Rise of the Anti-Bride

by Anne Marie O’Connor

“You really can’t recreate the look of the big poufy weddings on a budget without it looking tacky and cheap,” Stelly notes. “So we decided to treat our reception like a party–just a little fancier than we’d have at our house. We had a huge spread of finger sandwiches, hummus, dips, cheese and crackers, veggies, fruit and pasta salad, as well as a dessert spread and a cake. All the food was made either by us, bought pre-made at Costco, or made by friends. We also got a keg of my favorite beer, a whole bunch of wine by the case, and enough Champagne for the toasts.”

Almost everything else was DIY, too. Stelly made the invitations (with the help of a graphic designer friend) as well as all the decorations and her veil; arranged the flowers (including her bouquet); made a reception music play list; and did her own hair and makeup. And in lieu of an expensive wedding dress, she got an off-white bridesmaid dress for $300.

For Stelly, who’s a member of Kings N Things, a local performance troupe, getting married in a theater was a natural. “We rented the Hyde Park Theater in Austin for, like, $300.”

Though it may not make it into one of the big bridal magazines, Stelly’s wedding had an upside that a lot of $100,000 affairs don’t have: “It truly was a community effort, with a lot of help from our friends, which made us feel so loved,” she says.