Ashlyn had known since she was eighteen that she would get married in black. Her grandma laughed when she first mentioned it. “You’ll change your mind by the time you get married,” she said. But guess what? She never did. When she and Ben started planning their November wedding, she was only interested in trying on black.

This bled into the rest of the wedding’s theme. The colour palette was burgundy, gold and black. Ashlyn loved pulling inspiration from hours of Pinterest scrolling, and then translating those ideas into something realistic for their $20,000 budget. Instead of oversized floral arrangements, they filled the venue with candles. “They’re far more affordable than large floral arrangements, and honestly, they created an even more dramatic effect,” she said.

Their venue, The Broz, also gave them the atmosphere they wanted without destroying their budget. “Wedding venues these days are unbelievably expensive, so we felt really lucky to find The Broz. It was absolutely stunning and still within our budget.”

The wedding stayed personal in lots of small ways. Guests were seated at the ceremony while Fluff by Black Sabbath played, the same song Ashlyn’s godparents had used at their wedding over thirty years earlier. They also skipped the traditional top table setup in favour of a sweetheart table, giving their wedding party space to sit with partners and family instead.

They approached the budget strategically. Decorations came from Facebook Marketplace, including over one hundred hurricane vases for less than $200. Candles were bought during Black Friday sales. Artificial flowers replaced fresh florals, and Ashlyn designed their signage and stationery herself using Canva before printing everything through Walgreens photo cards.

“There’s also so much waste built into the wedding world,” she said. “That’s why I’m so grateful for Facebook Marketplace. It genuinely connects former brides with current brides, giving gently used décor a second life.”