DIY weddings have become all the range in recent years, fuelled in no small part by the likes of Pinterest. Why should you spend a fortune on all the little details of a wedding, when a few hours and your own creativity can produce the same effect? That’s the idea, anyway; that DIYing aspects of your wedding is simple, effective, and produces outstanding results.
The reality is… not quite so convincing. The moment you sit down to a tutorial to create your own bouquet or cake pops, most brides-to-be find themselves realizing the task at hand is far more difficult than those pretty Pinterest photos made it seem. It turns out there’s a reason that an entire industry exists around wedding decorations and planning– because you need a pro to be able to manage it all.
However, the fact remains that DIYing tends to be popular for one very simple reason: the cost. If you’re on a budget that doesn’t come close to the average spend on a wedding, then choosing to DIY as much as possible can feel like your only choice. However, it may surprise you to learn that the cost might not actually be as reduced as you initially think.
The Cost Of… Time
Putting together all of those DIY decorations is going to take a huge amount of time. If you find a DIY of wedding favors that you like the look of, doing one might only take a few minutes– but you’re going to have to do the same for every wedding guest, which could take you hours.
This is particularly important to consider if you’re thinking of DIYing your food choices, as food is harder to prepare well in advance. Do you really want to spend the night leading up to your wedding cooking over a hot stove, when you could outsource the task to experienced wedding catering companies, leaving you free to enjoy the build up to the big day?
The Cost Of… Materials
When you have to buy all of the materials for those DIY wedding decorations or favors, you’ll quickly realize that the materials can cost a fortune. Always run the math to ensure that you’re actually going to be saving money– you’ll be surprised how much small touches can add up!
The Cost Of… Stress
DIYing parts of your wedding can be fun, giving your day a personal feeling– but choosing to make as much as possible yourself is also incredibly stressful. Do you really want to look back on this unique time in your life as having been one where you worried and fretted over every detail?
So while adding DIY touches to your wedding might seem like a plausible option, when you consider the above, you might begin to rethink that strategy. Your wedding is to be enjoyed; not an event that should create a huge amount of work for you and your wedding guests. So before you decide to DIY, it’s worth keeping the above points in mind, and decide if it will truly be worth it.