery sneakers so I could twirl without worrying about heels — a practical choice that let me enjoy the party fully.
Petal Toss Send-Off
We set up a Petal Bar where guests filled paper bags with a personalized mix of dried petals to toss for our send-off. It was a fun activity during the reception and made for colorful, joyful photos.
The week before the wedding we shared quiet, joyful moments with family assembling programs and watching a movie — those small memories are among my favorites. We felt so thankful for everyone who helped make the day meaningful.
Thanks for letting me share our day. If you have questions or want more specifics about any detail, feel free to leave a comment on the post or reach out on Instagram. I’m happy to help!
If you’d like to see more details, follow my Instagram and browse my wedding Pinterest board for ideas and visuals.
Photography: Most photos in this post are by Milana’s Photography; some images are iPhone photos noted in captions. Venue: Christianson’s Nursery in Mount Vernon.
None of the wedding details or this post were sponsored. I list many of our sources and vendors throughout, gathered to help anyone planning a wedding who wants practical, budget-aware ideas.
