It was time for a change! • Hi - it's still Jen It was time for a change!
•
Hi - it's still Jen but no longer @chicandcheaplifestyles1 - what started off as an affordable fashion blog has somewhat evolved more to what I want it to be - I am a firm believer that a budget shouldn't keep you from dressing in the latest trends, having a beautiful Pinterest worthy home or trying something new - whether it be travelling to another country or dining at a fancy restaraunt • 
•
FashionCentswithJen is a place where I'll share affordable 🏡 decor, diy & budget ideas, tips to save you $, and of course, I'm still here for affordable fashion! [ I really wanted to get rid of the word "cheap" too. Lol ]
•
• Most of you know that I am a CPA by day whose worked in finance for over 10 years, so it's only fitting to have fashion " cents" in my everyday life & share that with you!
•
Thanks for being here!
It was time for a change! • Hi - it's still Jen It was time for a change!
•
Hi - it's still Jen but no longer @chicandcheaplifestyles1 - what started off as an affordable fashion blog has somewhat evolved more to what I want it to be - I am a firm believer that a budget shouldn't keep you from dressing in the latest trends, having a beautiful Pinterest worthy home or trying something new - whether it be travelling to another country or dining at a fancy restaraunt • 
•
FashionCentswithJen is a place where I'll share affordable 🏡 decor, diy & budget ideas, tips to save you $, and of course, I'm still here for affordable fashion! [ I really wanted to get rid of the word "cheap" too. Lol ]
•
• Most of you know that I am a CPA by day whose worked in finance for over 10 years, so it's only fitting to have fashion " cents" in my everyday life & share that with you!
•
Thanks for being here!
It was time for a change! • Hi - it's still Jen It was time for a change!
•
Hi - it's still Jen but no longer @chicandcheaplifestyles1 - what started off as an affordable fashion blog has somewhat evolved more to what I want it to be - I am a firm believer that a budget shouldn't keep you from dressing in the latest trends, having a beautiful Pinterest worthy home or trying something new - whether it be travelling to another country or dining at a fancy restaraunt • 
•
FashionCentswithJen is a place where I'll share affordable 🏡 decor, diy & budget ideas, tips to save you $, and of course, I'm still here for affordable fashion! [ I really wanted to get rid of the word "cheap" too. Lol ]
•
• Most of you know that I am a CPA by day whose worked in finance for over 10 years, so it's only fitting to have fashion " cents" in my everyday life & share that with you!
•
Thanks for being here!
Spring break is coming!!! Loving these two @amazon Spring break is coming!!! Loving these two @amazonfashion finds from @zesica_official that come in SO many colors. This sweater doubles as a perfect pool coverup! Shop these looks in my @amazon storefront or in the @shop.ltk app.•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
#amazonfashion #amazon #amazonfinds #amazondress #zesicaofficial #amazonswim #springfinds
This @amazonfashion sweater dress is the best date This @amazonfashion sweater dress is the best date night look with my @justfabonline booties #justfabpartner . Since it's freezing, I'm pairing it with a plaid coat! Would you wear it?
@amazonfashion spring dresses that come in every c @amazonfashion spring dresses that come in every color you could want! Sharing my reviews over on @amazon storefront! Which one is your favorite? I love the open back free people dupe - and you can get it for $21 with my code 35ZZAWJJ! Sharing the link in my stories & in my amazon storefront highlight!
•
•
•
•
#amazonfashion #amazonfinds #amazonspring #springdress #weddingguest #weddingguestdress
If you haven't checked out @mango outlet online ye If you haven't checked out @mango outlet online yet - you are missing out! I just purchased some staples and the deals are crazy! Today is the last day for the 80% off sale, but tons of stuff is still super affordable! Perfect for workwear too 😘•
•
•
•
•
•
•
#mangoutlet #mangooutlethaul #mangohaul #mangofinds #mangogirls #mangosale #wintersale #onsale #blazers #winterstaples mango outlet, mango, mango sale, winter sale, winter clearance
#justfabpartern It’s that time of year where win #justfabpartern It’s that time of year where winter is dragging, am I right? So I’m trying my best to bring in some NON boring winter looks! This @amazonfashion blazer and turtleneck sweater pair perfectly for the office! Love these boots too from @justfabonline •
•
•
•
•
•
#instagramreels #outfitinspiration #officelook #hmlook #winteroutfit #winterstyle #amazonfashion #whatimwearing #everydaystyle office wear, office look, office outfit, easy look, blazer look, Amazon fashion, amazon outfit
#justfabpartner. Keeping it casual and wore this C #justfabpartner. Keeping it casual and wore this Christmas shopping- I love this half zip cableknit from @hm & these cute split hem jeans are under $25! Sized up to a 6 in the jeans and they have great stretch! These cozy boots are my go to from @justfabonline I linked everything in my @shop.ltk …How’s your Christmas shopping going? •
•
•
•
•
#christmasshopping #shoppingtrip #christmasdecor #holidayshopping #casuallook #holidaylook #casualchristmas #hmstyle #hmfinds
  • About Me
  • Amazon Storefront
  • Instagram
  • Read the Blog

