This Stunning Upstate NY Wedding Cost Less Than $9,000

Average cost: $150

Chris was thrilled when Trae showed him his wedding band –– a sterling silver ring she had made by hand in a jewelry-making class. 

"He was so excited to hve a ring I made myself that he totally didn't care that it cost probably all of $5," Trae said. "I wanted to make sure he was cool with that."

Typical cost: $1,135

The couple invited half of their guests over for a barbeque and group breakfast the day before the wedding. 

All of the food and supplies were sourced from Costco. 

Average price: $12,905

Their plan was always to have a three-day wedding celebration –– not exactly a cheap feat to accomplish. But they lucked out.

"We found a B&B in upstate New York that was new to weddings and convinced them to let us take it over for the weekend," she said.

For $5,000 they booked all 18 rooms at Big Indian Springs and asked guests to pay a portion of the bill, which slashed another $1,000 off their tab. 

"They even let us decorate and then they bought the decorations from us afterwards, but that was a happy accident."

Average price: $1,211

Trae found her dress for a steal and supported a good cause at the same time.

"I bought my dress from The Bridal Garden," she said. "They take donated samples from showrooms and designers and all the proceeds go toward [disadvantaged children]."

Thanks to her dad's girlfriend's sewing skills, she scored free tailoring as well.

Typical price: $230

With an outdoor wedding in the middle of July, Chris opted for a tan summer suit instead of a pricey tux. 

"When it comes down to it for a man, the most important thing is the fit," Trae said. "As long as you have it nicely tailored, it doesn’t matter where you bought it."

Typical cost: ~$200

Hair and makeup was a cinch. Trae asked one of her friends to donate her services. 

And she sourced all the products from her own line of beauty products.

Average price: $1,997

Trae enlisted her friends for help decorating. 

They sourced rice paper lanterns from Ikea and finished off the look with white Christmas lights. 

They purchased all the floral arrangements straight from Manhattan's floral district. 

Average price: $7,875

Trae helped cut her catering bill by taking care of the place settings and utensils herself. 

"We used paper and plastic instead of china and silverware for our wedding meal," she said.

"If you decorate beautifully and the food is amazing, no one will care ... and who cares if they do!"

Typical cost: $1,000 - $3,000

The couple held the reception at their hotel and crafted a music playlist themselves. 

The catering company supplied tables and chairs and dropped them off at the venue. 

Typical cost: $3,000 - $4,000

Thanks to a gift from Dad, Trae was able to offer an open wine and beer bar at her reception.

With $1,500 she hit up Costco for drinks and opted for a self-serve bar, cutting out the expense of a bartender.

Average price: $2,379

Their photographer was a very welcome wedding gift.

"My dad’s girlfriend knows a National Geographic photographer and he and his wife shot our wedding together," she said. "We fed them and we paid for their hotel but other than that we didn't pay for anything."

They also accepted digital copies of all their photos instead of paying to have the photographers personally edit and print them.

Typical cost: $4,500

Rather than ask for blenders and coffee makers, Trae and Chris asked for donations for their honeymoon. 

"There are services that do this for you, but our my maid of honor did it and I returned the favor when she got married," Trae said. "We took an unforgettable 3 1/2 week trip to Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.  We sent all gift givers postcards during our trip and created an online photo album afterwards."

See how this family survives on $14,000/year >