Some couples decide to DIY to save a few, some do it to create a one-of-a-kind, personalized experience; no matter why you choose to DIY, we’re here to help you do it responsibly (and stylishly, of course!). Don’t get us wrong, we’re all for getting your hands dirty and creating gorgeous additions to your wedding yourself – but let’s take a look at which DIY projects are worth your while and which ones should be left to the pros! As a general rule of thumb, we recommend DIY projects that are accents to your wedding rather than centerpieces.
PHOTOGRAPHY | Shannon Moffit Photography
These are a great way to safely incorporate a DIY project into your wedding planning. Whether you want to keep it simple and write everyone’s name in calligraphy on a card or etch their names on sea glass, there are so many fun low-stress options. Find an inspiration image, or (even better) a tutorial video and have fun with it!
PHOTOGRAPHY | Sally Pinera
Tablescapes are a great place to put your DIY skills to good use. From spray painting chargers to sourcing raw silk runners, the possibilities are endless, and they’re pretty hard to mess up.
We recommend leaving the china, glassware, and silverware to the caterers but feel free to get creative with the decorations.
Find an inspiration photo of a tablescape that you like and look for each of the different elements at craft stores, dollar stores, and even thrift stores. Use your creative talents to refine each element until it looks just like your inspiration. A great part about investing in your own table decorations is that you can use them again when you’re hosting an event at your place. All of your guests will be impressed with your tablescape abilities!
PHOTOGRAPHY | Madeleine Collins Photography
This category is probably your best and safest bet for a well-executed DIY wedding project because, while important, they’re not a focal point for the wedding. Here are some fun DIY favor ideas:
Baking small favors, like cookies or cupcakes, for your guests is a great way to thank them for coming to your wedding. These are a nice send-off at the end of the evening when your guests need a midnight snack after working up an appetite on the dancefloor.
PHOTOGRAPHY | Jessica Blex Photography & Design
Succulents and bulbs make nice favors because they are low-maintenance, travel fairly well, and are simple to assemble. It is easy to buy the plants in bulk and place them in a container that compliments your wedding theme.
PHOTOGRAPHY | Martin Wedding Photography
Cocktail kits make a great favor and are super easy to put together. Choose a drink that you and your fiancé(e) enjoy and package all of the ingredients up in a cute container along with a mini bottle of the corresponding spirit. Your guests can take it home with them or make it as a nightcap when they get back to their hotel.
PHOTOGRAPHER | Ether & Smith
Depending on how many people you plan on inviting to your wedding, deciding to DIY your invitations may be a pretty big undertaking. Thankfully there are a lot of online printing companies that take the hassle out of DIY when it comes to invitations. Sites like Minted make it easy to design and customize your wedding invitations without having to do it by hand. Most printing companies even offer calligraphy fonts to give your invitations that handmade feel.
PHOTOGRAPHY | Dyanna LaMora
STATIONARY | Minted
Floral arrangements are one of the most expensive wedding elements, it’s for this reason that some brides decide to DIY their floral arrangements. Because most brides have never ordered flowers for an event before, the initial quote can be overwhelming. This is often because brides ask for specific flowers that they’ve seen on blogs or on Pinterest without knowing what those flowers cost or if they are in season for the dates they are requesting them for. Before you decide to DIY your florals, consider being open about your budget restrictions with a few floral designers in your area. Instead of showing them a photo or asking for specific flowers, instead, describe a general aesthetic and color scheme. Most florists can recommend certain flowers and greenery that are less expensive than others and may be able to stay within your budget.
If you are determined to DIY your floral arrangements, make sure that you have the necessary equipment as well as a safe, refrigerated place to store the flowers before the wedding. We recommend taking a floral arrangement workshop with your bridesmaids so that you have a general understanding of how the arrangements are put together and some extra hands to help. This is a really fun way to bond with your girls and get a better understanding of the process. Once you see what goes into making a floral arrangement, you may decide to leave this one to the professionals. But don’t worry, there are still plenty of other DIY projects that you can take on in the meantime!
