A wedding may be the happiest moment of a couple’s lives, but often this comes at a huge monetary cost and lack of decor personalisation. As the scope of weddings have changed drastically over time, people are getting married later in life and spending more on weddings each year with upwards of $150 per head. Sometimes a touch of personal, handcrafted DIY work is just what a wedding needs to take the decor from a picture in a magazine to your own special day. Here’s a list of ways you can use DIY at your wedding, and simultaneously, lower your overall costs.
- Confetti Toss Bar
Add some colour and get your guests involved on your trip back down the aisle as a married couple. First, grab some double-sided sticky tape and pretty printed paper; it does not have to be expensive sturdy paper as this is harder to wrap in the right shape. Wrap the paper into itself to create a cone shape, and secure it with tape on the inside. If you want to attach a message or hang these cones on chairs at the reception, a hole puncher and string will have you covered. Then, time to fill them up with some colour. One way to do this is to get petals and create a petal bar, where every guest scoops a handful of petals into their cone ready to throw up onto the bride and groom, which makes that perfect photo moment, and will really stand out against the white and black outfits. Another popular DIY confetti is to hole punch leaves, which is especially nice for an autumn wedding whereby the different leaf shades will shine through. This one may take some time but have a girls night or get your mum and your aunties involved and have everyone punching away over some wine.
- Worded Signs
An incredible ‘Mr & Mrs’ or ‘Just Married’ sign does not have to be bought. Create a simple rustic look with some copper wire and get bending! They are perfect for a wall hanging or to hang off the back of chairs at the ceremony. If the copper colour is not to your liking, it can be spray painted, or a similar effect can be made with rope. Assemble some rope (jute is a good option) and coat your word creation in elmers glue to set it hard. Brush over with some glitter for a shiny, eye catching look also.
- Own Bombineries
Great bombonieres can be made by yourself, giving it a personal touch and even saving some money. Succulents add more colour to the popular garden and rustic themes, and cute pun tags like ‘Thank you for watching our love grow’ adds a customised touch. Popcorn is also a great, frugal way to play on the fact that your partner ‘popped’ the question, and can be placed into crafty mason jars or a plastic slip with a coloured ribbon bow. Macaroons are very in-style, and can be made at home with the colours can be adapted to your personal wedding colour scheme. Placing them in a box with a clear lid allows them to stay fresh but also still look pretty. Putting a knotted ribbon always gives the opportunity to write ‘we tied the knot’ on the tag, and puns like these will always put a smile on your guests faces.
- Guest Photos
Instead of splurging out on a whole videographer and photography crew, have a smaller scale operation. Perhaps one or two professionals can be present, but let your guests be the photographers of the night. Place inexpensive disposable cameras on all the guest tables and encourage everyone to document all the fun they had. At the end of your wedding, you will have genuine happy moments of your guests captured in a candid way, which you will treasure forever.
- Add some Lights
Save on expensive centerpieces at your reception and do something a little different. Fairy lights are all the range on Instagram and Pinterest, but here’s how to incorporate them as your centrepiece. Light up the room by placing the battery operated fairy lights in a clear, clean mason jar of your liking. Arrange the lights to fit in nicely, then secure the battery pack to the lid with tape. Turn the lights on and close the lid, leaving you with an appeal similar to a jar of fireflies. To spice up the rustic jar look, cup a small piece of herrisan on the top and secure it in place with some yarn. Extra decorations near the lid like this will help hide the battery pack even more.
Incorporate something special that you handcrafted on your day, and it will always be remembered. Have a beautiful reception with everything you want and more in a cost effective, personalised way by using these DIY ideas.
