Marie-Gael & Michael's $100 wedding at sunrise, in a cave, in the middle of nowhere
Real Weddings: Midwest US
By
on January 25, 2010
132
The offbeat bride: Marie-Gael, disabled (and OBT member "gaelgirl")
Her offbeat partner: Michael, student English Literature Education
Location & date of wedding: Ash Cave, Hocking Hills, OH — 14 November 2009
What made our wedding offbeat: What wasn't offbeat???
- It was in the middle of the forest, in a cave, at sunrise.
- The actual wedding and reception (not counting clothes) was under $100.
- Most of the decorations and what we wore were vintage. So, I really didn't need to spend much because I used lots of inherited depression glass and jewelry.
- We handed out save the date business cards that I handmade with the url to our site en lieu of invites.
- It was open invitation.
- The food was home made by friends & family.
- We had a traditional registry and a honeymoon registry, so we got a completely free honeymoon!
- We hired a fashion photographer instead of a wedding photographer. We also had five other professional and freelance photographers and videographers.
- Although I had bridesmaids, it was more of a gesture. I gave them no requirements.
- No processional.
- Before the wedding, there was a breakfast reception to allow people to mingle and warm up.
- We walked each other down the aisle - an Irish tradition.
- My dress was light blue (an Irish tradition but also a bit Alice) and tea length. It was custom made using vintage fabric.
- Matthew played Irish fiddle to welcome everyone and devanna sang to close.
- My flowers were monochromatic — they were all shades of green, organic, and locally grown.
- I wore my hair down in finger waves.
Vintage mason jars on the cave floor.
Our biggest challenge: The hardest part was NOT being married to Michael.
Changing everything and planning a wedding in three months was daunting. We were planning a much later wedding, but I'm disabled and michael wanted to start taking care of me. Honestly though, it wasn't hard. It was just a bit "ack, how in the world will i plan this?" for maybe a day. If you actually trust who you're with, it's not really that scary.
Other than that, my only issue was a friend giving me the you'll see's. Ariel hit the nail on the head with that one.
My favorite moment: Walking down the aisle.
Walking down the "aisle."
Our "aisle" was actually a winding quarter mile trail through the woods. We walked together to the wedding. This is an old Irish tradition. Mid-way through our walk, Michael stopped us and prayed. That was such a beautiful moment for me. It was gorgeous to see the sun rise through the fog and trees, leaves all over the ground, the water fall and hearing Irish fiddle echoing all around. It was perfection.
My offbeat advice: When we discussed our wedding, we both asked each other, if nobody but the two of us attended our wedding, what would it be like? Oddly enough both of us had imagined getting married in a forest, but thought it would be impossible to do. It wasn't.
Coffee, hot chocolate, orange juice, & home made breakfast foods were served along the pathway.
Also, don't become a burden to those who care about you. Demanding everyone buy matching outfits and bend to your will puts un-needed stress on everyone. We didn't ask anyone to wear or do anything but arrive on time. People stepped up and helped us without us having to ask for anything. People will show their true colors. Just let them.
Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?
- Photographer: Andrew Kung
- His suit: J Crew
- His shoes: vintage
- His ring: Mokume Gane by Jordonesque
- My dress: Sarah Seven
- My scarf: Anthropologie
- My shoes: Faryl Robin
- My coat: Marc Jacobs
- My ring: Tiffany by Paloma Picasso
- My necklace & bracelet: vintage
- My hair: Dairdre Scriven of Vinyl Studio Columbus, OH
Enough talk — show me the wedding porn:
Read more posts about: blue dress, budget wedding, cave wedding, christian, columbus, disability, morning wedding, ohio, outdoor, short dress, simple wedding, vintage« Previous post
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Antoinette said
What a unique and beautiful wedding! I really loved the bride's advice about taking the time to remember and enjoy yourself – something that often gets overlooked.
ashley said
so what did you guys do afterwards? Did everyone just leave, or did you have a thing after too?
gaelgirl said
we talked & ate some. then, we set off driving to our honeymoon in dc. we just picked the most posh place in a close city since we only had sat-mon b/c of his still being in school.
& since it was all over by about 11am, nobody's day was gone. people used it as a vacation. my family rented a huge farmhouse & had a big dinner. a few used it as a romantic getaway since the place is known for secluded cabins & hot tubs. some spent the day hiking & seeing the sites. some used the day to volunteer.
gaelgirl said
i didn't want to be one of those brides who gets so stressed they didn't remember anything.
