9:45 a.m. — My brother texts asking what he should wear to my wedding (my father died when I was young, so my brother will be walking me down the aisle). We are planning a super small, super informal ceremony and dinner, so I tell him that I don't really care as long as it's clean and doesn't have any holes in it. I keep referring to our wedding as “one step up from a courthouse wedding” and telling people the theme is practical. Money was definitely a factor in our decision to have a low-key affair, but even more so we were motivated by the fact that we're both introverts who dislike being the center of attention. We're fortunate to have family who lives on acreage, saving us a ton of money on a venue. By keeping the wedding simple and the guest list small (~45), we should be able to keep the total price under $1,000-$1,500. My mother generously gave us $500 to help, and we'll cover the rest ourselves.