Why would you choose diy your wedding？

For the most part, DIY doesn’t necessarily equal a lot cheaper but it can equal a lot bigger headache. I think because floral centerpieces can cost so much, those can be a good cost-savings to DIY. It might just be better to skip things that aren’t really necessary like favors and programs. Borrow the venue’s champagne flutes for the toast and cake cutting serving ware.


We did a lot of DIY for our DW and local reception, mostly because we had themed events. But we budgeted $1200 on DIY but spend $4K! 😫 All the tools, supplies and extras add up.

I set out to DIY faux flower centerpieces. I bought the flowers and vase from Michaels to do a test centerpiece. By the time I bought all of that, cut each flower with wire cutters, etc it was going to be too complicated of a process. Plus, it didn’t look that great and I didn’t want to worry about transporting to the venue. I found a talented florist to do real flowers in bright summery colors.

I did not DIY anything. I don’t have that kind of time and I am not that talented. I really admire Brides who take this on.

I think a lot of people assume, when they start wedding planning, that DIY is cheaper. It really isn't, though, and you're also investing your valuable time and energy. I'm DIY'ing some elements of my wedding because I'm an artist and I'm always making/designing stuff, but I definitely will admit my limitations and hire professionals for things like flowers.

I like doing arts and crafts and am choosing to DIY several items but I also know my limits. If I wasnt spending my time doing stuff for the wedding I would be doing something else artsy. I think a big part of it is knowing your limitations and working with what you know you can do.

For me, some DIY allowed us greater creative freedom to create exactly what we wanted. I love projects and DIY meant I didn't have to be confined to the prescribed choices and current trends. It also meant I could include a lot of personal touches, such as bud vases that came from my grandmother which we used as a part of our center pieces. My friend did all the florals so she was happy to design everything based on the vases we were providing and my wedding vision. We ordered wholesale flowers and paid her for her time (without the usual florist mark-up since she wanted it to be her gift).



Also, it actually did save us money! We compared the cost of purchase vs. rented tablecloths, plates, silverware, glassware, etc. We bought the tablecloths and glassware because it was way cheaper but rented the silverware and most of the plates. It meant we got exactly the colors of tablecloths and kinds of glassware we wanted (including blue coffee mugs). We used a set of blue bubble glass dishes my mom has been collecting for decades for our cake plates and punch cups. My mom made the punch recipe and mixed it for us. My sister is a graphic designer and did all our signs and name cards which my mom then printed and mounted. We bought a standard cake from a local bakery and decorated it ourselves, which saved money and meant it was easier to transport. Our officiant pasted the ceremony text and our vows into a book and marked the pages we needed with metal tabs. Part of good DIY is having the skills to pull a job off and not loose the quality that comes from hiring a pro. Knowing what resources/skills you have available and only taking on as much as you can do is important.

My DIY- centerpieces. But I am using led light up roses in glass domes ( beauty and the beast style) on a stack of classic books with the library theme . So that’s not too complex 😂
Bouquet - fiancé is doing but he likes doing floral arrangements- used to own a garden shop - and is only making 2 do that will not be overwhelming
I might do some signs - but I’m nervous they won’t come out great and I’ll end up spending more than buying them 😂

I’m not going to DIY centerpieces or florals but I did DIY our invitations and rsvps from scratch. It was a fun project. Saved some money on design and didn’t need shipping from supplier. However, I really had to look for a high quality print shop within budget. Many of them were charging extra for cotton matte paper (apparently there’s a regional supply chain shortage) so I definitely recommend looking at all options. We ended up going with a linen matte paper and they are beautiful imo. Ended up adding a nice little texture to them.

People are told and believe that they are saving money, but they don’t consider the time spent (at minimum wage per hour) for all the labor involved from beginning to end plus their sanity to be counted as money. That’s why purchasing items instead of renting them is more expensive in the long run.


I don’t have a crafty bone in my body so I’m aware of my limitations. I have zero qualms ordering stuff on Etsy, including asking for custom items that aren’t listed. The only thing I can think of that I would DIY is escort cards. Maybe handwriting invitation envelopes. We could theoretically save money by doing homemade bouquets from the local flower wholesalers but that doesn’t include the time spent on samples via YouTube tutorials or making centerpieces. It’s easier and cheaper to hire a professional.

I did a TON of DIY for my wedding. I did all of the bouquets (BM were fake flowers, mine were ribbon flowers that I made and glues to styrofoam), then I made all of our centerpierces, ceremony decor, invitations, rsvp cards, signs, the flowergirl dress, the card box, and the cake topper (which was too big for the cake, so ended up in front . . . I bought generic pops and remade them with clay and paint).

For me, DIY was totally the cheaper option actually haha. but i do see what you mean because sometime it isn't and sometimes it just takes up a lot of effort and time

I did some DIY. I hand addressed all my invitations in calligraphy. While this took time, I found the process to be very therapeutic. Some of my guests had no idea I did it myself, some thought it was professionally done.

I am having my florist do some arrangements (handheld bouquets, boutonnieres and a few ceremony arrangements that will be moved to the reception area afterwards). However, I am buying flowers wholesale and DIYing the centerpieces. I'll have 3-5 bud vases on each table with a few stems in each.

I will say this is causing some added stress as I figure out the logistics of getting these put together day of. I am hoping my caterer will help (they also provide a day of coordinator), but I have family willing to help as well. I'll let you know if it's worth the savings after the wedding but we did save a fair amount on flowers going this route (about $1,000).

I got proposals and calculated estimated costs before deciding to DIY. I have plenty of time, so if it's cheaper than hiring someone and I'm able to do it, I'm DIYing it.

It largely depends on your time and skill level. If you are a pro at making flower arrangements, then it'll be a lot easier than someone who has no clue what to do. Likewise if you have months to put something together or a small amount, then it may be less stressful than if your wedding is right around the corner. Having materials on hand also helps vs having to buy EVERYTHING from scratch.