All we wanted was to get married. Neither of us wanted anything to do with a wedding. Our plan was to get married at the courthouse, with two witnesses, and get on to becoming ONE. People were so shocked to learn what our plans were; even our premarital counselor. We’d scheduled our court day and everything. I had the perfect Vera Wang White Collection, plum colored, sweetheart gown and a pink veil that matched perfectly.

Then…

One of our last sessions in counseling, our counselor asked us to think about switching up where we said “I DO’ because he thought that it would only make sense to get married at our church and for our pastor to marry us since he’d known our history up to this point. I was firm in my stance about the courthouse still. Yet, my then fiance’ (now husband) somehow thought that we should consider switching our plans just a little.

You’re kidding right?

Nope. Not kidding.

By this time we also had our honeymoon trip booked so there was no way around a Wednesday Wedding. Great because who is coming to a wedding on a Wednesday at 1PM (the only time that day our pastor was available)? I was happy because, right, who is coming to a wedding ceremony on a Wednesday at lunch time? Perfect! We would still get what we wanted, which was really to get married real quick and go about our happy business. So, in the church chapel it is! A chapel that comfortably seats close to 250 people. We both figured we’d fill maybe the first three rows on each side and that would be about it.

Sike!

As a result, I had to switch a few things up, because I just couldn’t walk down the aisle with a plum colored dress on. I know it would have had to be okay if I did, but that just didn’t sit well for me. Blame the hint of tradition that sits deep down in my soul or whatever.

Still, I wanted to keep things simple and meaningful. So, I found the most perfect evening gown and was all set. Here are the rest of the deets from our Budget Friendly Wedding:

The Ceremony (Approximate Expense $350): December 12, 2018. The day couldn’t have been more perfect. It was mild and the sun was bright all day! It was a Wednesday and it seemed like the world stood still just for us. There were nearly 100 people in attendance, which proved to us that so many people wanted to be part of our day. It was absolutely heartwarming. The ceremony was in our church’s chapel. To me, the vintage style wood was enough ambiance along with tulle bows at the end of the row on every other pew. No other decorations were needed.

With our Pastor (who married us) after signing marriage license

The Wears and Beauty (Approximate Expense $970): I ordered my satin Vince Camuto Gown from Nordstrom.com.! I wanted it to fit perfectly, so I went to their alterations department for tailoring and picked it up from the seamstress the day before the wedding. I know, I know. I was cutting it so close! LOL. It fit me perfectly! I ordered my shoes from Fashion Nova using a gift card (free .99). My birdcage veil was from David’s Bridal and my vintage earrings were from Mama Coos. My husband rented a tux from Men’s Wearhouse and purchased shoes from Macys. Although I could have done my own hair, makeup, and nails I decided to treat myself. I’m glad I did. Stephanie from the Living Room Hair Lounge did my hair the day before, Joy Williams did my makeup the morning of, and I got my nails done at a local nail salon the day before. I couldn’t have chosen a better beauty team. Period! My husband got his hair cut with his barber at Detroit Barber Company the day before our wedding. Boom. We were ready! Oh! I made my bouquet and all the boutonnières and corsages for the family also (we didn’t have a wedding party). That was my way of giving a meaningful gift to them for their undying support.

The Coffee Stop (Approximate Expense $12): After our ceremony, which was at 1PM, we went to one of our favorite coffee shops, New Order Coffee in Midtown, to have some alone time before our private, strolling hors d’oeuvres reception. We ordered our favorite coffees and they gifted us desserts! We sat at the window bar and as people drove by, they honked their horns. That was really sweet. About 30 minutes before it was time to go to our photo session, our friends stopped by to have coffee with us! This was a great time to decompress and to reflect on how sweet our ceremony was and how many people were present with smiles and heartwarming pleasantries. While there, the coffee shop’s marketing manager asked to take our photo and we ended up featured on their IG as the highlight of their day!

The Private Reception (Approximate Expense $1050) : We decided to have a small gathering after our ceremony to celebrate further. We rented the main parlors at The Inn at 97 Winder in Brush Park. We opted to purchase our own menu and setup. Our lovely friends prepped all the food and did the set up for us. It was just beautiful! Charcuterie boards, hors d’oeuvres, desserts, etc. The spread was absolutely stunning and filling! Due to the intimate setting, we only invited our immediate family and a few close friends (20 people max). Unlike large receptions, we had the opportunity to visit with everyone and have intimate moments together. I wouldn’t have done it any other way! Plus the The Inn was fabulous and provided that vintage, luxurious feeling right in line with our theme. We had a photo session with one of our favorite photographers and friends, William Bailey of Allen B. Williams Photography, in the parlors an hour before our reception started.

The Honeymoon (Approximate Expense $1200): We opted for a quick and simple, yet charming getaway because my husband had prior work obligations. NOLA baby! We took advantage of every hour there! From a jazz river cruise boat trip, to several tours, to good eating, to good entertainment, we had a ball! We shopped a little too and had the opportunity to meet many locals and small business owners.

There you have it! Most of our details from December 12, 2018! I’d say that we were pretty close in line with keeping things quaint and simple, considering we didn’t want any of this! LOL. As stated earlier, I wouldn’t change anything that happened that day. It was all a dream come true in our eyes and simply perfect. <3

We weren’t interested in having the biggest, most elaborate wedding. It’s just not our style. We wanted to GET and STAY married. That’s it and that’s all! Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE attending big, beautiful weddings (so don’t stop inviting us LOL).

Cheers to COMMITMENT, LOVE & HAPPINESS…

Here’s a few more photos to enjoy BELOW (click right arrow to see more):

…THEN check out our feature in Blac Magazine that has more of our wedding details:

https://www.blacdetroit.com/people-places/wedded-bliss-denitra-townsend-and-orlando-gregory