Pinterest makes a DIY wedding look simple and easy. From the perfect invitations made by hand to the gourmet food that looks like Martha Stewart made it herself, a DIY wedding can seem a lot easier than it actually is in real life. There are many pros and cons to taking on the task of creating your own fairytale. It could end up being the wedding of your dreams—or you might want to jump out the window before the wedding bells even ring. Here’s some things to consider when it comes to DIYing a wedding.
Pro: DIY Keeps Costs Low
Not every couple has the means to throw money at all the necessary wedding expenditures. However, many venues have a minimum price ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 that you must spend on renting the location and supplying food/alcohol. Anything with the word “wedding” attached seems to triple the price as well: a normal cake becomes a $400 “wedding” cake. Even a simple white dress at the department store can skyrocket in price just by displaying it in the formalwear department. People know couples want a perfect wedding and will spend money to get it, so they cash in on that willingness.
Doing things yourself is a huge price saver. Designing and printing your own invitations can save hundreds of dollars. Buying flowers wholesale and arranging them yourself can actually save thousands! Decorations made by you and a few friends can cut costs drastically as well. Compare the prices of things already made on Etsy with the materials you would need to construct something similar on your own.
And that $400 wedding cake could be made for less than half the cost if you enlist help. Know someone who’s always sharing pictures of amazing birthday cakes they make for their kids? Call them up and see if you can collaborate on a delicious wedding cake!
Con: DIY Requires a Lot of Time
DIYing often isn’t expensive, but it does cost time. It’s almost impossible to throw a dream wedding together quickly on a small budget. Designing invitations, researching wholesale flower prices, making playlists for the reception, and searching for the perfect mason jars will take hours—there’s just no getting around that.
Keeping up with the wedding budget and to-do list can overwhelm a bride quickly. You need to understand that details take time. If you already know that the stress of making place cards and tying twine around every single wedding favor will likely have you pulling out your hair, it may be best to bring in the pros.
Con: You Might Procrastinate on DIYing
Taking on all of the details yourself can lead to stress, which in turn leads to procrastinating. It might seem easier to put things off until the last minute, but as mentioned previously, wedding details take lots of time and effort. Your hand can only address so many envelopes until it simply gives out! Pushing your to-do list’s limits might mean some things just won’t get done before the big day.
Pro: DIY Gives Your Wedding a Personal Touch
One of the best parts about doing things yourself is getting to put your fingerprint on every detail. The perfect personalized invitation in your mind can’t be found on any random website; centerpieces arranged by hand with special flowers and playlists filled with your favorite songs as a couple are details only you can bring to the wedding. Addressing 100 invitations in your own handwriting gives the wedding an extra touch that makes each guest feel special. Your wedding doesn’t have to look like every other wedding photo you’ve seen to be beautiful, and it shouldn’t if you want it to truly be yours!
Con: DIY May Cause Rifts in Relationships
Doing things yourself means enlisting the help of friends and family members rather than contracted workers. Make sure that anyone who has agreed to help out understands the time commitment and effort required to pull off your fairy tale. Loved ones often ask if they can help, but they don’t always understand just how much work you really need done. There may be a significant amount of pestering involved to keep everyone on track. If a friend volunteers to make 200 cupcakes, stay on his or her radar as the date approaches.
Trusting loved ones to cut out decorations and supply you with dinnerware might not be the best decision. There is often a fine line between friendships and working relationships, so tread lightly when using your loved ones as a resource.
Pro: DIYing with Others Creates Lasting Memories
Crafters love to get together to make seasonal decor or work on special projects, so the excitement of making wedding decor is like another realm of Heaven for them. Bonding together over creativity while you laugh and tell old stories creates lasting pre-wedding memories. Have a few glasses of wine and start a production line of crafts. Work with your computer whiz friend to design the invitations, get with your grandmother to find her best recipes, and utilize your mother’s sewing skills to make the perfect garter.
Con: DIY Can Easily Cause Stress
Magazines and websites make cute favors and decorations seem like child’s play. In reality, those paper flowers aren’t so easy to cut evenly, and those floral centerpieces have thorns slicing through your hands as you try to arrange them in a vase. Make sure you aren’t getting in over your head when you start choosing all the details because planning a wedding should be one of the best times of your life, not a stress fest!
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