Every girl, nomatter how practical she may be, tends to turn into a bit of a romantic when it
comes to her wedding day. You naturally want your wedding to be special, as
special as you and the one you love, but how do you personalize your big day
without spending the next 10 years of your married life paying for it?
The answer
lies in three simple letters—DIY. Adding a personal touch to your wedding will
make it memorable and set it apart from any other wedding. And of course, it
will save you a good deal of money.
lies in three simple letters—DIY. Adding a personal touch to your wedding will
make it memorable and set it apart from any other wedding. And of course, it
will save you a good deal of money.
Here are seven
simple yet creative DIY ideas that you may want to incorporate into your
upcoming ceremony and after party.
simple yet creative DIY ideas that you may want to incorporate into your
upcoming ceremony and after party.
Photo booth wedding invitations
As youprobably know if you’ve spent any time scouring the Internet for affordable
deals and special offers, something as simple as a wedding invitation can end
up costing you a lot of money if you leave it to the professionals.
Instead,
create your own wedding invitations with photos of you and your partner. Take a
series of “cute couple” photos and line them up photo-booth style with any
photo-editing program. You can then add all the important info either on the
front or back, or even add little check off boxes for “yes” or “no.”
create your own wedding invitations with photos of you and your partner. Take a
series of “cute couple” photos and line them up photo-booth style with any
photo-editing program. You can then add all the important info either on the
front or back, or even add little check off boxes for “yes” or “no.”
This is a pretty adorable example of one such
wedding invitation. Let your imagination run wild, and create your own
invitations that match your theme and individual style.
wedding invitation. Let your imagination run wild, and create your own
invitations that match your theme and individual style.
Personalized napkins instead of place cards
Place cardsare one of those necessary but seemingly wasteful wedding accessories; you want
to show your guests where they are sitting to help things flow smoothly, but
spending money on something that will be thrown away after being briefly
glanced at can be a terrible shame.
An original and affordable alternative is to
have your guests’ names and table number printed or written out on napkins that
they can pick up upon entering the hall. Or, how about stamping the napkins with different sayings, song lyrics or even the story of how you met?
have your guests’ names and table number printed or written out on napkins that
they can pick up upon entering the hall. Or, how about stamping the napkins with different sayings, song lyrics or even the story of how you met?
Homemade cookie or cupcake favors
Wedding favorsare another one of those wedding accessories that tend to be shockingly
overpriced and incredibly unoriginal. Rather than spending $2 a piece on
satchels of foul tasting sugared almonds, just bake up a batch of tasty
cupcakes or cookies (these sugar cookies look delicious), and wrap them in cellophane or paper with your own homemade
cards.
Get creative with the centerpieces
There’s norule that says your centerpieces have to be standard flower arrangements, so
have fun with it and choose something that is more “you.”
Anything from
repurposed jam jars filled with freshly picked daisies to potted plants,
candles or even carved pumpkins or handmade paper flowers can make excellent
centerpieces that your guests will remember for years to come. Here are 10 creative centerpieces, including the above sheet music centerpiece.
repurposed jam jars filled with freshly picked daisies to potted plants,
candles or even carved pumpkins or handmade paper flowers can make excellent
centerpieces that your guests will remember for years to come. Here are 10 creative centerpieces, including the above sheet music centerpiece.
Let bridesmaids pick out and pay for their
own dresses
own dresses
This may seemstingy, but if truth be told, your bridesmaids will probably be a whole lot
happier if they get to pick out their own dresses that they feel comfortable
in.
They can spend
as little or as much as they want on their dresses, and they can go with anything
from secondhand vintage to handmade to hand-me-down, and best of all, because
they like it, they’ll probably end up wearing it again at some point in the
future, so it won’t be a complete waste of money.
as little or as much as they want on their dresses, and they can go with anything
from secondhand vintage to handmade to hand-me-down, and best of all, because
they like it, they’ll probably end up wearing it again at some point in the
future, so it won’t be a complete waste of money.
Do make sure
to let them know if you have any theme or specifications for the dresses they
choose, like a specific color or shade or length or style.
to let them know if you have any theme or specifications for the dresses they
choose, like a specific color or shade or length or style.
Have the guests bring dessert by organizing
a pie/cake baking contest
a pie/cake baking contest
Desserts arean absolute must at any wedding, but rather than paying for a massive cake that
will feed all your guests, simply choose a modest (in other words: small)
wedding cake and have other types of desserts for the guests to enjoy.
One great idea
is to hold a pie or cake baking competition amongst your guests, and have them
all bring their creations to the wedding. This is a great way to engage your
guests while also saving a good deal of money.
is to hold a pie or cake baking competition amongst your guests, and have them
all bring their creations to the wedding. This is a great way to engage your
guests while also saving a good deal of money.
Use bicycles instead of an expensive
wedding car
wedding car
Traditionally,you’d hire a limo or vintage Buick to drive away in after the ceremony, but why
not break traditions and cycle off into the sunset on two bicycles or a tandem
bicycle instead?
This can be a
really fun way to end your ceremony and will also significantly cut down on car
rental costs. You may even want to get everyone involved and have your guests
bring their own bicycle to cycle to the reception on.
really fun way to end your ceremony and will also significantly cut down on car
rental costs. You may even want to get everyone involved and have your guests
bring their own bicycle to cycle to the reception on.
Of course,
this may not always be an option depending on what kind of dress you are
wearing, but coming up with entertaining alternatives to the standard wedding
vehicle can be a good laugh.
this may not always be an option depending on what kind of dress you are
wearing, but coming up with entertaining alternatives to the standard wedding
vehicle can be a good laugh.
—Aileen Pablo
is a Filipina Event Management blogger from Open Colleges.
is a Filipina Event Management blogger from Open Colleges.
[Top photos by Our Labor of Love]
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J. says
Good ideas! Nice post.
Mo says
Thanks so much Melissa. I'm currently trying to see how I can make my upcoming wedding cheaper and these are great ideas!
ohdizzle says
Love these, but as someone who has been a bridesmaid before, TAKE IT EASY ON YOUR BRIDESMAIDS. Letting them choose a dress or shoes is awesome, but don't get over the top picky. Don't do the, "I'm going to let you choose your own dress, but it needs to be this impossible shade between olive and pine and it has to be a halter top that goes to exactly two inches below your knee" thing. Remember, these girls are here to support you, but you don't get to be crazy with them.