Thrifty Maine Cornfield Wedding: Myles & Cait

Ryan Eyestone

November 19, 2013

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Unbelievably, Myles and Cait spent just $2000 on their incredibly detailed Maine wedding. Held at PLD Auction Barn in Mechanic Falls, the wedding was thrifty and gorgeous. Cait wore a dress made up of two summer dresses from oasap.com, $8 shoes from Goodwill and borrowed jewellery. Myles’ outfit was also thrifted from Goodwill stores.

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“Our wedding was different because we are not traditional people at all”, wrote the bride. “We are both artists – a tattooer and a photographer – and both like to do everything on our own and try and save money doing it.  We planned it all in seven months, as September 7th was one of the only weekends I had free from photographing wedding and we really wanted a Fall wedding.  Our cornfield background at the venue definitely gives us a look like no other!”

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“People said we were crazy for getting married so quickly.. that we wouldn’t have enough time to plan, time to save, time to figure out everything that goes into a wedding. So why did we get married only seven months after getting engaged  I don’t really have a good answer besides countering with the question “Why not?”  Life is short.  Life is as exciting as you make it.  For me, that excitement was marrying my best friend.”

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“Luckily for us, planning a wedding was easy. Every single vendor we had were all friends of ours; our DJ, photographers, caterers and hair / make up girls. I knew them all personally which made for a day of community and friendship. We bartered for services, trading photo sessions from me and tattoos from Myles for their skills. It made our day so easy and laid back knowing that we could count on our friends to ensure that everything ran smoothly.”

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“One of the biggest differences between our wedding and some of the other weddings I see is budget. When we first began planning, we decided two things: 1. If planning became stressful, we postpone it until we were able to regain perspective and realize that planning a day to express our love should not be stressful. 2. We will not spend more than needed on this wedding. Money spent at a wedding is not a way to show how much we love each other or how much of a commitment we will make to each other. Myles often said ‘You could walk down the aisle in your pyjamas and I would still love you just as much’. It really put things in perspective; weddings these days are often based on money… how much the couple or the couples’ family can afford to spend on extravagant venues and decorations. If any one of you know Myles and I – that is not how we are. We are bargain hunters, thrift store shoppers and we are both working hard at paying back school loans. Simplicity and affordability was our goal.”

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“If I could give one piece of advice to any upcoming brides it would be this: Do not forget to experience your wedding day”, she concluded. “It is something that happens so quickly after months (or years) of planning and I see some brides literally forget to be the bride. Take in every moment of your day. Do not worry about anything besides saying ‘I Do’ and to a life full of happiness and love. Don’t worry about whether your napkins match your centerpieces or if you don’t have time to put bows on every chair in the hall. I guarantee that it will not matter.”

Suppliers

  • Photography: Ryan Eyestone
  • Video: Drew Buerhaus
  • Venue: LD Auction Barn in Mechanic Falls, Maine
  • Bride's Dress: DIY
  • Bride's Shoes: Goodwill
  • Bride's Headpiece: Ulta
  • Hair: Abbey Sawyer
  • Groom's Attire: Goodwill
  • Boutonnieres: The Speckled Pear Shop
  • Cake: DIY
  • Flowers: DIY
  • Catering: Ben Douglass and Crista Getchell
  • DJ: Cory Deshane