Some advice from a recent bride as found in a Reddit conversation: 

Was it perfect? No – it was rainy and cold, so we had to move indoors, and my MIL kept springing things on us, and my face was breaking out. But ultimately it was a GREAT wedding because it was OUR wedding, and at the end of the day, I was married to my one-and-only husband.

Some planning information and advice:

The big money-savers were:

  • DIY decorations, so we could avoid paying a florist. I got my 1300 cranes for about $250 overall, plus lots of hours of my time obviously.
  • Venue/caterer. We spent a lot of time looking for a venue that would allow us to use any caterer we wanted.
  • Bakery. Instead of a multi-tiered cake, we went with a single cake that was still beautiful and tasted delicious.
  • Dress. I know this isn’t an option for a lot of people, but my mother is a wonderful seamstress and made my dress herself. 
  • Use your own playlist instead of a DJ. 
  • Alcohol. Provided the company is good and the food is good, alcohol really can be secondary
wedding catering

Some things ARE worth paying for:

  • GOOD food: I know food was mentioned in the budget section too, but food is our main hobby so we knew it needed to be good. While we saved money overall by not having to use the crappy caterers that come with most wedding venues, we also did not cheap out on the buffet. We added appetizers, and we upgraded our buffet to include more main dishes. Also, since we didn’t spend the money on a fancy wedding cake, we could spend the money on a regular cake/pies from a much nicer bakery while still staying in our budget. Take the opportunity to splurge on those kinds of things where you can.
  • Day-of-coordinator: If you’re doing a mostly DIY wedding, or you have a lot of different vendors, a day-of-coordinator is a LIFE SAVER. She was seriously worth every penny. Made sure everything was lined up and ready to go before the wedding, and kept me from worrying about anything on the day-of. If you can possibly afford it, DO IT.
  • Photographer: Find someone that you click with and are comfortable with, and someone who’s photography style you really enjoy. The wedding only lasts one day, but the way you will REALLY remember your wedding for years to come is how it is preserved in photographs.
wedding catering endicott estate dedham Rainy day wedding bliss

Some advice for brides-to-be that I wish I had heard before my own wedding:

  • Trust your vendors. The forecast at the last minute took a turn for the terrible, and we were forced to go with an indoor ceremony. I was really hesitant about flipping the space, but the venue and caterers did it flawlessly. No matter how much we worry, as brides, remember that you ARE hiring professionals, and they do in fact know better than us what they’re capable of!
  • Don’t be afraid of candids. Although I picked a photojournalistic-style photographer, I was secretly terrified that all our pictures would be terrible because I make stupid faces all the time when I’m talking. However, now that I’ve got them all back, those candids are the pictures I love the most!
  • Be flexible and creative. Find the things that matter the most to you and stick to your guns, and let the other things go. Take a step back, and look at it in the context of your LIFE. Is it worth it?

endicott wedding cateringPhotos courtesy Promessa Studios

B&M Catering was honored to cater Andra and Mike’s wedding at the Endicott Estate in Dedham. They were so much fun to be with. No amount of rain could dampen their spirit!

If you’d like to see the more traditional photos from Andra and Mike’s wedding, you can find them on the Without a Hitch website.



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