A spectacular all white wedding in Washington, DC

via

Her offbeat partner: Ryan

Date and location of wedding: Washington Monument, Washington, DC - September 1, 2017

Budget: $1000, including airfare!

Our offbeat wedding at a glance:

Our wedding was an all-white extravaganza! Altogether, including our airfare to Washington DC was right around $1000.

The entire wedding concept was centered around a principle of wearing all white. The accessories were centered around my Valkyrie headpiece, which was constructed out of discarded parts from a centrifuge, a headband from old earmuffs, and feathers. I wore a $19.99 lace dress from Amazon, and Ryan wore a $100.00 linen suit from Amazon.

We got married by a justice of the peace at a rotunda right next to the Washington Monument, which was available to rent for $80. Afterward, the reception was held at a Baltic restaurant. Everything was served family-style.

Our wedding was very economical and guest-friendly. If you have a vision and love resourceful crafting, you can create a beautiful unique wedding for a fraction of the cost of most weddings.

Tell us about the ceremony:

We had immediate family only at the wedding. Two children held both sides of a basket and threw white petals. We also had an explanation of the concept of wearing all white and the positivity it brings to life. We wrote our own vows, and used "Africa" by Toto and "Marriage of Figaro" in our processional and recessional.

Tell us about your reception:

We went to a Baltic restaurant called Ambar. The vibe is middle eastern meets East Coast. The staff treated us like family and let us bring our own cake without a fee. They accommodated our every wish with a great Baltic experience - unlimited everything for a flat fee for each person.

What was your most important lesson learned?

It was a challenge to get everyone on the same page. We wanted to elope, but felt we would regret it if our parents weren't there. It took a bit of coordinating to get everyone to DC from Indiana and to wear all white.

Thanks to my really organized older sister, everyone had a place to stay and was provided transportation when they needed it. I had some push back about everyone wearing white. It took some convincing and explaining the importance to our family, but they eventually came around.