Wedding DIY Dos and Don'ts: How to Not Drive Yourself (and Everyone Else) Craft-Crazy

“It will be fun!” She said. “We’ll save so much money,” She said... It’s now midnight, two days before the wedding, and you and your friends are up to your elbows in DIY guest favors and a glue gun that’s gone on the fritz.

First off, we at Stylish Occasions are not against DIY (do it yourself) weddings. We think they can be great. But it’s all about DIY-ing the right things and knowing what to pass off to professionals.

Let’s start with the no-nos.

DON’T get Sucked into the Pinterest Black Hole

We’ve seen it happen too many times… A bride or her friends get so caught up in Pinning, they don’t actually ever get anything accomplished. Pinterest can be great, but it also can be super overwhelming. There are so many ideas; how do you choose?!

Having a sounding board like a planner/decorator or great friends with your interests in mind will come in handy. Pick a theme, a color palette, fonts and more, and go with it if you love it! It’s your wedding, and your happiness is what matters at the end of the day.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, shut your laptop and ban yourself from Pinterest. Go with your gut and get crafting.

DON’T Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

It might sound great to upcycle furniture, make your own favors, and do your own flowers, but you need to draw the line somewhere. Even if you have a team of helpers, you don’t want them to be so exhausted they completely miss your wedding because they’re back napping at the hotel (which has happened!).

It’s okay to craft a few things, but keep it to three or four manageable items. What’s manageable, you ask? Depending on your guest count, you could do your own escort cards. You can also make your own guest book. Pick items that you’ll be able to finish at least two weeks before your wedding. Pass off the larger items to the pros!

DON’T Demand People Help You For Everything, Especially the Day Of

Yes, it’s your wedding, but that doesn’t mean that everyone can take off from work to come to your dress sewing party two days a week (making your own dress is a HUGE undertaking, just in case you were wondering).

If someone offers to help with a task, then take them up on it. A great way to not overstep the boundaries is to have your best friend keep you in check. If you’re being over-the-top or too demanding, tell her you want to know.

And now for the Dos!

DO Keep a List and Planner

Organization is half the battle when doing DIY projects. Keep everything neat and orderly; if you’re not the organized type, ask your friends to help you keep a running list of to-dos and a planner so you can budget your time. Seeing it all laid out visually on a calendar will be a huge help for you and your friends!

DO Take Breaks

The worst part of DIYing a wedding is feeling like it’s your job or it's a chore. It should be fun! This DO goes hand-in-hand with the DON’T bite off more than you can chew motto. Part of having fun is being able to go on date night or girl’s night and not feeling stressed about all of the DIY projects waiting for you at home.

DO Hire Professionals

DIYing everything like food and florals and more is super stressful, especially for your family and friends. Although you may want to craft your little heart out leading up to your wedding, our recommendation is to hire professionals for the day of. Hire a caterer, hire a florist, and hire a planner. Your friends, if they were honest, don’t want to tear down all of the decorations at the end of the night or to have to box up the food.

Just because you hire professionals doesn’t mean you have to go over budget, either! It’s all about talking with your planner ahead of time to match you with the right vendors.

The biggest thing to remember is to relax and have fun! Even though you may not accomplish every single DIY task you set out to do, none of your guests will know. They’ll be too preoccupied with how radiant you look and how great the party is!