April 10, 2023
Black Woman-Owned Micro-Wedding Company Shares 5 Tips For A Budget-Friendly Wedding
Every woman deserves to be a bride. But not every bride desires a lavish and expensive wedding! As post-pandemic wedding season rolls into full gear, a growing number of couples are opting out of traditional weddings for smaller, more budget-friendly ceremonies.
That’s where Jennifer Allen’s micro-wedding company, Just Elope, comes in. The founder and CEO went from being a full-time executive assistant to running the company behind over 350 weddings.
She launched Just Elope in 2017 after having an underwhelming experience marrying her husband at City Hall in Dallas. Her only options at the time were Las Vegas or the courthouse, due to her husband leaving for deployment the same day they were getting married.
That left the happy couple only five days to put together Allen’s dream wedding, which was far from a dream, as it felt rushed.
“Definitely not a fairytale day,” Allen admitted. “Now, fast forward to 2017, after seven years of marriage and two children, I was no closer to having a ‘wedding/vow renewal’ than I was the day we got married.”
Allen never wanted another bride to feel the way she did, and that’s when she got the idea to start Just Elope to provide an all-inclusive wedding day experience that could be booked with as short as 24-hour notice.
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Since its launch, Just Elope has provided pre-planned and custom-curated packages for over 300 couples. In addition to custom packages, they also offer Premarital and Marital Coaching for couples in need.
“As a result, I created Just Elope to help other brides have an intentional day locally,” Allen told BLACK ENTERPRISE of her Dallas-Based business.
“Our all-inclusive elopements and micro-weddings are available throughout Dallas. All-inclusive means that the location, the officiant, the photographer, and the on-site planner are included,” she continued.” We can also deliver your flowers directly to you! Due to my own experience, I was passionate about couples having our company as an option.”
Meanwhile, Allen manages her successful business, all while juggling motherhood and still working full-time as an executive assistant to a school principal.
“I never intended to become a wedding planner,” Allen explained.
“As life twisted and turned, I found myself in what I feel is my destiny.”
Allen prefers smaller ceremonies with fewer people and less hassle with setup. She also suggests it to anyone looking for a more intimate wedding day.
“Getting to talk to your guests is the biggest benefit I see,” Allen said of the benefits of micro weddings.
“With fewer guests, you can say more than “hi” and a quick hug. For a few minutes, you can catch up and enjoy their company.”
Since launching her company, Allen has appeared on Netflix’s Love Is Blind and WeTV’s Brat Loves Judy, where she is best-known for marrying rap star Da Brat and her partner Jesseca “Judy” Harris-Dupart.
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Allen shared these five resourceful tips for those looking to tie the knot without breaking the bank.
- You can potentially save a lot of money if you have a weekday wedding
- Set a budget and stick to it
- Make sure you do not look at venues, dresses, or vendors outside of your budget.
- Decide what is most important to you when it comes to your wedding. Is it the food, the band, or perhaps the location? Regardless of what it is, start there and plan your budget based on what it will cost.
- You can reduce the number of guests!