$6,000 for a bespoke wedding! How this couple pulled it off

A lunchtime wedding for 60 people, an open bar, flowers and a bespoke rustic theme in a restaurant. All for $6,000.

This was what radio producer Zoey Low, 27, and her husband Joel Ong, 29, pulled off last month.

Image by LIGHTEDPIXELS PHOTOGRAPHY

The venue: Mr Ong, who is the general manager of restaurant chain Grain Traders, tapped his contacts and got a good deal at Kilo Kallang, an open-air restaurant located in an old storage warehouse. The eatery does not open for lunch and was happy to accommodate the event.

The food: A completely customised menu and family-sized portions for sharing across tables, which created a warm and fuss-free vibe.

The flowers: They cost RM800 (S$254) from Johor Baru. Ms Low's family - who lives in Malaysia - brought the flowers over for them. Parents from both sides arranged the flowers the day before.

Image by LIGHTEDPIXELS PHOTOGRAPHY

Decor: Wooden frames, also sourced from JB, were strung with fishing lines to make a fun "guestbook". Guests penned their well wishes on little tags and hung them on the fishing line.

Tables were decorated with toy dinosaurs bought online. Ms Low's brother spray-painted the figurines gold and turned them into quirky door gifts.

For the place settings, Ms Low bought paper from an art store, cut it up herself and mailed the pieces to a friend in Australia, who helped to do the calligraphy.

Hair and make-up: The bride's good friend dolled her up for free.

Everything was planned and executed quickly. The couple had found the flat of their dreams in Chinatown and had only three months to put together a solemnisation ceremony before they were due to get their keys.

See also: Planning Your Wedding Shoot Budget? What Couples Should Know

Their priority was renovating and moving into their new home.

They say they would not change a thing about their modest, cosy wedding.

"Keeping it small meant we had our most important people with us," Ms Low says. "Which is what matters at the end of the day."

This article was first published in The Straits Times.