PHOTOGRAPHY | Megan Welker Photography
FLORIST | Ellamah
Finding your dream gown can seem like an uphill battle and for some brides, it pushes them to say, “If I can’t find it, I guess I’ll just make it myself.” Unless you already know how to pattern and sew, we recommend leaving this one to the professionals. Not only is it difficult to master the different techniques, but it can also end up being more costly to make your own gown rather than having it made.
But fear not, that doesn’t mean you should give up on finding the gown of your dreams! If you know exactly what you want but you simply can’t find it anywhere, consider hiring a seamstress to make the gown for you. You can find a seamstress near you by doing a Yelp or Google search or stopping into your local alterations shop. If you have a general idea of what you want, you can also work with a designer to have a custom gown created for you. A great resource to find a gown designer online is Etsy. You can see where the designer is based, see examples of their work, and read reviews before committing. Both of these options offer the customized appeal of a DIY project without all of the stress.
PHOTOGRAPHY | Jada Poon Photography
Baking a cake and baking a wedding cake are two very different things. If you’ve watched any of the baking reality TV shows (Great British Baking Show we’re lookin’ at you), then you know the feeling of watching a beautifully stacked cake start to slant and plop onto the floor! No matter how good of a baker you are in your everyday life, know that attempting to bake your wedding cake is a huge commitment.
Not only is it difficult but it needs to be done close to your wedding to ensure freshness and requires a large (low traffic) refrigerator for safe storage. You will also need to be able to lift and transport the cake to your venue without it falling over. I don’t know about you, but that’s enough to talk us out of it!
If you love baking and really want to make something for your wedding day, consider baking something small and manageable for favors. You’ll get to put your baking skills to good use and your guests will have a yummy treat; win-win!
PHOTOGRAPHY | Nicole Clarey Photography
CAKE | Le Gateau Llc. Weeding Cakes B
This is probably the most hotly debated wedding DIY category. It’s true–you do your hair and makeup on a daily basis, so why couldn’t you do it on your wedding day? We’re here to say, you most definitely can, however, the question is… should you!?
We say no, hire a hair and makeup artist and here’s why. Have you ever had one of those days where your hair just won’t seem to cooperate or you can’t get your right and left sides to look the same? Have you ever gotten through a whole day of work just to realize that your eyeliner has run and you have been walking around looking like the Joker all day? It’s for these reasons that we say, leave your hair and makeup to the professionals on your wedding day. While we are all capable of doing our day-to-day hair and makeup looks, it is truly an art to get it right every time and make it last all day–through outfit changes, tears of joy, and dancing your heart out. You’ve spent so much time and money perfecting every aspect of your wedding ensemble, make sure that your hair and makeup are up to par with the rest of your look. Plus, it’s borderline therapeutic having someone play with your hair and gently brush your face, enjoy the pampering on your big day, you deserve it!
PHOTOGRAPHY | Koman Photography
HAIR AND MAKEUP | Oui Novias
If you are a wedding professional, (i.e. a florist, a photographer, a fashion designer) and you decide to use your talents to make your wedding dreams come true, you’re the exception to the rule. At the point where you are an expert in a field, hiring yourself is the same as hiring another professional to do the job. So if you are a florist and you want to do your own flowers, we say, go for it! The same rules apply if you have a friend or a family member who is a wedding professional and you want to ask them to help–just make sure that you work well together and share a similar style.
One thing to be careful of, even if you are a professional, is that you don’t stretch yourself too thin. It is easy to prioritize your other clients and squeeze your wedding in when you get a chance. You deserve to have a carefree wedding experience, just like any of your clients. If you think it will stress you out too much to do the job yourself, don’t be afraid to hire someone else.
PHOTOGRAPHER | Stephanie Brazzle Photography