Kelsey and Reese’s wedding was inspired by something they already loved – the annual Renaissance Faire. Their day featured costumes, swords, mead and a full cast of enthusiastic guests. The whole thing was DIY, with the couple spending no more than $12,000 in total! The day played out like a festival gathering with a ceremony in the garden followed by a reception full of theatrical touches, handmade details and a joust.

“Our wedding theme was Ren Faire,” Kelsey explained. “I knew that planning a wedding on my own would be a huge commitment so I was determined to make it as fun and non-serious as possible. We both love to go to the Faire every year and thought it would be fun to essentially have a costume party. Having a theme like this made everything way more fun.”

They kept the parts of a wedding that felt meaningful to them and ignored the rest. “We are not very traditional people, as you may have realised by the theme we decided on. We did want to celebrate our love, but in our own way.”

Kelsey’s best friend Brooke officiated the ceremony. Kelsey and Reese walked down the aisle together through the garden, both carrying weapons. Reese held a sword while Kelsey carried a dagger. Music from The Uruk-hai by Howard Shore from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers played as they made their entrance. Their dog Tofu, also known as Chonky, joined them for the walk down the aisle. “She is very important to us both and it was so unbelievably special having her there with us,” said the bride.

The ceremony included a few traditions from Kelsey’s Jewish upbringing. After exchanging vows, they broke a glass before walking back down the aisle while guests blew bubbles around them.

At the reception guests drank mead alongside the usual bar options. Film cameras were scattered across tables so people could document the night from their own perspective. The DJ played modern songs reworked in bardic style, and when it came time to cut the cake, Kelsey used her dagger!

Jousting turned into one of the most talked about moments of the night. Several matches took place while guests gathered around to watch.

Behind the scenes, much of the day came together through Kelsey’s DIY approach. Working with a budget of around $10,000 while both partners held full time jobs and attended college meant creativity and persistence was key! “Managing money and time was the hardest part of planning”, she said. “This is probably very obvious, but we were on a very tight budget and both of us work full time while taking college courses. Besides the obvious, the stress that is put upon your relationship. We had lots of productive talks and long nights. It is definitely an experience that will show how dedicated you are to each other.”

Most of the decor came from Facebook Marketplace and a local Buy Nothing group. Their outfits were pieces together from Etsy finds. Kelsey built as much as she could herself including fifty foot garlands made from rope and fabric, a dried citrus installation and even a chainmail headpiece for Tofu.

“Have fun with it!”, Kelsey advises. “We came up with some crazy ideas and just made them work. A wedding is what you make it and it can be done on a budget.”