Thrifty couple spend less than £500 on their wedding – by wearing second hand clothes and asking guests to bring food
A thrifty couple managed to pull off their dream wedding on a budget of $600 – around £488 – by wearing thrifted outfits and asking guests to bring food.
Bride Shelby Felps, 26, was determined to keep costs low when she wed her partner, Garrett, 26, in front of 25 guests.
She purchased her wedding dress for just $50 (£40) from a second hand website, and talented guests offered their services to ensure the big day went off without a hitch.
Despite their low budget, the pair say their wedding was ‘the most beautiful day of their lives’ and they ‘wouldn’t change a thing’.
Shelby, a river guide, from North Carolina, US, said: ‘It was by far the most beautiful day of my life.
‘Everyone had a good time – we didn’t need to spend thousands for it to be perfect.’
Groom Garett’s suit was also thrifted secondhand, and the best men and bridesmaids’ bought their own.
A friend was their photographer, while another filmed a wedding video. Another friend baked their wedding cake – a carrot cake with cream cheese icing.
When it came to decorations, the couple used wildflowers they found in their local community.
While the couple provided pizza and beer, extra food was also made by the wedding guests.
Shelby said: ‘My biggest goal was to thrift a dress as soon as possible.
‘We told people we didn’t want gifts but if they wanted to show their talent they could take pictures, bake a cake and create the food.’
Thanks to their help from friends, as well as asking them for donations, Shelby and Garett say they’ve saved around $10,000 – approximately £8,000.
The pair also got married outside, saving costs on a venue.
Shelby said: ‘Our ceremony took five minutes. We ended up having a bonfire celebration and since it was a common trail, we had random hikers coming through and hanging out with us – we danced to music until dark.’
The newlyweds met on Tinder in February 2017.
After exchanging messages, they met up, with Shelby describing it as the ‘best first date’ she has ever had.
Shelby said: ‘He made our entire dinner from scratch, we made Hawaiian ham and cheese sliders with crab rangoons.
‘Garrett was down to earth and made a lot of eye contact.’
The couple didn’t have a traditional proposal. One night, when Garrett couldn’t sleep he began writing down a list of goals. Once of this was, ‘marry Shelby in two weeks’.
The couple soon set about planning their wedding and married in October 2019.
Now Shelby and Garrett are enjoying life as a married couple.
Shelby said: ‘Garrett goes out of his way to be thoughtful in every single way, he is a true partner.
‘Whenever I am doing anything or need help, he’s the first person to step up and ask.’
The couple can be found on TikTok at @thecolorofflow.
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