Spoiler alert: it’s pretty cute. And colorful. And full of beautiful details. Sticking to a $50,000 wedding budget in an area as spendy as downtown Los Angeles definitely requires some creative thinking, and luckily Kate and Noah have no shortage of that. Combining fun DIY moments with a few nifty budget-saving tricks, these two were actually able to come in slightly under budget for their DTLA Grass Room wedding. (Wait: Have we *ever* said that about a wedding before? Couple of the year!) See how they did it as you scroll through the dreamy images our new vendor guide members Kristine & Charles sent our way!
Let’s start with Kate’s bridal style. Such a cute wedding dress, right? She wanted to honor her Filipino roots with her wedding dress pick, so she chose a custom made, puff-sleeved and bow-adorned short dress from Studio Vania Romoff. At first she was a bit hesitant about opting for a short wedding dress, but she knew it would add a playful element to the day. She made the right choice, if you ask us!
Yep, we still love bows on bows on bows. Shopping for your own wedding dress? Find more designers in our shopping guide!
Kate and Noah’s cute DTLA wedding with playful details
Photographers Kristine & Charles tell us, This wedding featured many unique details and moments: the bride’s bouquet designed with a woven fan (an homage to her Filipino roots), her pink heels and one-of-a-kind short wedding dress, vibrant venue with pink walls and plenty of greenery and a vintage marquee sign with their name. Her identical twin sister was the only one in her bridal party, and coincidentally the one who also caught the bouquet toss. This was a fun wedding to capture, with a lot of emotion and joy!
Wedding DIY Projects
• Kate and Noah opted out of hiring a floral designer, and instead selected flowers from the DTLA flower market, then arranged the bouquets and vases themselves.
• They did all of the planning themselves, but enlisted a day-of-coordinator which helped them save money without being too overwhelmed on the big day.
• All paper goods such as their colorful menus, save the dates, invites, and signs were DIY. (BTW, if you like this vibe, check out these downloadable invites!)
• Kate did her own hair and makeup for the wedding, so she saved money there too.
Fun DIY seating chart idea! Love the playful color combos here. Those of you planning can find more colorful wedding ideas right here.
7 Budget-Saving Tips from the Couple
Our bride shared their top planning tips that helped them stay within budget:
• We saved on alcohol by going to Costco, and creating a simple drink menu.
• Always ask vendors if they give discounts for paying in cash.
• We got married on a Friday so we saved on the venue cost.
• Save money by working with fewer venues. Our caterer was also our bartender and cake vendor.
• Have fun with DIY and get your friends and family involved! It’s so much more personal.
• We skipped giving out wedding favors because it didn’t seem super important.
• You don’t need to have everything you see on Pinterest. Really consider what’s important to have and what you can skip.
The result? A beautiful, playful wedding day full of fun moments and meaningful details. Congratulations to Kate and Noah!
Photographer: Kristine & Charles | Venue: Grass Room DTLA | Day of Coordination: Ginger de Leon | Floral Design: DIY by Bride & Groom | Videography: Regan S Caife | Music: Red Shoe LA & DJ Ako | Caterer: Spotted Hen Catering | Rentals: La Pinata Party | Wedding Dress: Studio Vania Romoff
