Real Wedding: A Sunny Budget-Friendly Affair 

Hand-crafted, creative details can make your wedding day special—without taxing your budget.

Cynthia Etonga and Les Andrew

Most brides on a budget throw themselves into a sea of do-it-yourself projects. Cynthia Etonga, 28, just found the right sources. A major one was the affordable craft site Etsy, where she bought everything from cake toppers to a boutonniere for her groom, Les Andrew, 31. With vendors, Cynthia was honest and bold, asking them to work within her budget (total cost of the wedding: around $9,000). Her photographer agreed to an hourly rate rather than a set package, and the location, iCi, a restaurant in Brooklyn, made meal substitutions for free (the couple also paid less to rent the space on Sunday, instead of Saturday). In the end, they threw a wedding full of creative details. And by seeking out the right help, they found wedding planning didn’t leave them spent.