Fashion Cents with Jen

Affordable Lifestyle Blog by Jen

  • About Me
  • Travel
  • Lifestyles
    • Affordable Finds
    • Beauty
    • How To
    • Pittsburgh
  • Fashion Cents
  • Follow me on LTK
  • Shop
    • Amazon Store
    • Shop My Favorites
    • Shop My Instagram
  • Holiday 2021
    • Gift Guides
    • Holiday Style
    • DIY & Entertain

How To · February 24, 2017

How To: Plan a Wedding Abroad (on a budget)

 My husband and I’s wedding was featured on Weddings Abroad – http://www.weddingsabroadguide.com/! 
So, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to share my tips on how I successfully planned a wedding abroad (on a budget!)

A wedding abroad and affordable don’t necessarily go together. When I think of a destination wedding in Italy, I immediately think of Justin Timberlake /Jessica Biel’s insane nuptials in Italy that probably cost a million dollars. But, after extensive research and tons of planning, I planned a super affordable, super fun wedding on the Amalfi Coast and kept it under a few grand!

The Location:

The very first thing I did when planning a wedding abroad was research, research, research. It was easy for me to narrow down the location because my husband and I fell in love with Italy- and particularly – southern Italy on our trip there a few years ago. But exactly where was another question. I know I wanted views, natural beauty, and the Mediterranean. Pretty much this narrowed our choice down to the Amalfi Coast.

Tip #1 – Research popular locations for a destination wedding, and make sure there is a major airport nearby! There are tons of free sources – like Weddings Abroad (link above) & Tripadvisor.

The Guest List:

The next part of planning was the guest list. Now, I thought we were going to elope because c’mon, who travels halfway around the world for a wedding?! Well to my pleasure, a lot of people will! This now helped me narrow in on the exact location because I wanted our guests to be together and to have easy access to our wedding/reception. Once I had an idea of the number of people, I could get to the details of the itinerary.

Accommodations:

Initially, I wanted my wedding in Positano, but when I began looking at villa rentals, I knew we couldn’t afford to stay somewhere that was $25K a week. The cost of the reception venues didn’t help either. This brings me to how I settled onto Praiano (literally, the town next store to Positano). Villa rentals were a fraction of the cost, it was walkable, and the amount of space you get was amazing for the price. It also had a small town feel and was super cozy. We settled on Villa Dorata (a massive villa overlooking the sea) with enough space for everyone.

Tip #2 – Renting a house or villa for your group may be the most economical choice when planning a wedding abroad.

Tip #3 – If your heart is set on a very popular, expensive location, consider broadening your search to nearby towns and villages that will be more affordable.

