Vintage Thrift Store Wedding Arbor

I'm sharing my daughter's thrifty, DIY, $5,000 budget wedding as time allows, as well as all the hard lessons I learned as mother-of-the-bride-who-pulled-the-whole-thing-off.  Hope you find the info inspiring and helpful. 

I'm a VERY LUCKY thrift store shopper.  I always find what I want.  But I could never find cheap costume pearls.  I think fake pearls are expensive.  Especially when you want a lot of them.  I found a HUGE bag of Mardi Gras beads for $2.00.  The light bulb went off.  Duh.  I'll just spray paint them.  They turned out nice I think.  We at least accomplished the look we wanted.  I would have used a different color of paint, but,

It was good enough.

While I'm at it, I'll just show you the whole arbor.  I used Grandma's lace tablecloths, which added to the sentiment.  The geraniums were purchased on clearance at JoAnn's. We bought real geraniums but it didn't fill in the pots as thickly as we wanted. So fake flowers it is! 

It was good enough. 

I had been buying up lace curtains in thrift stores and draped them over the steps. I think I might have used push pins in strategic places to help hold them in place. The aqua IKEA candle jars held them down too. We had originally wanted the lace curtains to run all the way down the aisle, but it was too windy. :( 

It was good enough. 

With grandma's lace, the chandelier, thrift store beads, thrift store lace curtains, cheap IKEA vases and clearance fake flowers...the whole thing cost around $100.00.  The chandelier was most expensive, which we could have done without, since the arbor was so low they couldn't even stand under it.  So theoretically, if you left out the chandelier, you could pull this look off for under $50.00. 

Hard Lesson #2:  It. Is. Good. Enough.  Let your perfectionism go.  It looks beautiful.  No one but Martha Stewart or David Tutera would notice and since they weren't invited, your safe.  :)  It's good enough!!!  Let. It. Go.  Walk away.  Now go enjoy your child's wedding. 

Programs and Thank You notes with leftover Fabric Scraps

Hard Lesson #1 and Pics of Set Up Night.

(The first 2 pictures are mine.  The rest are Meegan Weaver's.  We highly recommend her as a wedding photographer.  Please don't take her pictures without giving her credit). 

Be blessed and Be a Blessing!

Sharing with:

French Country Cottage ~ Feathered Nest Friday

Inspiration Friday ~ At The Picket Fence

Pearl and Lace Thursdays at Faith Grace and Crafts

Flaunt it Friday ~ Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

Domestically Speaking Power of Paint Party

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Curiously, ZuZu questions, "Is that Laughing Cow I smell?"

Psalm 103:17 ~ But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children--