Sunday Brunch Pro Bam!

Budget: $12k-$15k (Idon't have our final numbers, but I believe we came in around the $15k mark)

Date: May 19, 2019

Time: Ceremony at 11:30AM, Reception 12:00-4:00

Engagement: 18 months

The Vendors:

Ceremony/Reception Venue: Copper Roux

Catering/Bar: Bayou Bluegrass

Hair: Personal stylist

Makeup: Image Insight

Photographer: Bourbon & Brides

DJ: COMPLETE Weddings + Events

Groom/groomsmen rentals: Geno's Formal Affair

Wedding dress: Dillard's, alterations at The Needle's Eye

Bridesmaid dresses: David's Bridal

Cake: made by my stepmom, donuts from Dough Daddy's

Flowers & Decor: DIY by myself. Flowers all purchased from Michael's, ribbons, chargers, and lightbulbs on centerpieces from Hobby Lobby, fabric on arch from JoAnn's

The Good: Honestly, everything about our day was so great. The weather was perfect, the food was amazing, everyone seemed to have a fantastic time. Most of the hiccups we had were because of family members, NOT because of any of our vendors.

The Bad: My hair stylist was supposed to bring a second person with her, she did not. We wound up being an hour late leaving the house for the first look and formal portraits. Thank goodness by photographer was AMAZING and had built a lot of extra time into our schedule for pictures. My MIL kept demanding pictures WITHOUT me and my daughter, so that was frustrating. We kept telling her no so at the reception she cornered my husband and his brother and got a picture without me. She also asked when we were giving her a grandchild, and when husband told her she has one she said "no, like one of my own..." FIL kept hitting on the bartender in front of his boyfriend so that was awkward, but it is what it is. My mom was 100000% more stressed than I was all weekend and then was stressed that I WASN'T stressed.

Overall: If you're considering a brunch wedding, DO IT! Our guests loved the food (breakfast meats, hashbrown casserole, biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, and made-to-order omelettes.) We were worried that the reception would be a bust, but the DJ kept the dance floor packed and everyone had a great time. The venue coordinator told us that we were the liveliest brunch wedding they've EVER had. I will warn you that it was a very early start- hair and makeup arrived at 5AM. That being said, I was awake at 2:45 because I was so excited for the day, so getting it "over with" made the day go so much smoother for me, I'm sure.

I know everyone says it, but really, truly try to enjoy the day. You've spent HOURS picking the perfect vendors, now trust them to do their job. I didn't think I needed a day-of-coordinator, and I didn't want to spend the money on one. We decided to ask a family friend to coordinate for us on the day of and she was a life saver. She picked up donuts and had the dessert table assembled by 10am. She helped usher the little kids down the aisle, she held on to the marriage certificate, she took care of fielding any questions from the venue staff. If it's not in the budget but your mom's best friend or your aunt wants to feel involved and you trust them, ask them to help!

I feel like I'm forgetting some things but if anyone has any questions, feel free to ask!

Now what we all came for: PICTURES! Sorry, they uploaded in kind of a wonky order.

Omelet StationI didn't have any cake other than a small bite, but everyone said it was delicious........

......................................................................When I walked down the aisle, he started bawling. Don't let anyone tell you that a first look takes away the emotion of the moment!.............The DJ had our guests surround us and tell us they loved us, then they gave us the best group hug...................................................................................Guest bench built by my dad...........................We opted for the shoe game rather than the bouquet and garter toss
Laughing when we messed up the choreographed dance

............................................................................................I thought these were the cutest (Hobby Lobby) Now I have about 30 in my guest room lolArch built by my dad, flowers from Michael's and fabric from JoAnn's........................................................Our favors were homemade jam, peach butter, and apple butter. A lot of guests used them on their biscuits at the reception!..........