I hope you are all doing really well.
This week I'm turning my attention to wedding DIY projects.
With the cost of weddings continuously on the rise, it is the obvious choice, if you're on a budget, to look for ways you can reduce costs by doing things yourself instead of paying someone else to do it.
I get it - I have definitely done that for elements of my wedding!
But I also think it's really common to get sucked into Pinterest (I've talked about this before) & overcommit to lots of DIY projects that you really don't have time for. & in some cases, don't necessarily have the skill for.
Things to consider when thinking about DIY projects are:
1. How much is the product to buy
2. How much will all of the materials cost to make
3. Do I have the skills to make it
4. How much time will it take to make
5. How many other things do I also have to make
6. Is it worth it / do I even need it
If the cost of DIY-ing a product is more than the cost of the actual product to buy, then it's a no brainer that you should just buy the real thing. It's when it is significantly cheaper to DIY that it's a harder decision. If you don't have the skills to make something, then you might have a friend that does who might be willing to do it for you. I'm lucky to be surrounded by lots of creative people, but not everyone has that - & even if you do, you can't just expect help! If someone doesn't have the time to do it, then maybe DIY-ing isn't the way forward. If you can make it yourself, how much time is it going to take & do you have that time spare. Remember you have lots of other things to do too & time will go faster than think.
Let's take a look at my wedding. I am on a really tight budget, so I have looked at lots of DIY options. Between myself, Mack & a few creative friends, we are DIY-ing the decor, the lighting, my second wedding dress, the guestbook & the bouquets. Which is actually quite a lot, but there's 1 project per person, so we are sharing the load. The things we chose to DIY are things that we want to have at the wedding, but don't want to spend a fortune on, as well as things we have the skills to pull off.
I think, as a general rule, there are things you should & shouldn't DIY - below is my list for do's & don'ts. It is important to note that there will always be exceptions to this list. I have friends who have made their own wedding cake, or their own dress, or the bridesmaids have made the flower arrangements & everything turned out great. I just think that, for the don'ts, unless you have exceptional skill ready to go & the time to execute them, assume that you should just get a professional in to do the job.
Things (I think) you should never DIY:
To me, these are all huge parts of your wedding day that, if nothing else, you will be upset with if they aren't perfect. If you have the skills & time, or a talented friend, then by all means. But don't get your distant family friend to DJ, or an uncle who says he knows how to take photos, because you will regret it!
1. Flowers
2. Catering
3. Wedding cake
4. Music/entertainment
5. Photography
6. Wedding dress
7. Hair & makeup
Things you absolutely should DIY:
These are all things, in my opinion, that are nice to have, but no-one really notices them. The personal touch of DIY-ing these things is actually quite nice.
1. Invitations
2. Place cards
3. Centrepieces (unless you want 100% florals)
4. Personal decor
5. Venue signage
6. Favours
7. Wedding photo album
What do you think? Are there things that you DIY-ed for your wedding that worked out well?
What about any DIY disasters?
See you next week!
Hx
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