Every bride has a vision of her perfect wedding long before the groom even thinks of proposing. Perhaps it’s a magical forest setting or a quaint chapel? The dream of white doves taking to the skies as you seal it with a kiss. The idea of a wedding is often different to the actuality of one. Once he proposes the reality of planning and budgets set in. That fairytale wedding could end up costing a small fortune. There are ways to cut down the costs and still plan the wedding of your dreams. Simply, do it yourself. A DIY wedding is the answer if you’re handy with a craft knife and looking for a cheaper option. Are you planning a DIY wedding? We’ve put together the pros and cons to help you decide if DIY is the way for you.
Pros of a DIY wedding
There are many advantages of choosing to DIY your wedding. You have the chance of letting your creativity run wild to create the ultimate fairytale. Not to mention, DIY is in right now. With Pinterest at your fingertips, sourcing ideas and how-to tips have never been easier. Discover why DIY is a great idea:
A DIY wedding is cheaper
If you do a DIY wedding correctly, it can be a much cheaper option. Suppliers will always sell their products at a marked-up price. Not to mention, anything with the word ‘wedding’ has extra dollar bills attached. There are many things you can do yourself to save money. From decor to flowers and invitations to accessories, the options are endless. Table decor is easy to create using a collection of bottles and cans. Gather your team of helpers to spray paint and stick on finishing touches. Instead of printing invites, send them electronically. Wedding invite websites are becoming popular and guests can respond instantly. If you’re always on a hunt for a bargain, you’ll rock your DIY wedding.
Adds a personal touch
There’s no denying, handmade decor adds a personal touch to your wedding. It’s the little details that add something special to your big day. Handcrafted centrepieces or self-designed invites allow the couple’s individuality to shine. It can also be difficult to find what you’re looking for in a store. DIY wedding crafts enable you to create the exact vision of your wedding down to the last detail. You can even include your guests. Get everyone to write down their favourite song when they RSVP and create the perfect wedding playlist for the big day.
Decor can be repurposed
One of the best aspects of the DIY route is the possibility of reusing some of your crafts after the wedding. Vases, candles, and fairy lights can all be reused for future functions. Any signs, frames or table pieces you created can be used to decorate your own home afterwards. If you’re proud of your handiwork, you can even take your creations down to your local flea market and sell them once they’ve served their purpose.
Cons of a DIY wedding
DIY is not all sunshine and daisies. There can be some downsides to choosing to DIY your wedding. If you aren’t good with your hands, making your own decor can turn into a nightmare. Often step-by-step crafts on Pinterest end up being more complicated than they look. Take these factors into consideration before opting for DIY:
DIY takes up time
One of the most stressful aspects of DIY is the time it takes to pull it all together. The amount of work involved can be stressful and overwhelming. Those adorable little gift boxes look a treat, but building a hundred of them could take days. That’s not including the time it took to research how to make them and source the supplies. Or the amount of sleep you lost when the execution wasn’t as simple as you thought. If you’re collecting jars and bottles for your centrepieces you’ll have to allow time for that too. It’s amazing how quickly the days fly by leading up to a wedding.
Storage can be problematic
When you embarked on your DIY journey storage was the last thing on your mind. Making your own decor is a great idea, but finding a place to store it all before the big day can be another matter entirely. From fairy lights to centrepieces to handmade thank you gifts, it all builds up as each new craft is completed. Boxes of wedding items could end up taking over your whole house. Not ideal if space is tight. You’re also faced with the task of trying to get all this stuff to the venue. If you don’t have a vehicle big enough it could mean multiple trips, hardly practical if the venue is far away.
A DIY wedding requires setup
If you’ve chosen to do it yourself instead of hiring a decorator, you need to be prepared to do your own setup. Getting everything to the venue is only your first concern. Friends, family, and the bridal party will all have to pitch in to get everything ready. This is manageable if your venue allows set up the day before, but can be chaotic on the day. Running around setting up tables when you’re supposed to be sipping on champagne in your dressing gown is not ideal. And don’t forget, what goes up must come down. No one wants to be cleaning up at the end of the day.
A DIY wedding can be a wonderful way to save money and inject your personality into your special day. If you’re a creative person, not afraid of a little hard work (and have plenty of time), then DIY is for you. Saving money on decor, invites, and flowers leave plenty in the budget for your dream venue. Host your fairytale wedding at Collisheen. We have two beautiful venues to choose from. Contact us for a quote.