Written By Melissa Reardon
Photographs By Lucy Cuneo
A transplant from Virginia, Weston “Wes” McAfee vividly remembers the first time he saw his future bride-to-be. Charleston native Dana Elaine...
Samantha Anderson Events teamed up with Lyndi and Jason Photography to turn a no-fun subject—your wedding budget—on its head. The trick? Samantha dressed three tables at three different price points, but all in super fine fashion. Take a peek, and listen up to her chat about how to decide how to balance your splurges and savings. (P.S. Guess which table is the priciest! Answers are below.)
BUDGET BASICS: You’re a 10!
“One of the first things we talk about with our clients is not always the most fun topic—budget,” says Samantha. “We have our clients rank each category of their wedding on a scale of one to 10, one being ‘I could do without’ and 10 being ‘I want the best of the best.’”
CENTERPIECE SAVVY: Less can be more.
“When it comes to saving on centerpieces, we have two go-to moves,” says Samantha. “The first is repurposing bouquets after the ceremony. But instead of just plopping them into the clear hurricane glass they [were delivered] in, think of using an opaque vessel so it’s less obvious that you’re repurposing. Our second tip: Cluster differing candles—mix them to give interest—and surround them with greens for an easy and inexpensive way to decorate your tables. For this shoot, we added fresh fruit [another economic element] to give color and texture to the table.”
RETHINK YOUR RENTALS: Up the comfort quotient and play with plates.
“Rentals are always a line item that take clients by surprise,” says Samantha. “When it comes to deciding on rentals, keep in mind what guests are going to directly interact with and make sure they are high quality. For example, take napkins; your guests will have close contact with their napkin the majority of the evening during dinner, so a cotton, linen, or other higher end napkin that feels good to the touch [can be a splurge rental]. Next? Think about chairs. If you go with a less expensive chair, add a cushion so they are comfortable. And last, for dinners with stations, use a dinner plate instead of a charger; station plates actually sit much nicer in dinner plates than they do in chargers.”
Table Key
Table One: Round-top with gray linen, candles, and fruit. Price as seen, approximately $240
Table Two: Rectangular table with patterned linen, bud vases, and compote arrangement. Price as seen, approximately $330 (Note: To scale back, repurpose a bridesmaids’ bouquet in place of arrangement.)
Table Three: Farm table, X-back chairs, table length floral arrangements. Price as seen, approximately $450
Design & Styling: Samantha Anderson Events | Florals: Juniper & Jasmine | Photography: Lyndi & Jason Photography | Film Lab: Richard Photo Lab | Venue: Merchants Hall | Rentals: EventWorks | Calligraphy: SAM & Co. Calligraphy | Ribbon: May Arts Ribbon
