Bride to Bride: DIY

These three little letters are some of my favorites: DIY

Do It Yourself.

YES.

porch

See, I’m all about a good craft project…

Glitter. Mod Podge. Ribbon. Scrapbook Paper. I love it all. And I love combining various textures & elements to make something truly unique. I love making the old look new… or the new look old!

BUT, contrary to popular belief, DIY doesn’t always mean CHEAP or EASY… so when a bride comes to me and says she wants a DIY wedding, I usually sit down with her & hash out EXACTLY what she has in mind when she says DIY; and sometimes DIY isn’t the easiest or best way to go.

I wanted to share 3 tips for DIY projects. Hopefully you’ll find these helpful for your crafty & adventurous heart.

***Disclaimer: This is my personal opinion. Every single bride is different. Your weddings are different. Your talents are different. Your mother & granny’s talents are different. And, you know someone who knows someone who can make this great something for you. I get that. I’m just trying to give you a bit of advice so ease your stress & not get you in over your head.***

1. You Cannot Do It All The Day Of. You decide to forgo a florist and go with a ton of candles or vintage bird cages or you even decide to order flowers from an online retailer & DIY the flower arrangements. First off, I’m all about creative centerpieces, so I think its great you want to do something different! (I would, honestly, never recommend an online flower retailer, but I won’t get into that in this post.) BUT, you need to remember that YOU ARE THE BRIDE on your wedding day. (I know that seems pretty obvious but sometimes you forget that detail). YOU (being the bride) get 1 day to relax, have your best girls spoil you, and get all glamorous. Therefore, you MUST have someone (other than you or a close family member whose needed for pictures, etc. or a bridal party member) in charge of the centerpieces. YOU CANNOT PUT THEM TOGETHER THE DAY OF. Very stressful. Hire a wedding planner. Or place one incredibly responsible friend in charge. Just remember that YOU ARE THE BRIDE and cannot do it the day-of. You WILL regret the added stress. Trust me.

2. Amount Needed, Cost & Time To Complete. For any décor project you have, you need to figure out 3 things – the total needed (ex: how much bunting you actually want at your reception), the cost of the material (scrapbook paper/fabric, twine/string, glue) AND how much time it will take you to complete it. You need to be realistic about your finances and your time. Your planning a wedding. That means your really busy. Chances are you work full time. You have friends, family, a LIFE. SO, factor that into your DIY décor projects. Understand that you don’t have all day, every day to craft away. ALSO understand your costs. Scrapbook paper can range from 50 cents a page to $3 a page. Depending on the pattern, texture & color you want, your bunting may get pricey. Remember that.

3. Know Your Talents. This is one I know about first hand. When I got engaged, I downloaded a free, 30 day trial version of Adobe Suite (Illustrator, In Design & Photoshop). I played around with all three hoping that I could pick it up fairly easy & therefore make our wedding paper goods. I ended up buying the software, telling myself that we just couldn’t afford the cost of wedding paper products & I needed to learn how to make them. I AM happy with the end result, BUT if I could do it again, I’d hire someone. It stressed me out, y’all. Yes, we were able to get our Save the Dates, Invitation Suite of 4, Ceremony Program, Direction Card, Reception Program, Reception Guest Libs, all envelopes, stamps & invitation ribbon for under $800 … but it was one of my biggest stresses. Brides, I really can’t stress this enough: KNOW YOUR TALENTS. If I had been more knowledgeable in those programs, it would have make my life SO much easier and the final products so much better. But I didn’t. Now, I actually feel pretty comfortable with them (trial & error – ha). But at the time I pushed myself too hard & it added a lot of wedding stress. So, make sure you understand just WHAT you’re good at and what your not. And, for the things you aren’t good at, hire a professional. You WILL NOT regret it. I promise.