Mrs. Jess said
This is my all time favorite wedding EVER posted on Offbeat Bride. It literally made me tear up! Wow!
gaelgirl said
that's so sweet! i'm glad a day so close to our hearts has been able to touch so many.
Clairity said
This is just wonderful! I've been to Hocking Hills many times and know how beautiful it is. I can just see you two walking down the path. Now I want to change all of my plans!
gaelgirl said
haha just stay true to to who the 2 of you are & what it means.
k.k. said
"We hired a fashion photographer instead of a wedding photographer. We also had five other professional and freelance photographers and videographers. "
For less than $100? Were these people friends?
gaelgirl said
that was already answered by the 2nd question, but i'll copy paste for you. thanks.
RobHu: How did you manage to keep it under $100 (excluding clothing) when "We hired a fashion photographer instead of a wedding photographer. We also had five other professional and freelance photographers and videographers." All those people cost less than $100?
What was the total cost of the wedding including everything?
Ashley: I was one of MarieGael's freelance photographers – it turns out that her bit of advice works: "We didn't ask anyone to wear or do anything but arrive on time. People stepped up and helped us without us having to ask for anything. People will show their true colors. Just let them."
I was just happy to photograph such a happy event for my friend, I think that's how all the other ones felt as well, most of us (if not all) volunteered
gaelgirl: ^_^ haha yes! & i didn't even realize it till during & after the wedding.
RobHu, i'll try to answer as best i can.
photography: all of our photography was free. my brother is the fashion photographer's assistant. we also have several friends who are photographers.
music: both are our friends. so, they did it for free.
mason jars: these usually cost quite a bit! i used a few i had inherited from my grandmother. i bought a couple vintage ones on ebay. then, i bought a few large lots of the plain ones you can get from the grocery store & hand painted them w/ glass paint. so, that was a little over $30.
green depression glass: i inherited glass from my grandmother.
mid century serving pieces: also inherited
coffee makers: borrowed from friends who already owned them
food: made by friends & family
renting the cave: $36
sign: made by another artist friend
both of us, our families, most of our friends are artists. so, it makes it easier to be create solutions. also, rethinking what you already own & what you can borrow helps. it also means less waste.
i hope i answered your question! ^_^
Jill: that's so wonderful. our talented friends who volunteered for our wedding (as musicians, mostly) made all the difference too! but kudos to keeping to such a budget and for incorporating so many inherited things with so much meaning. gorgeous wedding, beautiful couple.
gaegirl: oh & i forgot to add that the total cost for all the flowers were $20.
i ordered the bouquet & 3 bunches of flowers for the tables from whole foods. the florist liked me so she threw in an orchid corsage for my mom for free.
lol & also those M & G cups were like $6 from anthropologie. i just remembered b/c i'm drinking coffee out of one. it's so nice to be able to reuse these things every day.
MB Bride said
This is absolutely gorgeous and truly inspirational. I had this place (Hocking HIlls in general) earmarked as a possible location for my upcoming wedding and you just made my dream turn into more of a reality! I heard that this cave had been used as a location for weddings but without the photos and back story, I never thought it possible.
Thank you for sharing!
gaelgirl said
thanks! & i TOTALLY feel your pain w/ that one. i did all kinds of google image searches & the only things that would come up are the ones that local company throws. it's like a package plan.
if you do it, feel free to post a q&a on obb tribe for problem solutions. just make sure you message me so i see it.
drkatmnhr said
Love this…I actually am getting married in Ash Cave next September, we think it is just beautiful! Your wedding looks like it was just amazing.
gaelgirl said
that's wonderful! you should message me on OBB tribe & we can discuss some of the issues w/ the area. problems & solutions b/c there are a few.
glad this helps others!
Beccabooh said
you are both soo lucky having such a wonderful spot to get married. I am way jealous! We would love a cave but there are no wild caves nearby, and we have family travelling far enough as it is….We are in Australia
gaelgirl said
i guess you just have to look. i'd lived in ohio for years & had no clue there was a park that beautiful. his mom just happened to live in it & brought it up.
noaconstrictor said
i am so in love with everything about this wedding. your sunrise ceremony is inspiring. and all that gorgeous glowy morning light looks so dreamy!
Ashe said
This is more moving and beautiful than a fairytale. <3
gaelgirl said
thanks! & i didn't have to eat any poisonous apples or sing to blue birds & squirrels! hehe
Sarah Beth said
Wow, thanks for the great post! I have been feeling stressed about getting married – in a month – and this just reminded me that our guests are coming for the wedding and not for the entertainment/food/decor.
