DIY Wedding
Stay calm
Create a step by step plan
Enjoy the process
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Ingredients For A DIY Wedding
Wedding Plans - Save Money With DIY
My wedding was a beautiful, dream-come-true, very special occasion. It was everything I wanted, because it was a custom DIY - thanks to the help of lots of friends and family members. I am so grateful to everyone who pitched in and made my wedding dream come true.
My husband and I wanted an outdoor wedding, in a natural, beautiful area. We found the perfect place! The grounds were gorgeous, so didn’t need additional decorations or work on my part. The ceremony itself took place in a forested area, with natural greenery. I added some decor to the aisle chairs - that was all that was needed.
The reception was in a large covered area in an open field. That was the main area we decorated. We created guest table centerpieces, and added some candles. We made floral decorations for the wedding party table. I purchased decorative items for the cake table. We built a rustic bar. We set up and decorated a child’s play area, food and beverage areas, photo tent, welcome table, and a DJ table.
We also strung lights to add the correct evening ambiance for dancing (rather than using the bright overhead lights that were offered with the venue). I found my lights at an excellent price on the Amazon.
I planned everything, down to the last detail. I made what I could myself, and brought in professionals, friends, and family to assist as necessary.
DIY Florals
Bouquets
After receiving quotes from wedding florists, I decided to use artificial flowers. Upon further research, I realized that I could actually buy fresh flowers and create the bouquets for myself and my wedding party for less cost of artificial flowers. I also LOVE flowers, and found that I really wanted fresh bouquets. Flowers not used in bouquets were added to bud vases on the reception tables, and used in my flower girl’s basket. Everything tied together. The flower girl’s basket also contained plucked petals from blown roses, which can usually be purchased at a discount from wholesalers. FYI: plucking petals is a great task for keeping little ones busy and feeling important.
I still used artificial florals for reception decorations.
I knew just what I wanted, so purchasing fresh flowers and creating bouquets turned out to be the best option for me. Plus, it was so much fun shopping for flowers!
A floral wholesaler was invaluable in helping me choose flowers that would work best for my bouquets. Some were too fragile for bouquets, or the stems were not long enough to work well, she stated, or they would not be in season at the time of my wedding. She advised me on types of flowers that would work best for my purpose but still fall within the scope of my vision. The flowers were ordered ahead, picked up two days before the wedding, and turned into bouquets the day before the wedding.
Many thanks to my friends for their expertise in floral arranging, and to my parents for buying the new garage refrigerator just in time for storing my flowers. 😊
Floral Letter & Garland For Photo Wall
The floral letter I created was the centerpiece for my photo wall. I used artificial flowers for that project.
I provided instant cameras so guests could take photos.
The hanging floral garlands and wisteria were purchased on Amazon.
Floral Swag
The wedding table was decorated with a floral swag and garland. I purchased the garland on Amazon. I created the floral swag, using artificial flowers. It hung on the edge of two banquet tables, right where they came together. My dad came up with the perfect solution for hanging a swag on the edge of tables. Go to floral swag project to learn how that was done, and for directions on making your own floral swag.
Combination Of Fresh & Artificial
Using fresh flowers for wedding party bouquets, and artificial flowers for decor was the perfect combination. Using all fresh flowers would have been far too stressful, because all items would have to have been made the day before the wedding. I wanted everything created ahead that was possible before things got really hectic. The decor was created weeks in advance, and stored for the wedding. I had a “floral making party” the day before the wedding, and my friends and I actually relaxed and had fun creating the bouquets.
Tables, Table Linens & Dinnerware
The venue provided tables and chairs; I provided everything else, including tablecloths, napkins, utensils etc. I found that purchasing tablecloths and napkins from CV Linens was more affordable than using linen rentals. I purchased the gold tone utensils and decorative party plates from Amazon.
Pressing & Transporting Large Tablecloths
So, how were the super huge tablecloths (for 6 foot round tables) pressed and transported?
Many thanks to my mother, and her friend who assisted, for all the ironing! My mother’s friend is a quilter, so had a custom ironing board (made by her husband) that provided a large surface for pressing. The tablecloths came in a vacuum sealed bag, and had hard-pressed wrinkles. Totally unacceptable per my mother. She is a bit of a perfectionist, and insisted on a professional presentation. She and her friend steam pressed all of the tablecloths. As one pressed, the other would drape the cloth over the adjacent dining room table to dry, so as not to collect new wrinkles.
