Kristen and Todd's $4000 South Carolina Estate Wedding

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Some couples dread the thought of rain on their wedding day, but not Kristen and Todd. The beautiful bride and her handsome groom both agree that the rain was one of the highlights of their wedding reception. We couldn't agree more! Not only did the wet weather add a romantic touch to their day, it also made for some pretty incredible photos in the process.

Special thanks to Jessi Nichols for sharing those amazing photos with us today!

Kristen, 25 & Todd, 23 Columbia, South Carolina

Wedding Date: August 2, 2014

Number of Guests: 55

Wedding Cost: $4,000

Wedding Ceremony Location: Woodhill Estates Clubhouse

Wedding Reception Location: Woodhill Estates Clubhouse

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

We knew from the very beginning that we wanted to keep the day to ourselves and our love to remain the focus of our special day. The thought of a large guest list was overwhelming and we wouldn't be able to enjoy ourselves if we had to worry about 100 other people.

What are some of the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

Of course, the main challenge was limiting our guest list. We also had difficulty finding a beautiful venue that did not overpower our small wedding, but also provided enough room for everyone.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

Definitely! We appreciated that so many of our family and friends desired to be part of our special day. However, we did have to determine a guest limit to ensure that our day was what we truly wanted. To help us pare down the guest list we set boundaries, such as only invite family that are first cousins or closer and we each limited ourselves to five friend invites.

Did you have any 'issues' with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

Surprisingly, we did not have any issues with the small guest list from friends and family. We were very upfront with everyone and explained our reasoning for wanting an intimate wedding.

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

Standing at the altar, hand in hand, finally being able to seal our love for a lifetime.

What were the highlights of the reception?

We both agree that one of our favorite parts about the reception was taking photos in the rain. Sounds surprising huh? Something about the rain was so romantic and we got some really fun pictures. It was also our first alone time since the ceremony.