Our wedding: Sustainable, support local and on a budget
We knew that we’d get married eventually and it wouldn’t be in the traditional way.
About two years before we said, ‘I do,’ we moved to Berlin (Germany) and had many discussions about what’s most important to us: starting a family (eventually), buying a home, and enjoying this beautiful planet and its people. Marriage was never at the top of the list.
In all honesty, we were kind of waiting for a more bureaucratic reason to do the paperwork (paperwork that is actually super easy in the US). The time came when Ryo left his full-time job to pursue Clodama and we needed to adjust our Visa situation. After exploring a few options, being married was the easiest way to get the deed done.
With a trip to Boston already on the horizon about a month later, we decided we’d get married while we were home giving our loved ones just 4 weeks’ notice. I don’t think they were too surprised. That meant planning a ‘wedding’ in 4 weeks from abroad and making sure we could get all the necessary paperwork done within the 2 weeks we were there.
The planning
This kind of planning isn’t for everyone but it worked for us. We thrive on fast-paced, last-minute-planning excitement. Our objectives were to keep our wedding as low-cost and sustainable as possible – especially because we were planning the whole thing from Berlin and then only had a few days in Boston before the ‘big’ day. We wanted some of our favorite foods, easy but charming decorations, and a space that allowed people to come and go, i.e. no sit-down dinner or timetable to follow.
The food part was easy for me (more on that later) but finding a venue proved challenging.
It’s true that when you say “marriage” or “wedding” to a venue they give you a totally unreasonable price for what you’re requesting. My strategy after a few discouraging emails was to say, “We got married and want to rent a space to celebrate with our friends in this city.”
We booked Mystic Brewery (now out of business) because the price was super right and the staff was amazingly accommodating for our late-minute party. The event space was in the back room – which is a big open warehouse they use for brewing and storing beer. It's not the most intimate space but had beer barrels separating the event space from the brewing space that helps make things cozier. ⠀
Wheels on the ground
Fresh off the plane, Ryo’s mom brought us to the venue and to see a park nearby. We decided it would do. If the weather was nice that Memorial Day weekend, we’d do a small ceremony outside. If not, we’d do a small ceremony inside the brewery before the rest of our loved ones arrived.
The details
If you’re planning something small or looking for ways to save money, I hope these ideas are helpful. I’ll share a bit more about decorating the space a bit lower in the post.
Invitations: With such short notice, we didn’t have time for wedding invitations. That means, everyone was invited via text, call, or email. This saved a good amount of money and allowed us to enforce the whole ‘this is casual’ thing.
Decor: Lisa and Matt, we love you so. This amazing duo had the most magical backyard wedding and kept a lot of their vases, candle votives, tea candles, and leftover bags of candy. They also had a cupcake holder in storage which came in handy for our ‘cake.’
Favors: Doubling as decor, we ordered a bunch of succulents for wedding favors. We thought it would be nicer to give something long-lasting as a ‘thanks for coming’ gift. Rookie mistake: I accidentally ordered double what we needed so there was plenty to go around and give away in the days after.
Flowers: When it came to floral arrangements, I was super lucky to have my friend Laurel in town. She (very conveniently) worked weddings in a past life and knew how to make a beautiful, understated bouquet. The flowers came from Whole Foods which we picked up on D day before going to a class at Everybody Fights and getting Flour Bakery for breakfast. What a dreamy morning.
Serving items: To keep things as ‘sustainable’ as possible, we got biodegradable cutlery, plates, and bowls which actually came in handy again for a Memorial Day party a few days later. The venue didn’t have any of these things, so we decided this was the best route and easier (and actually cheaper) than renting for somewhere.
The proposal
Squeezing this in here because it was a surprise that happened on May 20, my brother’s birthday and 5 days before our wedding day. It was a Monday and we were headed to City Hall Plaza on a super hot, humid day to get the whole registration thing over with. After a quick lunch and before we went in, Ryo surprised me with a proposal I was 100% not expecting. The diamond of choice: MiaDonna & Co – a certified BCorp. that specializes in lab-grown diamonds (we shared our story with them). Five days of engagement bliss was just enough. ;)
The day
I slept in a hotel with Laurel and my bestie Holly on Friday. We all woke up early Saturday feeling energized and excited even after a semi-late night out. Like I mentioned before, a boxing class was the first think on the docket… plus getting flowers ($125) and Flour Bakery breakfast sandwiches.
Back at the hotel, Laurel arranged a bouquet for me, a boutonnière for Ryo, 3 tall vases, and 8 small vases of flowers (all borrowed from Lisa and Matt). Meanwhile, Holly strung together some photos to hang in the space as extra, personalized decor.
The weather was perfect. We got ready slowly and then needed to make our way over to the park for the teeny tiny ceremony. Holly was the one marrying us and easily the most nervous out of everyone – well, except maybe my dad when I told him we should make a human aisle to walk down.
The space
Almost everyone who attended the ceremony lent a helping hand when it came to set up. We didn't have a lot to decorate and no formal seating, so it came together quickly. The staff hung string lights around the space that added a nice, warm touch, and the amazing food filled the space up nicely.
For a ‘cake,’ we went with Union Square donuts, and for dinner we ordered a taco bar from Felipe’s – one of our favorite eateries in Harvard Square. Other touches were…
Instax guest book: This was my younger sister’s idea! We brought her Instax camera and she made sure everyone took photos throughout the night and added them to the guestbook with a note.⠀
Photos: Twine, mini clothespins and 100+ pictures from all of our travels made for a rustic, personal touch. Shout out to holly for printing and arranging the photos.
Table decor: The chalkboards helped explain the food and guest book. Then there were succulents everywhere for guests to take home. The vases and votives borrowed from Lisa and Matt fit the space perfectly. I loved the elegance that the gold-brushed glass added.
The only thing I felt like we were missing that is really special to us is loud music (our playlist could only be played so loud) and dance floor vibes (luckily, we got some of that the night before at The Sinclair).
Like they always say…
The day flies by. For us, it felt even faster because we hadn’t seen some of our friends in over a year. All of a sudden, it was time to pack up and I was shocked. You never have enough time with each friend, family member, grandpa in Kyoto, oh, and even your new spouse.
Getting the paperwork done
It helps to have friends in high places. With help from a family friend in City Hall, we were able to get the marriage license and notarization processed in days. If you need something speedy like this, don’t hesitate to call your City Hall ahead of time to see what they can do for you. They love love.
If you’re planning something small and need other tips or advice, don’t hesitate to reach out. I know a lot of you out there are dealing with wedding postponements or cancellations and I’m happy to lend an ear or help talk you through planning something smaller.