Ceremony:

This one stumped me – it was hard to officially get married in Italy ( a lot of red tape involved). I also struggled with the cost of using a location for just a 1/2 hour ceremony. Once I booked the villa, I realized the gardens would be a perfect backdrop for a ceremony (AND COMPLETELY FREE!). We ended up getting married in the church courtyard that was behind our house, but that was another completely free space.

Tip #4 – Consider a public space (like a courtyard, park, or the house you are renting) for your ceremony location. These options are completely free!

The Venue:

For sure, the most difficult thing to plan was where we would have the reception. I could book a hall, but had to worry about transportation for everyone and renting a space when there would only be 23 people. And how was I possibly going to decorate a space I have never seen? I couldn’t exactly pack decorations. So I needed to choose a place that could speak for itself. I had the idea that a private space at a restaurant might be perfect – plus there would be no rental fee which is great for my budget.

There was a gorgeous restaurant near our villa, and I read excellent reviews online. Through e-mail, I also was able to pick a prix fixe menu. And in Italy, dinner is an event and you are more than welcome to stay for hours, so I didn’t have to worry about being rushed out! By choosing a prix fixe menu, house wine, and dessert made by the restaurant (instead of getting a wedding cake!) we were able to keep the reception under 1,000 Euro.

Tip #5 – Consider a restaurant for your destination wedding – even better if they can provide you with a private space!

Attire:

I plan on doing an entire blog post on how to shop for a wedding gown (and think outside of the box) when you’re on a budget, but I will say the most important part of choosing a gown for me was finding something I could easily pack on an airplane and not have to worry about it wrinkling. I somehow stumbled upon an Alice and Olivia gown from Saks Off Fifth and got the most amazing deal on it. Plus it was covered in beading/sequins so it definitely wasn’t going to wrinkle!

The Vendors (or lack thereof):

I knew I would have difficulty trying to find vendors like a florist, photographer, hair salon, etc. – which is why I opted to do my own thing for the most part. For flowers, I planned on visiting a local market in town. For my hair, my plan was to do it myself. For photos, I am super lucky that my best friend is a photographer and she elected to come along and take our photos. My bouquet ended up being free from the winery we visited the day before!

Tip #6 – Decide what you want to splurge on, and what you want to save on; I knew my friends could help me with hair and makeup, but leave the photos up to a professional.

 

The Rest

The one thing about planning a destination wedding abroad is that you have to consider what you and your guests will do the rest of the time you are abroad. We thought it was really important to plan an itinerary, tours, and events for our group so that they had a worthwhile trip! We stayed in Rome a few days before the wedding, and planned a wine tour /boat tour in Praiano. Tripadvisor, Rick Steves’ website and Pinterest are all free resources that we used to plan our itinerary. And bonus – Rome is full of FREE walking tours and sites.

Tip #7 – Utilize free websites to plan your itinerary for your travel and map out your itinerary in a spreadsheet (I am an accountant, I love spreadsheets!) 

In: How To · Tagged: amalfi coast wedding, destination wedding, lifestyles, wedding, wedding abroad, wedding diy, wedding for less, wedding on a budget

join the club

You’ll Also Love

Travel on a Budget The All-Inclusive Way
Taxes and Blogging – The Basics

Comments

  1. nancy john says

    April 17, 2017 at 4:41 am

    Proper wedding arrangement is a good idea for making cool wedding with beautiful memories

    impressive wedding day

    Reply
  2. Khush Interis says

    June 11, 2017 at 1:47 am

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    Reply
  3. S Jaden says

    September 23, 2017 at 4:50 pm

    help you with wedding favors and even enable you to mastermind your special first night. catholic wedding programs

    Reply
  4. zerry ht says

    October 30, 2017 at 6:15 am

    I am just in love with this post about planning a wedding abroad and that also on a budget! We just got engaged at the local beachside event space San Francisco and now we both want to have an intimate destination wedding ceremony. These tips would be quite helpful for us.

