Posted By Suzanne Carvlin on February 28, 2009

So, I keep hearing about how expensive weddings are and how it is nearly impossible to host a wedding for under $10,000. Well that’s just malarkey.

Now, keep in mind, if you have expensive taste and you simply MUST have EVERYTHING, then you could probably pull off a $10,000 wedding . . . if you had only 10 guests.

I loved my wedding and I did it for a grand total of $7000.00 with 120 guests.

Yup. That’s right. And it wasn’t a backyard, cake and punch only affair. (Although, that can be wonderful, too!)

My wedding the same year Matt Lauer from Good Morning America married Annette Laroque Lauer over a decade ago. Colin Cowie was their wedding planner and their reception was to die for. Everything was red. Oh, it is simply my favorite color (even my office is red!) They had a red draped tent, red tables, red chairs, red and violet flowers, red candles, red fortune cookie favors in red boxes AND Annette carried a red black magic rose bouquet. Her bouquet was my one wish. I just had to have all red roses accentuated with red coffee beans! And I did! Here it is:

Photo by Pierre Comtois Photography

This picture of my bouquet (taken by Pierre Comtois Photography) was created by Christopher Aldama at Fiore Fresco (yes THAT Fiore Fresco). I was in LOVE! (Well, obviously, as I was getting married, but I loved the flowers, too!)

We had our ceremony in the courtyard of the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, CA. It was a beautiful, starry night and all of the guests were gathered around the fountain. We have some amazing photos from this beautiful venue.

Photos by Pierre Comtois Photography

Our reception was at the Caged Chameleon art gallery across the street on Main Street. Richard Espinachio and Eric Smissen, the wonderful owners and operators of the gallery coordinated my wedding, made all of the food (I am still told how delicious it was) and hosted our full bar. They were dee-light-ful!

We had a 9-piece Cuban band, Son y Clave, a great photographer, Pierre Comtois, two cakes (which I was told tasted great, but I couldn’t eat (see earlier post) and were the only hitch as they showed up white but should have been one all chocolate and one pineapple-topped upside down cake. Oh well.), beautiful flowers from Christopher Aldama and tons of fun!

Yes, yes, it can be done! I do it all of the time for my wedding-planning business!

Stay tuned for photos from our reception!

Party on!
Suz ;-)

Category: Wedding Planning
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