There’s no getting away from the fact that weddings cost a small fortune, with the average UK wedding setting you back over £30,000. *Gasp*
Spending such a large sum of money can be a daunting prospect for an engaged couple, especially if they are also looking to buy their first house or are getting prepared for another important milestone in their life together. That said, ask any bride or groom in the weeks after getting married if it was all worth it and they will say “a million times, yes!”.
Not everyone spends as much on their wedding day, and some people, if they have the financial means, may spend more. The point is that it is all down to you and your preferences. It is YOUR wedding. And how better to make your big day unique than by doing as much as you can yourself? Learn how to have a DIY wedding with some of our tips and inspiration.
Are DIY weddings cheaper? The answer is yet, not only will this make your wedding day more personal, it can also cut that budget down quite significantly which is a great incentive to get stuck in!
What Can You DIY When Wedding Planning?
There’s nothing quite like getting really involved in your wedding planning, right down to the tiniest details, especially when you’ve been planning this day for years if not decades. But just how hands on can you get? And it is worth the time and effort?
Wedding Invitations
It may sound like a job and a half, but handcrafting your own wedding invites can be really satisfying rather than leaving it in the hands of a printer or stationery company. If you liked Art at school then you may love getting in touch with your creative side again and shopping around for different colours, cards and fabrics.
Just make sure you research what needs to be on the invite and make a sensible decision about whether you will handwrite them all in beautiful calligraphy or if you will save time by printing out the text! Also, don’t forget to hold one back to have framed as a keepsake.
Wedding Décor
If you have a vision, then you might find it easier to create DIY wedding decoration as opposed to trying to explain your plans to someone else using images from Pinterest.
Once again, getting crafty is the name of the game, and you can go wild with your imagination (within reason and budget!). Remember to stick to a theme, though, whether that is Winter, Vintage, Rustic, etc… as this will prevent you from side-tracking and ending up with a mishmash of decorations.
It is lovely to stand back and see your wedding reception decor all come together and know that you put in the hard graft to make it look that awesome. Just be sure to get it all done in advance so that you don’t have the pressure of finishing centrepieces, wedding favours and other accessories when you should be focusing on getting wedding-ready!
Wedding Hair
Speaking of getting yourself ready… why not get your friends to play hairdressers for the morning instead of paying for a stylist? We all want to look our very best on our wedding day, but most people have that one gal pal who is great at doing hair and could perfect your ideal updo with a little practice. A great excuse to book in a few girly pamper sessions before the big day arrives, I say!
In fact, you could swap the traditional hen do with a “slumber” party with cocktails, where you do nails, face masks, and hair and save on the cost of expensive city drinks and transport!
There’s so much more that you can do when trying to keep the costs of a wedding down, or if you simply want to be in control of the aesthetics. To ensure that it remains fun and doesn’t turn into a chore, then don’t leave everything to yourself. There are some things that are best left to professionals!
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