Dollar Tree Decor to Trader Joe's Florals —Christine Patruno Shares DIY Tips Ahead of Wedding to “Bachelor's ”Casey Woods

Patruno and Woods will tie the knot in February in a ceremony in Miami Beach

Bachelor in Paradise star Casey Woods' fiancé, Christine Patruno, is sharing all the creative money-saving DIY details of her upcoming nuptials!

Speaking to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview, Patruno says the couple's Feb. 2025 wedding will be held in Miami Beach — where the couple first met.

"I'm originally from New York and February will be a great time for New Yorkers to come," Patruno says.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Related: Bachelor Nation Star Casey Woods Reveals He's Engaged to Christine Patruno! 'We're Getting Married'

Woods, 38, popped the question to Patruno in February, with the couple sharing their happy news via a joint Instagram post.

"A little news from last weekend 💍. We’re getting married 💜," they wrote on Feb. 16, alongside a photo of themselves posing together in Miami in front of a cluster of palm trees. In the image, Patruno held up her hand to show off her engagement ring.

And while her fiancé might have played a role on a franchise built around storybook romance and blockbuster, over-the-top dates, Patruno says she's taking a more realistic approach to wedding planning.

"I didn't want the big wedding," she says. "I just felt like, I’m 33. Casey’s 39. I’ve been to so many weddings. I’ve done all of that. I didn't want to inconvenience anyone, and I felt like we could spend that money on better things."

But Casey felt differently, telling Patruno he wanted to have a celebration that would allow all the couple's friends — from all different walks of life — to gather for one night.

"We kind of met in the middle and said we’re going to do things our way," Patruno says. "I want to be mindful of not going over the budget with what our families were able to give us."

That means cutting costs on things like flowers and decor, she adds.

"I am not spending thousands of dollars on flowers. I just can't do it," she says. "But I love to do flower arrangements on my own, and I live by Trader Joe’s."

Related: 'Bachelor in Paradise' Stars Abigail Heringer and Noah Erb Are Engaged: 'The Proposal Was Perfect' (Exclusive)

So, she'll make the arrangements herself, utilizing grocery story arrangements, inexpensive vases, and the help of her friends.

Event signage will also be a DIY project. "I bought signage for the bar menu from the dollar store and the vases I needed for the flowers for $29," she notes.

Patruno also says she'll eschew a bridal shower and a large bridal party, and that her best friend, Craig, will serve as the officiant.

"I am doing the traditional white dress," she says, adding that the couple will make several departures from the standard wedding ceremony.

"We’re not having the wedding at a church, we are not doing the parent dances," she says. "We are going to do our dance, but no speeches at the wedding. We want everyone to have fun."

She continues: "I’m not spending money on glam for the wedding. I love makeup and I’m pretty good at makeup so I'll do that and one of my best friends back in New York is a hairstylist and her wedding gift is to do my hair."

The couple has also decided that, in lieu of a traditional registry, they'll ask for donations to their honeyfund — which will go toward their honeymoon in Japan and to various house projects.

And then there's the guest list, on which Patruno is firm.

"No charity invites," she says with a laugh. "I’ve gone to weddings where my friends are like, 'I don't know half these people.' We cut our guest list down to 80."

There are some areas, however, that are non-negotiables for both Patruno and Woods.

"Because we’ve been mindful of costs on flowers and other things, we’ve been able to ensure the wedding is on a Saturday," she says. "And we’re upgrading our liquor package to top shelf liquor. That sounds better than flowers to me."

The wedding planning, Patruno says, has meant reminding herself that the celebration is "just one day."

"At the end of the day, the couple is going to be the ones who bear the financial cost and it's easy to give in to the pressure to have an over-the-top event," she says. "The irony is it's meant to celebrate the rest of your lives — why would your want to start your lives leaving that celebration in debt?"

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.