An incredibly glamorous bride proved she wasn’t just a pretty face when she managed to create a starry Las Vegas wedding for under $3,000.
Karen Aparcana, 31, and her husband, Kelvin, 31, tied the knot on March 15 in Las Vegas with only family and close friends after deciding they wanted their day to be more about love than money.
While a flashy Las Vegas wedding could cost up to $30,000, the savvy California couple spent just $2,821 on their special day.
But despite making considerable savings, they managed to create a wedding that matched their glamorous lifestyle.
Karen said: ‘I hope we can inspire people to get married the way they want to get married. Whether it’s eloping or planning a massive celebration.
Karen Aparcana, 31 (pictured) and her husband, Kelvin, 31, were married on March 15 in Las Vegas.
Karen and Kevin, who are from California, wanted their day to be more about love than money.
Karen and Kelvin spent $155 on a custom cake decorated with dice and playing cards.
“Society can add a lot of pressure, but at the end of the day a marriage is between two people who are committed for life.”
The couple’s budget included $60 in gas, a $102 marriage license, $575 for a three-night stay at the Hilton Resort’s World, an $89 dress, $150 tuxedo rental, $325 hair and makeup and $625 rent. of the place.
The venue rental included a six-person limo ride to and from their hotel, a ceremony minister, flowers, a live stream, seating for 50 guests, and an additional photography session.
Ultimately, they paid $700 for dinner and drinks for six and $155 for a custom wedding cake.
The newlyweds chose Las Vegas as their wedding destination because it was the first place they visited together in 2015.
Since then, it has become a tradition for them to return once a year.
Karen and Kelvin managed to keep their wedding costs down by inviting just four people to the celebrations.
And while many brides spend thousands of dollars on their dress, Karen bought hers on Amazon.
Karen, who looked stunning in an $89 Amazon dress, was walked down the aisle by her father (pictured).
The couple exchanged vows privately (left) and were all smiles on their big day.
The couple’s total spend of $2,821 included $150 in tuxedo rental (left) and a reasonably priced glam squad for Karen’s hair and makeup.
After deciding to get married in January, the couple managed to plan their entire day in just two months as they were looking forward to getting married before moving into their new home.
It was always her plan to stick to a budget to make sure she could pay for improvements to her new home and put money toward a honeymoon trip to Japan.
Karen added: ‘We decided to elope because we wanted a day to focus on our love and commitment to each other.
‘We also didn’t want to deal with the added stress of planning a wedding, we both come from large Hispanic families and the idea of planning a big wedding seemed overwhelming.
‘I spent hours on Amazon looking for an affordable dress that fit my body. I had five outfit options and my husband ended up choosing my actual dress.
Karen got ready with her bridesmaids who were wearing pink (pictured, left). After the ceremony, the couple enjoyed dinner with four of their closest friends and family at Javier’s.
‘I was going to do my hair and makeup myself, but my husband encouraged me to hire a glamor team, so we found one for a reasonable price.
‘The best part of the day was 15 minutes before the ceremony. My husband and I sat in the bridal suite and exchanged our vows privately.
‘It was a beautiful moment and I am very happy that we were able to exchange vows in a meaningful way. We also loved our dinner at Javier’s, the food and drinks were delicious and the staff were very friendly.
‘My husband and I set out to make a budget. We’ve spent the last few years working on our financial health and didn’t want to go into debt for a wedding.’