The Real Price of DIY Wedding Projects!

DIY weddings are the "it" thing in the bridal market right now. Brides are creating everything from centerpieces to their own veils and favors. Weddings are now more personal than ever but it comes at a cost.

The cost is your time and well being. I spent the past two months helping a friend plan her wedding and while it was a blast, it was the DIY projects that left me with a sleep disorder after the wedding.

DIY projects need TIME and also money. Most people would assume that DIY weddings tend to be cheaper in cost, and while that may be true when it comes to certain projects such as centerpieces, that is not the case when it comes to personal touches. The materials can add up quickly and you can be left with a lot of unused material.

For instance we made 10 tall centerpieces and 20 small centerpieces. The flowers were a total of $210 dollars and the price of the vases totaled $30 for a grand total of $240. When you divide by each centerpiece, each one cost roughly $8. WHAT A STEAL RIGHT?

Well then came the spray paint, which was a mere $10 for 2 cans and pieces of lace which totaled about $10. STILL A DEAL, RIGHT?

Well the amount spent on making them was a total of 18 hours (including spray painting and then the set up the day of) TIME was once again the most expensive item. We had to let the vases dry for 12 hours. Time the day of the wedding is precious and every minute counts, so choose projects wisely!

Advice on how to plan DIY projects

1. Research: research as many websites as possible before making your final decision when choosing projects.
2. Set a Budget- Know ahead of time how much money is available for the DIY projects, this will prevent you from buying unnecessary items if you already have an idea of what products you need (research) and how much they should cost (budget)
3. Start Early- Do not leave everything for the week of the wedding. Start DIY projects up to a year ahead of time (obvi you wouldn't do the flowers ahead of time unless they are fake)
4. If you are planning on having different people help you with a project, keep in mind each piece will not turn out identical. It's better to have only one person working on each individual project!

Our small DIY centerpieces!

Rocks Glass candle holder 4"

Dollar Tree

 

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Lace Trim



Jo Ann Fabric

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Rust-Oleum Specialty Metallic 12 oz. Gloss Silver Spray Paint 



 

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Flowers Purchased from Globalroses.com