DIY Success! The Laws of DIY

I love crafty DIY projects. They can bring so much of the unique personality of the Bride and Groom into the wedding day. But there are a few "Laws of DIY" that you want to follow to avoid breaking the bank and reaching your breaking point!


Law #1 : "If it costs more to DIY, don't!" It might sound crazy because DIY projects are supposed to be a fun way to SAVE money. But, you want to make sure you budget out your project before you start. For example, there was a couple working with a custom invitation and printing company. They ordered all their invites, save-the-dates, everything! But when it came to the napkins with their monogram printed on them, they decided they wanted to try to save a little money and buy blank napkins and stamp the napkins themselves. Great idea in theory but they did not budget out ahead of time. The blank napkins ended up costing the same as the printed napkins - plus they still had to purchase stamps and ink to put their monogram on them! As it turned out, it cost the couple $80 more to DIY, and they were less than satisfied with the quality of the end product, to say the least.

Law #2 : "Don't bite off more than you can chew." Many brides have a mindset that they can do it all DIY to save money and put their personal touch on everything in the wedding. I know this one really well, because I was one of them! Just take on a few DIY projects on that will really shine and that you can accomplish weeks or months before the wedding. Your guests will admire your works of art, but you won't be tearing your hair out in the last few weeks before (or worse yet, on the day of!) your wedding trying to finish everything. A story of my husband's co-worker comes to mind. For their wedding just months ago, this couple decided to have their aunt bake the wedding cake. Unfortunately their aunt was up all night baking and icing the cake. And when the aunt and mother of the groom were transporting the cake to the reception, the mother of the groom had to suddenly stop the car, causing one side of the cake to slam into the front seat! Obviously, they did not follow the Laws of DIY and this was not a case of DIY success!


Law #3 : "Good DIY doesn't look DIY." Once again, it is so important that you choose just a few key DIY projects that will really shine. Focus on these and make them really creative and quality. When choosing your projects, be sure to ask yourself - Will my guests be able to tell that this is a DIY project? If your project looks professional, congrats on your DIY success!