Tatiana & Ben’s Offbeat, Retro Wedding in the Catskills ~ Part 2

“In the end, I married my favorite. Nothing else matters.”

 We are back with part 2 of Tatiana & Ben’s awesome, retro small-budget wedding up in the Catskills. Part 1 featured some pretty amazing ceremony shots [so much laughter and happiness!] and Part 2 focuses more on their handmade wedding decor and smashing reception. We also still have some additional great advice from Tatiana for all those planning a wedding. Here we go:

 love these touching shots from their first dance

Advice from Tatiana continues:

“THIS IS YOUR DAY.”  Um…no.  I just could not buy into that.  It was OUR day, as in Ben and I, but also it was a day for everyone to celebrate.  This meant a bunch of things, but above all, we tried to make choices that ensured that everyone was having a good time.

Since everyone spent money to travel out to the Catskills for our wedding, we made sure we could act as good hosts.  For us, this meant people were fed well and had access to an open bar all night. This also meant having a reception where our 12 nieces/nephews/cousins could act like kids and run around. Also meant having accomodation suggestions that spanned all price ranges.

We didn’t compromise on any aesthetic choices and everything reflected us to a T, but it was important to us that family and friends were comfortable and having a great time.

On their DIY wedding projects:

Because of the budget, we did practically everything ourselves.  My incredibly talented best friend, Shana Hale, designed invites and programs.  Ipod playlist. I did my makeup.  A good friend did my hair.

Centerpieces (which were a PROJECT) were crafted out of paper and made months in advance. Favors were CDs of the first soul music mix Ben ever made for me.

Saving so much money made it possible for us to throw a party with amazing food and open bar for 80 people.

love these paper flower centerpieces!

Advice on finding a venue that already has character ~ saves you money on decorating!

NOT HAVING TO DECORATE IS THE BEST.

Getting married in a restaurant that already had its own funky thing going on meant that we just had to put out some centerpieces and call it a day.  They had the cool mural, the lights already strung, the crazy bar, the fire pit with marshmallows, the beautiful setting overlooking the Catskill mountains.  We didn’t need to do anything more.

Click inside for the rest of Tatiana & Ben’s budget-friendly, retro wedding in the Catskills

love the brightly colored polka dots on this wedding cake made by Sweet Nothings in NY

oh hey look! it’s my sister Jill and her husband! AWWW!! :)

IN THE END, I MARRIED MY FAVORITE.    Nothing else matters.

The Peekamoose had a fire pit – LOVE this shot of guests having smores during the reception

Congratulations Tatiana & Ben ~ thank you so much for sharing your amazing, handmade wedding with us. Tatiana’s advice is something all wedding-planning couples should read. In the end, getting married really is the most important part :)