    Reply
  5. Ava Addams says

    November 3, 2017 at 2:32 am

    Thanks for sharing this useful info. Check it on: cheap travel plans

    Reply
  6. Jen D. says

    November 16, 2017 at 2:33 am

    I hope you have an amazing wedding day!! Congrats!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hi there!

Hi there!

As a finance professional by day, sharing some "fashion cents" so you can live the good life on a budget!

LET’S CONNECT

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Reader Favorites

  • Everything you Need to Know about Microneedling
  • Taxes and Blogging – The Basics
  • Shopping with Gabe’s

trending now

  • Everything you Need to Know about Microneedling
  • Taxes and Blogging – The Basics
  • Shopping with Gabe’s
  • Holiday Style Inspiration – Mix and Match!

instagram

Follow @FashionCentswithJen

It was time for a change! • Hi - it's still Jen It was time for a change!
•
Hi - it's still Jen but no longer @chicandcheaplifestyles1 - what started off as an affordable fashion blog has somewhat evolved more to what I want it to be - I am a firm believer that a budget shouldn't keep you from dressing in the latest trends, having a beautiful Pinterest worthy home or trying something new - whether it be travelling to another country or dining at a fancy restaraunt • 
•
FashionCentswithJen is a place where I'll share affordable 🏡 decor, diy & budget ideas, tips to save you $, and of course, I'm still here for affordable fashion! [ I really wanted to get rid of the word "cheap" too. Lol ]
•
• Most of you know that I am a CPA by day whose worked in finance for over 10 years, so it's only fitting to have fashion " cents" in my everyday life & share that with you!
•
Thanks for being here!
It was time for a change! • Hi - it's still Jen It was time for a change!
•
Hi - it's still Jen but no longer @chicandcheaplifestyles1 - what started off as an affordable fashion blog has somewhat evolved more to what I want it to be - I am a firm believer that a budget shouldn't keep you from dressing in the latest trends, having a beautiful Pinterest worthy home or trying something new - whether it be travelling to another country or dining at a fancy restaraunt • 
•
FashionCentswithJen is a place where I'll share affordable 🏡 decor, diy & budget ideas, tips to save you $, and of course, I'm still here for affordable fashion! [ I really wanted to get rid of the word "cheap" too. Lol ]
•
• Most of you know that I am a CPA by day whose worked in finance for over 10 years, so it's only fitting to have fashion " cents" in my everyday life & share that with you!
•
Thanks for being here!
It was time for a change! • Hi - it's still Jen It was time for a change!
•
Hi - it's still Jen but no longer @chicandcheaplifestyles1 - what started off as an affordable fashion blog has somewhat evolved more to what I want it to be - I am a firm believer that a budget shouldn't keep you from dressing in the latest trends, having a beautiful Pinterest worthy home or trying something new - whether it be travelling to another country or dining at a fancy restaraunt • 
•
FashionCentswithJen is a place where I'll share affordable 🏡 decor, diy & budget ideas, tips to save you $, and of course, I'm still here for affordable fashion! [ I really wanted to get rid of the word "cheap" too. Lol ]
•
• Most of you know that I am a CPA by day whose worked in finance for over 10 years, so it's only fitting to have fashion " cents" in my everyday life & share that with you!
•
Thanks for being here!
Spring break is coming!!! Loving these two @amazon Spring break is coming!!! Loving these two @amazonfashion finds from @zesica_official that come in SO many colors. This sweater doubles as a perfect pool coverup! Shop these looks in my @amazon storefront or in the @shop.ltk app.•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
#amazonfashion #amazon #amazonfinds #amazondress #zesicaofficial #amazonswim #springfinds
This @amazonfashion sweater dress is the best date This @amazonfashion sweater dress is the best date night look with my @justfabonline booties #justfabpartner . Since it's freezing, I'm pairing it with a plaid coat! Would you wear it?
  • About Me

Copyright © 2023 Fashion Cents with Jen · Theme by 17th Avenue