We have a gorgeous rustic wedding to share with you today. Mackenzie and Coleton started dating at the age of 16! They created a beautiful wedding with lots of budget savvy DIY details. We especially love how they put together and displayed their food! Enjoy this Rustic DIY Barn Wedding on a $10K Budget! Xoxo, Jessica

Mackenize + Coleton

July 6th, 2019

Anderson, IN | The Crystal Coop

What was your total budget? Please provide a budget breakdown.

Venue – $5,000

Food – $1,300

Cake – $230

DJ – $1,300

Dress with alternations – $900

Decor rental – $725

Flowers – approximately $200 total

Total Budget: $10,000

How many guests did you have?

We had 175 guests in attendance.

How did you meet?

Coleton and I met when we were 16 years old while working together at Greek's Pizzeria.

What is your proposal story?

Coleton and I lived in Wilmington, NC for college. We both moved back to Anderson, IN, our hometown to be closer to family. We went back to Wilmington in August 2018 to visit our friends who are stationed in North Carolina for the military. We went to dinner and walked along the beach after, where Coleton asked me to marry him.

Tell us about your wedding vision.

I always knew I wanted a rustic, yet elegant wedding. I fell in love with barn venues and loved how elegant The Crystal Coop was. Once we had a date and venue picked, everything else seemed easy to us. My colors were steel blue and blush, perfect for a summer wedding.

Tell us about your attire choices.

I had found wedding gowns on Pinterest that I loved, but went into my appointment at the bridal salon very open-minded. I ended up falling in love with the first dress I tried on. I kept comparing every dress to it, so I knew it was the one.

I allowed my bridesmaids to pick whatever dress they wanted in steel blue at David's Bridal. I wanted them to be comfortable in their dress for the day.

I didn't want to make the men wear full suits and sweat horribly since we had an outdoor ceremony. I had the groomsmen wear simple navy dress pants, white shirts, and steel blue ties.

The groom wore a steel blue suit, which looked so sharp on him.

What was most important to you two? Was there anything you chose to splurge on or skip?

The most important thing for me was photography. I wanted high-quality photos that I would enjoy looking at forever and love displaying in my house.

I also wanted to splurge on the DJ, as that sets the mood for your reception. We wanted someone who would emcee and make sure our guests were having a great night.

I chose to skip on a fancy, plated meal and a videographer. We did a BBQ buffet for our meal instead.

What were your favorite parts of the day?

That's a hard question. I had several favorites. I loved spending time with my girls getting pampered. I loved having our first look and enjoyed that special moment together. I loved seeing everyone have fun at the reception.

Tell us about your wedding flowers.

I arranged our bridal party flowers myself. I made the bouquets, corsages for the moms, and boutonnieres for the groom and groomsmen. I used a variety of silk roses, peonies, hydrangeas, ranunculus, and poppies, along with silk greenery, and I loved how everything turned out.

Tell us about your wedding cake.

We had a budget-friendly option. I have a former coworker who made our cake for cutting and cupcakes for the guests to eat.

What did you do for favors?

We did can Coozies from Etsy and a candy buffet.

Please describe any DIY, handmade, or personal details.

I made the flowers, as I mentioned before. I spent a lot of time and effort to make them exactly how I wanted them. I wanted silk flowers to be able to keep them forever (or as long as they hold up).

Our families also contributed to the food on our buffet. Our venue did not require us to use certain vendors, or even anyone licensed. We used Big Hoffa's BBQ in Westfield, IN for the meat choices and sauce, but our families made the side dishes.

Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?

If anyone offers to help fulfill any tasks, learn how to delegate. I wanted to be in control of everything and do it myself, but towards the end of planning, I was getting too overwhelmed. I wish I would have delegated more things as people volunteered.