Planning Tools, Ideas, & Advice
.png)
For Wedding Pros
Hey friends! Today we're talking about a popular topic in the micro wedding world: DIY. I don't know about you, but I love a good DIY project ... you get to learn a new skill (or several), work with your hands, and create something beautiful. So satisfying, right? But there's more than meets the eye when it comes to DIY wedding projects.
Before we start, I have to say this is not another blog about DIY wedding ideas. Soooorrrryyyy…pa-lenty of those out there already, and I am over here trying to create new information for ya and the rest of the wedding world. So, instead of telling you how to make your wedding favors from scratch, we're gonna talk about what to consider when planning a DIY project, some alternatives to DIY, and a little about my DIY experience, including what I would do differently next time.
To be clear, it may seem like I am making a case against DIY, but really, it's just about really understanding what we're getting ourselves into when we decide that a floral backdrop would be easier to make than to save for 😬. I witness so many couples exclaiming halfway through a project, "I did not realize how much TIME this was going to take," so I am here to help set some expectations and provide some ideas for how to make your DIY project go more efficiently before you decide to jump headfirst into your project.
Ready? Let's dive in.
Alright, I couldn't write this without a nod to the benefits of doing some or all of your wedding DIY.
No doubt you'll be able to truly make whatever aspect you decide to DIY for your small wedding totally personal and unique to you. By infusing your own creativity and style, you can create personal touches that you may not be able to find elsewhere.
If you're like me, learning a new skill, working with my hands, and creating something beautiful gives you a massive sense of accomplishment and pride. Whether designing your invitations or creating beautiful centerpieces, making things by hand adds a unique personal touch.
If you decide to recruit the help of family and friends, the time spent creating something special together can be really memorable.
With a big 'ol asterisk, friends. Yes, DIY can save you money, but not always (we'll touch on that more here in a minute).
Alright, before we head into any of these projects, let's just make sure we're doing so with eyes wide open 👀, k? Here are some things to consider when thinking about DIY for your small wedding.
I am a lifelong learner, y'all, so put a project in front of me that makes me learn, and I am all over it like white on rice. But your wedding is a bit more high-stakes than your average crafting project, so just be mindful of the potential learning curve.
There's a common misconception about DIY being much more cost-effective, but the expense for supplies can quickly add up (remember the postage)!
DIY projects take time...yours and likely friends and family, too. Be considerate of yourself and others, and remember that your engaged era is bound to be busy as it is. Don't take on so much that you can't enjoy it!
Similar to the above, if your project requires time right before your wedding, I might highly advise you to skip it. Added stress and pressure of a timeline, not to mention the other hundred things you need to be worrying about right before your wedding, is just not a great strategy for an enjoyable pre-wedding week. PS—who is setting it up and tearing it down (asking for a friend).
Now for the tea (I am so pumped about these finds). Deciding whether to hire a professional or go DIY can feel like a really black-and-white decision, but I am here to introduce a few shades of grey for your consideration. 😏 After spending a little time hanging out in the wedding industry for a while, I've come across a lot of great companies that offer budget-friendly options that blend the expertise of a wedding pro with the budget friendliness of DIY—that's a win if you ask me! From DIY wedding bouquet kits to DIY wedding invitations that go beyond your typical Canva template, check out some of my favorites:
There are over 2 million weddings in the US every year, friends. All that gently used wedding decor could use a good home. You can find some of it on these sites:
I was married in a small town in Southwest Colorado, so some of the vendor options were limited (re: really expensive), so we opted to DIY a few things: food and beverage (yep!), flowers, invitations, and music. Here's how it went:
We created a simple invite with Canva and texted it to our friends and family. We only invited 50 people, and with most of those being couples, we only had to manage a few texts each.
I will cover this in more depth in a future blog post, but for a quick overview ... we decided to do a taco bar. Following our decision to do this, I had many days wondering if there was something I wasn't thinking of—it just seemed too easy. And honestly, it was, BUT there were a few conditions that made it doable and stress-free, which is for another blog post. It's totally within reach when you're having a micro wedding (and don't have to feed 150people), but keep in mind that a lot of the prep needs to happen right before the wedding, and you need to consider that someone will need to be responsible for set up, stocking, and tear down.
I ordered dried florals from Etsy. I ordered two bouquetsOn the wedding day, our wedding planning team deconstructed one of the bouquets to use the flowers in the bud vases they provided as a part of the planning package. Those became our centerpieces.
We literally threw together playlists for our wedding the morning of. We were going for a chill and relaxed vibe, so we just threw a bunch of our favorite songs on a playlist and let it play in the background. If we had planned a dance party, this would have warranted much more thought and planning.
DIY wedding projects can be a fantastic way to add a personal touch to your special day and save some money. However, it's essential to consider the time, skill, and cost involved before jumping into a DIY project. There are also alternatives to DIY, such as online courses, that can provide professional expertise while still staying within your budget. Ultimately, the most important thing is to enjoy the process of planning and creating your dream wedding, whether that involves DIY projects or not.
