How to have a DIY, 

Budget Friendly Wedding

DIY works best when you pick a few things to do on your own and put down the cash for the rest. Trying to do too much will leave you feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Pick one or two things that are very important to you that you feel willing to put down the big bucks for. It could be the venue, or perhaps your photographer or your floral arrangements. Or is it your dress? What will make you feel beautiful, special and celebrated on your big day? 

Next, choose the areas you don’t care as much about; the places you can fudge it. DIY can be about saving money, but you can also use the opportunity to create some really unique, special things to help commemorate this momentous occasion. Handcrafted place cards can also double as great guest favors. Don’t want to fork over the cash for a big banquet style dinner? You can have a wedding earlier in the day and serve cake and punch like they did back in the 90s. 

Does DIY actually save you money?

I gotta be honest with you… yes and no. It depends on how committed you are to get down and do the work yourself. You can buy kits and designs off places like Etsy.com, but like the rest of the wedding industry, these independent craftsmen will also hike up the prices of anything that can be labeled ‘wedding’. It might take some work to dig deep and you have to be willing to buy your own supplies and build things yourself. 

It’s important for you to set your expectations for a DIY wedding correctly. Inspo board worthy pictures don’t come without a large budget behind them. All those bridesmaids? All those flowers? The lavish banquet style tables? The globe light dance floor? The up-to-date photography? All those will take a chunk out of your budget. Even if what you see online claims to be ‘DIY’ that doesn’t actually tell you how much money was spent on it. If you truly want to go for a budget wedding–cut down the guest list, opt for a shorter wedding, pick your own flowers, bake your own cake, make your own dress. Then you’ll really be getting the budget down. 

Keep in mind that some things just cost money. Beautiful venues with sprawling gardens and all the facilities needed to pull off weddings really just do cost that much. Flowers are always going to be an expensive item on the list. You can DIY it and go straight to the flower warehouses where florists get their flowers, but it’s still going to cost you a pretty penny for a significant amount of flowers. You just get to cut out the money required to pay the florist for their work and for them to make a profit. 

Organizing Your DIY Wedding

`Research, research, research is the key. Pull out them inspo boards, them color pallets and build the cheap wedding of your dreams. But seriously, do your research. What materials are you going to need? Where is the cheapest place to acquire said materials? And of course, you’ve got to keep it all organized.

I advise that you put together a folder (because who doesn’t want an excuse to buy another cute folder) for holding all you inspiration. Then you can build a to-do list and a to-buy list for each of your DIY projects to keep you focused and organized. Follow the link at the bottom of the page to download my pre-made super duper lists and spreadsheets. You’ll find everything you could possibly need when it comes to wedding prep. 

Next, once you’ve got your projects outlined, it’s time to put a timeline together. Some things can be done months in advance, others only hours in advance. You’ll need a comprehensive idea of everything you’re going to need to get done for the upcoming big day. This includes shopping for materials, buying materials, building your projects, and figuring out how they are going to get delivered to the wedding with the least amount of fuss. 

Here is the example filled out step-by-step process:

1. Write the name of the project at the top of the page

2. Write a short description in the next box and include any important details you don’t want to forget.

3. Use the to-do list section to list out all the steps to complete your project.

4. Use the Materials box to write everything you’ll need. Put a check next to the items you’ll need to purchase. On the line to the write of each purchased item, write the estimated cost.

5. Add up your estimated prices in the budget box on the right and put the final number on the line at the bottom of the sheet that says ‘total cost estimate’.

6. In the Project Timeline box, write the date for when each step of the process needs to be completed. 

7. The last box is for miscellaneous information that you want to keep track of. Measurements, ID numbers, contact info, anything like that.

And you’re done! Your project is ready to go! Good luck and hope this has prepped you for you wedding day!

Best,

The wedding blogger

The DIY Wedding Blogger

Hi I'm Rachel, the DIY Wedding Blogger! I'm here to share all things wedding on a budget with you. I hope you enjoy my tips, tricks, and resources as you plan the day of your dreams!

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