DIY wedding projects are a great way to reduce the overall cost of your wedding and are also often fun to do! With the costs of the average wedding increasing each year, many people are taking on some of the smaller tasks of the wedding checklist. To help you brides make the most of your budgets, we have put together a list of the top 20 DIY wedding tasks that you should do instead of buy.
Your Makeup
If you do your makeup everyday before you go to work, or you have a friend that can help, doing your own makeup for your wedding is a great way to save money. In order to make sure that you get it just right, all you need to do is test out your makeup with your wedding dress before the big day. Alternatively, you can get your makeup done at a department store for a fraction of the cost of hiring a professional makeup artist.
Bridal Bouquet
While wedding magazines love to tout the importance of having the perfect bridal bouquet, putting together a gorgeous bouquet doesn’t have to be expensive or that difficult. You can find the flowers that you need for a wedding bouquet at the supermarket. If your wedding will happen during the warmer months, you can ask a friend or cut some fresh flowers from your own garden. A wedding bouquet does not have to include expensive or exotic flowers to be beautiful.
The Dress
While many brides opt for new dresses for the big day, there are other options for obtaining a wedding dress. You may choose to wear the wedding dress of a family member or close friend. Alternatively, thrift stores and other discount outlets often sell wedding dresses for a fraction of the original price.
Wedding Veil
Making your own wedding veil is a DIY craft that is sure to add a gorgeous, unique touch to your wedding day look. There are many options for wedding veil looks and all of the materials that you will need can be easily found at your local craft store.
Corsages
To make your own corsages, all you need are flowers, floral tape, and floral wire. Each corsage only takes about 15 minutes to make. To keep them fresh, you only need to place them in the refrigerator and you can make them about 2 weeks in advance of your wedding.
Ringbearer’s Pillow
For a ringbearer’s pillow, all you need is some satin and cotton for the filling material. Sewing a pillow can be done in just a few minutes.
Wedding Guestbook
For a wedding guestbook, all you need is a guestbook that you can get from any stationery store. You can then affix your own decorations, including strings of white beads, flowers and ribbon to make it uniquely yours. You can also use your free digital guestbook on Wedivite.
Craft Accessories (i.e. Ribbon, String)
Craft accessories are important to have on hand because there is always something that will need to be tacked, glued, or tied together. Bringing your own stash of ribbon, string, tacks, pins and other craft accessories can allow you to purchase these items at wholesale prices.
Invitations
For invitations, going the green and social route can save you a lot of money. Wedivite is our free social wedding planner and invitation and is a great engaging alternative to the traditional paper invitations. Not only for environmental reasons, there some great features that are a lot of fun. View a demo invitation here.
Programs
Guests are always unsure about what to do with programs once the wedding is over. Instead of wasting money on paper programs, consider making a large sign that lists the order of events for the ceremony.
Save-the-Date Postcards
Using software to manage your save-the-date postcards digitally can help you to save money and provide you with the latest information on who’s coming. With Wedivite, guests can RSVP online and also add guests to the wedding list.
The Wedding Cake
The wedding cake can be tricky. However, if you are an expert baker or know someone that can help, there are a ton of ideas and recipes online that you can use to make your own wedding cake.
Cake Topper
Since many couples like to save the cake topper from the wedding, why not make your own? While figurines of the couple are common, you can opt to use photos of you and your partner or some other object that holds sentimental value.
Table Seating Cards
To make table seating cards, all you need is some thick paper, a printer and a paper slicer. It is so simple and can look just like it was professionally done.
Table Centerpieces
Making centerpieces for your table can be tricky because you want it to match the overall décor for the wedding reception area. You may actually want to leave this one up to the experts. However, if you have some time on your hands, you can make your own with some craft accessories or flowers.
Chairback Decorations
All you need to make some simple and stunning chairback decorations is some nice fabric and pins.
Reception Chair Signs
To decorate the chairs for the new Mr. and Mrs. consider making your own reception chair signs. They can be made from paper and you can even print what you want to put on the signs and just cut it out with scissors.
Table Candles
Table candles can be purchased in bulk from your favorite candle or craft store. There is no need to purchase candles from a wedding planner who will likely sell them to you at a markup.
Wedding Favors
Using sweet treats for wedding favors is always a good idea and you can even bake your own. If you prefer a wedding favor that is not edible, try candles, wine trinkets or other small but unique items that you can easily purchase in bulk quantities.
Thank You Cards
The last step to your DIY wedding is making sure that everyone gets a thank you card! You can send out digital e-cards to all of the guests that have RSVP’d. This will save you hours over printing them out at home.
While these are just some ideas to help you get started, it is important that you also be realistic about how much time you have to complete each project. It is very easy to become overwhelmed and left scrambling to finish projects right before the big day. Therefore, don’t hesitate to leave some projects, especially the important stuff like the photography and the lighting, up to the experts.
Happy DIYing!
