Out of State and ‘Straight Out of a Dream’: A Luxury DIY Wedding in the Arkansas Mountains

At The Carefree Bride, one of our favorite cost-saving wedding tips is a simple one: Choose a venue that already has tons of natural beauty, which minimizes the need to purchase extra decor. Taylor & Logan—a couple who live in Nashville, Tennessee—did just that when planning their DIY wedding at a picturesque chapel in the Arkansas mountains. They were selective in how they used their budget, strategically cutting costs in some areas, while splurging on the items that meant the most to them. Here’s how they did it. 

The two who said “I do”: Taylor & Logan

• Wedding date: September 28, 2024 
• Location: Hot Springs, Arkansas
• Ceremony venue: Anthony Chapel at Garvan Woodland Gardens
• Reception venue: Arlington Hotel Resort and Spa
• Number of guests: 90
• Starting budget: $30,000 | Final cost: $40,000
• Financial support: The bride’s mother and grandmother helped with most expenses
• Carefree qualities we love: Naturally beautiful venue, strategic spending, and leveraging relationships to bring down costs

Q&A with the Bride

(Some responses have been lightly edited for clarity or brevity)

What was your favorite thing about your wedding? 
The ethereal vibes it gave. Everything was straight out of a dream; the love, the happiness, the venue, flowers, my dress, seeing my husband in his suit and wedding band, our families and friends together… I truly could not pick one favorite thing!

Describe your wedding in one word. 
Timeless.

Did you have a wedding planner or day-of coordinator? 
Yes, we used Randi Slick with Signature Events, based in Hot Springs, Arkansas. To save money, we went with her cheaper, “90 day package.” Throughout the planning process, she was always available to give recommendations and advice, however, she did not get “hands-on” until 90 days before the wedding and the day of. Even with planning an out-of-state wedding, I still found it manageable to plan it by myself, which saved a lot of money. If anything, I tell all brides to at least get a wedding day-of coordinator. They make your wedding day stress–and worry–free.

You chose a ceremony venue with so much natural beauty. How did you find it? 
I believe that the wedding venue is one of the most important parts of a wedding. The venue will be in all of your pictures and videos forever. It sets the tone for the day. When choosing our venue, Anthony Chapel at Garvan Woodland Gardens, I literally did a Google search for “top most beautiful wedding venues in the United States,” saw the chapel, and instantly knew that would be our venue!

The Wedding Costs

(Hover over bars to see details)

Was there anything you prioritized spending more on because it was important to you? 
The venue, flowers, the cake, and my dress. I believe those four things are what people typically anticipate or notice the most at a wedding. As a wedding content creator myself, those are always the things that I get excited about seeing and getting content on.

What did you spend the least on and why? 
Decor. Of course decor is important, but nowadays, a lot of wedding decor can be bought secondhand, rented, DIYed, or bought on low-cost shopping sites like Shein and Temu.

Where did you save the most money? 
I believe we saved a lot of money by not doing much decor, searching for cheaper options, and also taking advantage of having friends in the wedding industry!

What costs surprised you most?
The cost of the chapel surprised us the most. I thought it was going to be more expensive than it was, only because it’s a viral wedding venue and they’re usually booked every weekend.

What were some things that helped you manage stress while wedding planning? 
You really have to take one thing at a time. Make a very simple checklist starting with top priorities: Venue, date, photographer, cake, hair/makeup, colors, etc. Then cross one off at a time. Try not to work on too many things at once. It can really overwhelm you.

What advice do you have for other brides who want to plan a fabulous yet affordable wedding? 
Do not be afraid to rent, DIY, use Shein or Temu, or search for items on Facebook Marketplace. There were so many aspects of my wedding that people asked about and were shocked to hear how cheap it was. On social media, I had so many brides ask about our daughter’s dress. It looked expensive, but it was $170 on Etsy. I had brides ask about all of the getting-ready outfits: Six bridesmaids outfits and my set with a robe was less than $100 on Shein. Guests asked about my mirror and were surprised I bought it from Facebook Marketplace for only $100. Things can still look elegant and expensive even if they are not. Save money where you can, and splurge where you want to. Just don’t overdo it or put yourself in debt over it. A wedding can be beautiful no matter how much money you spend on it and how many guests are there. In the end, it is a celebration of love. 

See more scenes from Taylor and Logan’s beautiful wedding in the gallery below.

P.S. Just getting started planning your own wedding? Grab The Carefree Bride’s FREE cheat sheet for self-planning brides.

Wedding Vendors

• Ceremony venue: Anthony Chapel at Garvan Woodland Gardens, @garvangardens
• Reception venue: Arlington Hotel Resort and Spa, @thearlingtonresort
• Planner: Randi Slick with Signature Events, @randislick
• Florist: Kelly Efird Flower Events
• Photographer: Kailah James Photography (second shot by Katti Mayberry), @kailahjamesphotography
• Videographer: Kyndal Capps, @kyndalcapps.co
• Content creator: BTS with Bonfante, @btswithbonfante 
• Officiant: Jalissa Bryant with All Around Public Service, @allaroundpublicservice
• Dress: Pearl’s Place Bridal Boutique, @pearlsplacebridal 
• Hair/makeup artist: LB Bridal, @lbbridal
• Cake: Sweets by Logan Co., @sweets_by_logan
• Bridesmaid dresses: Azazie, @azazieofficial 
• Groom and groomsmen attire: Men’s Wearhouse, @menswearhouse 
• Jeweler: Helzberg, @helzbergdiamonds
• Invitations/stationary: XOXO, Joelle Jarae, @xoxojoellejarae
• DJ: DJ Rage, @kalmrage 
• Charm necklaces (bride and bridesmaids): Charmed by Alyssa, @charmedbyalyssa