Real Bride: Bonnie Pompey

Bonnie and Jamal had a fairytale, Beauty and The Beast themed wedding. You are going to love everything about this real wedding. From her magical, sparkling dress and tiara to her stunning decor! Oh...and you have to see her beautiful wedding venue! (By the way, you can totally buy her stunning tiara here! You won't believe how affordable it was!)

Your name: Bonnie Pompey

Groom's name: Jamal Pompey

Wedding date: April 8, 2017

City, State: Columbia, Missouri

Tell us more about you!

How long have you been together?

5 years

How did he propose? (Or how did you propose?)

On the morning of our anniversary, at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, while we were walking on the beach.

What was your favorite part of the wedding?

Getting ready in the morning with the girls.

What went wrong with your wedding?

One of the bridesmaids’ flight was delayed until midnight the day before the wedding and we switched from a buffet line to assigned seating and meals 2 days before the wedding = minor chaos.

Did you find any tricks to save you money?

Talked to all the vendors as much as possible. Building personal relationships with them helped save tons of money.

If you could go back and redo it, would you change anything and what?

Not planning a wedding while living in a different state. The flying and commute back and forth was exhausting. (Bonnie had begun planning her wedding in Columbia, MO but a few months before the wedding she and her now husband moved to Arizona for an exciting career opportunity.)

Do you have any advice for new brides?

Always have plan A and plan B ready just in case things don’t go your way. Budget yourself wisely prior to planning the wedding; I’ve heard stories of brides getting themselves into financial crisis after the wedding. You don’t want to start a new life with your partner being in debt because of your wedding. Cut costs and skip rituals if necessary, be crafty, ask for help from family and friends, don’t try to do everything on your own. Communicate and involve your partner in the wedding planning process as much as possible, they’d appreciate it.

Did you over-plan or under-plan or was it just right?

It was just right.

Did any of your vendors knock your socks off?

The venue, catering, the florist, and of course the photographers were outstanding.

Did any of your vendors disappoint?

The cake could have been better.

What was one (or more!) special element in your wedding that isn’t in most?

The incorporation of 2 different cultures and races. It enhanced the theme of the wedding.

What do you wish you’d spent more on (whether you were able to or not)?

Assigned seating. We had a hard time with people not seeing the seating chart. It could have been printed bigger or planned out better. Also we could have spent more money on glamming up the venue. Our save the dates and invitations we could have spent more on, as well as the hotel for getting ready and honeymoon suite. I wish we had spent the money for an even bigger venue and hired a videographer.

How many guests did you invite vs how many RSVP'ed vs how many actually came?

182 guests invited, 170 RSVP'ed, and 164 with 3 kids came.