5 Dos and Don’ts of DIY Wedding Decor

Doing DIY projects for your decor can be a cost-effective way to put some personal touches into your wedding day. While DIY can often look fun and easy on Pinterest, it’s not always as simple as it seems, especially with all of the details that go into a wedding! Follow these guidelines to make sure that your wedding DIY project isn’t going to cause more stress, time, and money than it’s worth.

1# Timing

When you are thinking of DIYing for your wedding, you want to think about timing. Chances are you will have a lot on your plate the month leading up to your wedding, and you may want to avoid DIY projects that need to be done less than a month out. Escort cards, flowers, or gift bags with perishable items all need to be done the month of the wedding, so they are probably not your best options for DIY projects. The month before the wedding is often a very busy time nailing down final details, and you could easily run out of time to do your DIY projects! Save the DIY projects for items you can do well ahead of time when the nitty gritty of planning final details isn’t demanding your attention.

DIY projects you can do months in advance are perfect and way less stressful. Table numbers and non perishable centerpieces are good options–even though you won’t know your exact table arrangement for your reception until you receive your RSVPs, you’ll have a general idea of how many tables you’ll need for your estimated guest count. Much of your signage can also be done in advance–know that you’re having an unplugged ceremony? Knock this sign out months ahead of time and check it off of your to do list. Don’t leave anything essential to the last minute–you want to prioritize those items that really need to be done or have a plan to purchase them instead!

#2 Transportation

Consider where you are transporting your DIY items to and from and how they will get there. Do you need to rent a trailer? If so, will the extra cost of the trailer rental actually save you money in the long run? Who will help you load and unload everything? Do you really want your parents to be unloading bulky decor dressed in their wedding attire? Where will everything go after the event? You probably won’t want 12 of the same DIY centerpiece in your new home, and unless your parents have extra storage, they won’t be able to keep your decor either. Are you planning on preserving all of your hard work, or are you planning to donate or dispose of it? Is it worth the trouble of transporting it after the event if you won’t be able to use it again? Make sure you think about all of these variables when deciding which decor pieces you might want to DIY.

#3 Setup & Tear Down

Walk yourself through the wedding weekend and think about how all your DIY projects will get set up and taken down. What is your timeframe for setting everything up? Has the venue given you the entire day or just a couple of hours? How many helping hands do you have? When do you need to have everything cleaned up by? Too much decor in too little time with too little help can be a recipe for disaster. A custom donut wall may seem like a fun idea until 15 minutes before the ceremony when you and your bridesmaids are throwing donuts on the hooks and praying the bugs don’t get to them before your guests. Saving money is great, but you also need to think about your enjoyment of the day, so consider hiring someone to do your setup and tear down or delegate tasks to friends and family.

#4 Less Is More

A lot of times we peruse Pinterest, find so many amazing ideas, and a day later we are making 20 chalkboard signs–but sometimes I think we overdo it a bit. When you are selecting your DIY projects, think about the following:

• What purpose/function does this actually serve towards my wedding or event? Most people can tell it is a dessert table and don’t need a sign to tell them.
• What will I do with this after the wedding?
• Is this really worth my time and energy?

Some of the most gorgeous weddings I have seen have been very simple with minimal decor–so save yourself a lot of time DIYing and consider those 3 things.

#5 Enlist Help and Get Organized

For your DIY projects, enlist the help of your wedding party and families to get them done. Does one of your bridesmaids have beautiful handwriting? Ask her if she would be willing to letter one of your signs! Are you adding ribbons to all of the bubble containers for your send-off? Host a wine and cheese party where your wedding party and family help you tie bows! DIY projects can be a massive undertaking and often end up taking more time than you think, so enlisting help is one of the best ways to make sure it all gets done. Your wedding party and family will feel even more invested knowing they helped you execute the details for your dream wedding!

As the bride, you won’t have time to set up all of your DIY decor yourself. Between hair and makeup, photos, and hiding from your guests before the ceremony, there is no way you will be able to inspect all of your decor details! Hiring a wedding coordinator or designating a trusted family member or friend to manage your decor is one of the best decisions you can make so that you don’t have to worry about the setup on your wedding day. Make sure to give your coordinator a detailed list of each personal decor item you have for your day, where you want it to be placed at the venue, and what you want done with it at the end of the night (put it in your parents’ car, trash it, etc.).

Make DIYing your wedding decor a fun experience by following these guidelines. And remember that it’s okay if you decide to purchase or rent your decor items instead! For more wedding tips and tricks visit the Stellaluna Events Blog – comment below are tell us your wedding DIY tips and tricks!

Photo by Adventure Photo Stories