The second I knew I was going to marry my now-husband was when he asked me, out of the blue, "Would you ever consider eloping?" Up until then, we had agreed on just about every fundamental value in life, and this was the cherry on top. We didn't want a long engagement - or an engagement at all, really - so we picked a date about a month into the future and just got hitched.

Neither my husband nor I ever wanted a big Wedding. We didn't feel feel comfortable spending thousands of dollars to throw an event that would likely lead to excess waste. Most importantly, we're vegan for ethical and environmental reasons, so we wanted a small ceremony that was cruelty-free, from the food we ate to the Makeup and dress I wore.

When I was thinking about where to get my makeup for the ceremony, I realized that I had plenty of cosmetics sitting in my medicine cabinet (and scattered around pretty much every corner of my house). I knew I wanted gorgeous cruelty-free makeup for my wedding - so why not use what I already had lying around? When I thought about it, it occurred to me that this was perfectly in line with our waste-free commitment, so rather than going out and purchasing new makeup for my big day, I just gathered all my favorite products around the house.

I put together a little kit of my most beloved items from one of my favorite organic, cruelty-free brands: Elate Cosmetics. I had interviewed the founder of Elate, Melodie Reynolds, several months before, so I knew what her mission was, and I have so much respect for her and her work. To have Elate be a part of my special day was an honor - and it just made sense.

Here's how I spent less than $50 to put together my makeup look on my wedding day.