See how this Charlotte couple had their wedding in Dilworth for only $2,948

“When Jake and I first got engaged, we were planning on having the traditional large wedding,” Madi said.

But with family and friends all over the map, Jake said coordinating dates was a “nightmare.”

So the two rescinded a few invitations, and three weeks before their May wedding date decided to only invite 11 of their closest friends and family members – and their two dogs.

“(People) thought it was a shotgun wedding,” Madi laughed. “They totally thought I was pregnant.”

But in the end, Jake said having a budget-friendly wedding that better suited them was the best decision they could have made.

They found an million dollar Dilworth home on AirBnb, and paid $245 to rent it out for the weekend.

The house had a fire pit, gorgeous gardens, a bar and a mother-in-law suite to get ready in.

The wedding had all the elements you might expect at a traditional wedding, including top-notch catering, a photographer, flowers, a fancy cake, tons of alcohol, pretty decor and a tented ceremony space for the chuppah.

The most expensive thing was Jake’s $825 custom suit. Madi’s dress was gorgeous and only $75 from LuLus.

Here’s a breakdown of the other costs.

• Cake (from Suarez Bakery) $62
• Tent $105 (Madi resold it for $120)
• Photography $644
• Catering (chicken and fish) $502
• Hair $120
• Makeup $0 (bless Sephora points)
• Table/chairs $0 (thanks to the photographer who loaned them)
• Invitations/programs $20
• Nails $72
• Chuppah $50
• Flowers $78 (Trader Joes does it all)
• Decor $68
• Alcohol $82

Jake said had they spent their $15,000-budget all on the wedding, they wouldn’t have been able to afford the “dope” week-long honeymoon they took in Belize or the downpayment they ended up making on a house.

Photos by Indigo Photography.