This fairy-tale wedding didn't cost a king's ransom

Wedding portrait

By Nicole Reino

May 20, 2007

Actress Kaja Peters, who goes by the stage name Kaja Amado, and Matt Dunn, an EMT paramedic, were married Feb. 24. The Ocean Beach couple planned their fairy-tale wedding on a budget of $8,500.

I HAVE A QUESTION”:

Kaja, 27, and Matt, 30, met in Bible study in 2003. In 2006, Matt proposed. This is how he did it: Kaja's mother and maternal grandmother came to town to see Kaja act in Moxie Theatre's production of “Gibson Girl.” At the end of the play, there was a talk-back, when the audience gets to ask the actors questions pertaining to the play. Matt set it up so he would get the last question of the night. “I asked, 'How did you feel doing this play in front of your family for the first time?'” Matt said. Kaja wasn't too thrilled about the question because, at that point, the talk-back had been going on for about 30 minutes and she was ready to go. Annoyed, she answered the question. “Then Matt walked on stage and brought me flowers, which don't do,” Kaja said. Apparently, proper etiquette within the theater world suggests that flowers should not be presented to the actors while they're onstage. “So he's coming up on stage and everyone is confused, ” Kaja said. “Then all of a sudden he gets down on one knee.” With the bright stage lights  shining in her eyes, it took Kaja a minute to focus in on the ring and realize what was happening. Once she did, she said “yes.”

STAYING OUT OF THE RED: Sans the professional wedding planner, Kaja and Matt had approximately 10 months to create their dream wedding on an $8,500 budget. The couple said it was difficult to stay within their budget, but Kaja treated it as a mission. “Once I get determined about something, it becomes like a game,” Kaja said. She did tons of research – read books and surfed the Internet. “eBay was my best friend,” Kaja said. “Craigslist advertised a wedding planner doing a yard sale, and we got boxes of wedding supplies for $35.”

UNITY, COMMUNITY: Kaja and Matt didn't wait until the reception to involve their guests. Their ceremony included a unity candle commemoration. Two of the groomsmen lit the candles of the guests sitting in the back of Bethany Lutheran Church. Those guests then lit the candles of the guests sitting next to them. This process continued until the entire church was filled with candlelight. A community prayer also was part of the ceremony.                                                                                                       

CROWN AND ALL: The couple's reception was at the Portuguese Hall in Ocean Beach. Kaja's family is Cape Verdean and Portuguese. The hall's ballroom just happened to have a large crown suspended from the ceiling. The crown fit in perfectly with their “Old World Fairy Tale in Winter” wedding theme. The decor, which Kaja found on sale at craft stores or borrowed, created a magical feeling in the room. Leafless trees strung with white twinkle lights sat in pots filled with fake snow. Gold wisteria wreaths and fairy-tale paintings were centered on each table. A burgundy color scheme was carried throughout the room. Antique books from the 1800s also added to the theme.

                                                                              ChrisMoon Photography                                                                        The couple saved money with
                                                                thesecupcakes, made by Matt's aunt.  
                

BIG SAVERS: Having their reception at the community hall along with bringing in their own caterer were among the biggest money savers for Kaja and Matt. The couple hired Tip Top Meats in Carlsbad to cater their wedding. For about $10 a plate, they were able to offer their guests a choice of lamb shank, chicken cordon bleu or prime rib. The couple didn't have an open bar. Instead, they purchased wine and champagne from Beverages & More during the store's “Buy One Bottle, Get the Second for 5 Cents” sale. People from the hall served the food and alcohol.

A SWEET BREAKDOWN: A professional baker quoted the couple $590 for a cake that feeds 160 people. For $40, Matt's aunt made 160 cupcakes. Kaja found a $32 tiered stand. She spent $3 on a can of gold spray paint, painted the stand and then displayed the cupcakes on it. For the top tier, the couple purchased a small chocolate ganache black forest wedding cake for $30 from Hans & Harry's Bakery in Bonita. Kaja added some candied crowns ($25) to the top of the cake to coincide with the fairy-tale theme. In total, the sweets cost $130, and they saved $460.

THE KIDS' TABLES: In total, 32 kids went to the wedding. Kaja and Matt arranged for the children and teenagers to have their own tables. They even had their own guest book, in which the little kids were encouraged to draw the couple a picture. The young kids' table was covered with games and crayons, which Kaja bought at a dollar store and Michaels Arts & Crafts.