When each tablecloth was completed, it was laid out over the sofa in the family room. I’m afraid my parents were without a family room for a few weeks.
The day before the wedding, the tablecloths were hand carried to a large moving trailer, where they were carefully folded and transported to the venue. The short trip did not create any fold marks. Once at the venue, they were immediately placed onto the tables. They were under the cover of the canopy - well protected from wind or rain during the night.
NOTE: I had read that setting the tablecloths onto the tables the night before - without pressing - would be fine. The dew would dampen them just enough to take out wrinkles (we have a lot of dew here in the Northwest). My mother decided to test this theory. We set up a table on her deck, and placed the un-pressed cloth on it overnight. Nope! It looked awful. She insisted on pressing each one. I’m so thankful, because the reception tables were beautiful.
Bonus: DIY Table Linens & Decor
The bonus is that I now have enough dinner party items for any upcoming event for myself, friends, or family. However, I don’t think I dare ask my mother to ever iron another tablecloth or napkin! Ever - for the rest of my life.
DIY Pallet Wood Bar
The wedding venue did not come with a bar. I wanted the inside space under the tent canopy to be available for dinner, entertainment, and dancing. I preferred the bar to be just outside the tent, along with a few bar tables. This created a separate gathering place away from the music. I looked at many types of bars and decided on a wood pallet bar style.
My father made the bar for me - it was perfect! For easy to follow instructions, go to: Pallet Wood Bar
DIY Printed Materials
I have high standards for everything visual, so I created my invitations and several of the signs from scratch. Other signs were created from templates that I purchased on Etsy. I had most items professionally printed from Zazzle. I was very happy with their quality, and the prices were reasonable. Disclosure: I receive compensation for referrals to Zazzle. A few of my smaller table signs were printed from my local drug store for convenience.
I found the ladder, shown in the photo below, alongside a road. It worked perfectly for holding my welcome sign. Left-over baby’s breath and floral stems from my fresh flower bouquets dressed it up nicely. I purchased a variety of frames from my local dollar store for the smaller table signs.
Organize!
I knew where every last object would go. I organized everything into large tubs and labeled the tubs. “Linens”, “children’s table”, “cake table”, etc. As my mother folded and pressed the napkins, she tucked in the utensils. She then stored them in a tub labeled “napkins.” This saved SO MUCH TIME during set-up.
We also opened and unwrapped all other items, such as candles, plates, and small decorative items. We didn’t want to be cutting open boxes during set-up.
The night before the wedding, we took all of the tubs and placed them in the areas their items would be used. It made for quick and easy set-up the morning of the wedding.
Test Run
A few weeks before the wedding, we set up some tables in my parents’ yard as a test run. I wanted to be sure I had accounted for EVERYTHING. This is when my father worked out his plans for how to attach the floral swag to the tables. I made a list of anything I realized I still needed. I arranged items on our tables and took photos. I could later show those photos to friends who were helping with set-up.
Anything you can do ahead of time to make set-up go more smoothly is well worth the extra effort.
One Step At A Time To Your DIY Wedding
Create a fully detailed plan for your wedding. Include ALL areas that need to be addressed. This is my suggested list to get you started:
Starting Point
guest list: I would say you must start with your guest list. This sets everything else - how large of a venue do you need? How much food, etc.
venue: what is meaningful to you, and what fits your number of guests? church? park? mountain or ocean beach?
Wedding Coordinator
I chose a close friend to act as my wedding coordinator. She was invaluable. She coordinated set-up activities; kept little ones busy; communicated between vendors, guests and wedding party; and basically helped me stay calm by handling issues without me ever becoming aware of them. Choose wisely - this person must be a strong communicator, responsible, and able to take charge in identifying and handling problems.