Beautiful and just inspiring!
gaelgirl said
awe. BREATHE. just focus on how fortunate you are & invest in a massage or 10. hehe
Duck said
Love it! How'd you decide to go with a fashion photographer? What did you think were the pros and cons? I just love love love your photos!
gaelgirl said
well, for one, my brother is his assistant. so, i saw allot of his work. i really loved what he did w/ lighting & i respected him as an artist. i'm an artist also, so, having someone who's style doesn't clash with yours is very important.
did you mean the pros & cons of a fashion photographer?
miss_anthropy said
This is the most beautiful and insirational wedding I have ever seen. A wedding about love not about material consumerism. You have really givin me hope for my wedding.
gaelgirl said
i'm really glad. ^_^
ieatbugs said
Did your disability in any way impact your wedding plans?
gaelgirl said
VERY MUCH SO!
for one, at first we were planning a spring wedding, but michael saw that the traveling i had to do (90 miles) while dating was making me sicker (i have cfs). so, he brought up the idea of considering having the wedding sooner. then, i had to get it all ready within 3 months!
i had made a huge effort to eat extremely healthy during that time to give my body a better chance of fighting things off (i also got h1n1 the week of my engagement party & bridal shower). so, on top of my normal vegan food, i stuck to mostly fresh fruits & veggies. i also made sure to give myself lots of time to rest & not pack my days w/ to-do lists & i avoided the pre-wedding day parties that most people do.
so, yes being sick brings complications, but if there's one thing i've learned about life from being disabled, it's that you HAVE to prioritize & simplify. even if you aren't ill, it'll bring you peace.
Stephanie said
cfs is not fun– my mother's had it for the last 16 years. Thank God you have a wonderful husband to take care of you, as does my mother. And your wedding is stunning and inspiring– as a poor young student hoping to get married in the next couple years, I got all sorts of ideas from it!
gaelgirl said
thank you!
chuddybum said
I love this! I was thinking of doing a vow renewal in Hocking but never thought about one of the caves. Can you reserve the cave?
Luz Bernal said
I love this wedding~~
gaelgirl said
oh & i still have really good directions. if you'd like them, just message me & i'll give them to you.
gaelgirl said
IN HONOR OF VEGAN WEEK ON OBB …
i'm vegan! i made sure to have a few vegan & gf options at the wedding
.
TIP #1: it's much, much easier to do if you avoid the formal sit down where everyone eats the same thing.
TIP #2: people are under the misconception that being vegan is complicated. it's not. it's extremely simple. so, don't over think it. most stuff comes out of the ground delicious & in it's own wrapper.
Jamie said
How beautiful!!!!!! Amazing!!! Almost makes me want to change my whole wedding around!!
Little Fox (Sarah) said
This is the most beautiful wedding I have ever seen, period. My partner and I are having a larger wedding since we have such a large family but I hope that our wedding will be as beautiful as yours. I am disabled as well, I am happy to see that there are other offbeat brides that are as well. All my best to you and your husband.
Elle said
Just wanted to say that since I read this post the first time, I've come back to it over and over. It's simple, beautiful, classy and well-suited. I've shown other people this post until they've rolled their eyes at me and said, "yes, we know." I hope I come up with something that I like even half as much. Congrats!
gaelgirl said
*high fives @ eye rolling*
K said
I love this wedding! We're considering doing our ceremony on an island in northern WI and I envision it looking similar to this. Let nature do the decorating. The simplicity is perfection.
Samantha said
This remains my absolute favorite wedding on offbeatbride. If gaelgirl is reading: how has newlywed/married life been for both of you?
gaelgirl said
it's wonderful b/c i married someone i deeply respect. i think when you're planning a wedding, your main focus should actually be on BEING married, not becoming married. invest in your future, you know? it's exciting & wonderful.
& thanks!
Beth said
I know this is a way old post but I came back to it months later because I remembered your hair! I love HH because it was the first place FH and I ever went away together (Glenlaurel – lovely Scottish themed B&B/cottages) and while the cave wedding wouldn't be for me, it inspired me to think about what WAS us. So now with 8 days to go, I thought about your beautiful hair and wondered how it was styled? I'm on my own for hair, but I have long wavy hair and would love for it to end up looking like that!
mariegael said
hi & thanks. we wet-set finger waves & then i slept in them.
if you do this, i HIGHLY suggest doing a practice run or 2 b/c some people's hair looks best wet set, some dry. & you have to experiment w/ the amount of product & direction of wave.