What Will You Need?
wedding area: florals and other decorations, signs that direct people to seating, signs that state preferences such as “No cameras please”
reception area: table linens, table decorations, beverage area, DJ or band area, lighting, cake table, wedding party table decorations, plates & utensils, lighting, dance area, food and beverage service areas
welcome area: sign to welcome guests, sign (if needed) to direct people to the wedding ceremony area
children’s play area: games, art supplies - items to keep the kids busy. We had outdoor games on the lawn, and a kids’ table in the reception area. We found many of our table items at Amazon, Etsy, and Target, including fidget toys and printable coloring sheets. I chose only items that would not make a mess - nothing that would smoosh into tablecloths or clothing - or create an annoyance. No markers or noise-makers!
children’s table
Photo: Bailey Plumb Photography
clothing: bridal dress, groom clothing, wedding party clothing, dress code for the wedding guests (you may not want a strict code, but guests like to know whether it is formal, casual, etc.)
food: meal? snacks? beverages? Will family and friends supply food, or will it be catered. For us, having it catered reduced stress - we had enough to do. I am SO HAPPY we went that route. Setting up all the decorations took time.
hair and make-up: go through a practice session for both hair and make-up so you are confident you will look just the way you want to look on your wedding day. Many thanks to my cousin’s wife - she did a beautiful job on my hair and make-up.
DJ or band: We hired a DJ. He was a lot of fun and kept the party going and on track. A professional knows how to read a crowd (do we need faster music?), when to announce various activities (cake cutting time), and how to fill in if something is off track (food is arriving late - yes, this happened). He kept the crowd busy for the short while we waited on the food.
photography / videography: professional? friend? Photography is VERY important to me, so I did a lot of research to find the perfect photographer for my wedding. I chose Bailey Plumb Photography. Her style was exactly what I was looking for, and she was a joy to work with.
florals: DIY? Hire a professional to create and deliver all bouquets and florals? What works for you? ALL of my florals were DIY. I wanted my budget to go to other areas, plus I got just what I wanted by doing the florals myself.
wedding officiant: clergy? licensed friend or family member? Who will write your vows? This is YOUR ceremony - this is the most meaningful and important part of your wedding ceremony.
gifts: for guests, parents, wedding party. I set up a table for “take homes” for our guests. Just a nice thank you for coming to the wedding.
invitations, signs and other printed materials: DIY? Purchase? Set dates for getting them completed (and invitations mailed). Tap into your own sense of creativity, or that of a friend, or check out places like Etsy for printables. We digitally sent an announcement, then mailed the actual invitations. I recommend using a wedding website that has built-in invitation tracking. We chose WithJoy.com.
gift registration: in lieu of gifts, we requested funds for our honeymoon. Because of our guests, we were able to travel to the lands of our grandparents. It was a very meaningful gift that filled us with memories for a lifetime. We also received some very meaningful gifts, such as hand-made items. These, too, carry special memories and will be treasured.
wedding cake: choose what is meaningful for you. My husband loves fun-fetti, so we ordered mini bundts in many flavors, including fun-fetti. I wanted a traditional Norwegian wedding cake, so we had that as well.
Norwegian cake: Kransekake
Photo: Bailey Plumb Photography
Many of the decorative items for the cake table came from the Target Dollar Spot. Items in that area are priced usually at $1, $3, or $5. I discovered many wonderful finds there!
In the Norwegian tradition, the number of rings that come free when the couple picks up the cake determines how many children they will have. All 16 rings came up! Uh-oh!
Highlights - you can do it
Keep your wedding dreams alive.
You cannot reach your goals without a plan. Write down all steps. Gather a team - choose members you can COUNT ON. Assign dates and tasks to everyone involved.
Be realistic about what you can DIY, and what needs to be done by professionals. Not everything must be done by YOU. Bring in talent from friends, family, and professionals where needed.
Photography was VERY important to me, so I researched and chose a professional whose style fit with my taste and theme. We chose a caterer and menu based on time of day and what we felt our guests would enjoy. A professional I knew personally provided my make-up and hair styling. The DJ we hired did a fantastic job of keeping the fun going. I have high standards for everything visual, so I created my own invitations and signs. As shown above, with the help of friends and family, I handled all decorations, florals, and created a custom bar.
For your decorations, check with friends and family before purchasing any new item. Borrowing items will save over purchasing, of course. Also, I recommend choosing decor that goes with your own home style. Many items I purchased because I knew I would use them later in my home.
Believe in yourself and your dream. Make it happen.