If you’re someone who is creative and enjoys being craft, you’ve probably thought about having a DIY wedding before. But let’s be real, if you’re both juggling full-time work commitments, social and family life, you’re probably not even going to consider attempting to have a DIY wedding. It just seems so impossible.

That said, a lot of couples who try this style of wedding feel satisfied with the work they have put into creating it and the money they have saved a long the way. Even if taking on a DIY wedding isn’t the challenge for you, most weddings still have an element of DIY to it. Either way, this post can be beneficial to just about any bride or groom to be. 

A DIY wedding is one that focuses on your talents, skills and creativity to bring a wedding to life! And one of the best benefits you get to reap from this is of course, the small price tag. The centre of a DIY wedding is a focus on people and collaboration.

Step 1: A Humble Venue

The big ticket item in the common wedding is the venue. The first step for any engaged couple to embark on their DIY wedding journey, is to choose a venue that is humble and meaningful. 

The easiest way to execute a tasteful DIY ceremony is to go for an outdoor wedding with a bohemian or rustic theme. Some gorgeous locations to host your wedding for free (especially if it’s a smaller crowd) is a beautiful park or beach. If you’re blessed to live in a farmhouse or have a spacious backyard, that’s another fantastic way to pay next to nothing for a ceremony venue.

The perfect DIY reception venue is a blank canvas. This could be a privately owned property, a hall or a barn. Something as simple as fairy lights can change the feel of the whole space.

Step 2: Easy Invites

With cheap printing costs, creating your own creative wedding invite can actually end up costing the same as having them printed. 

One way to save some costs though would be to design your own wedding invite rather than having it custom-made. Canva has a wide variety of wedding invitations to suit every couple.

Etsy also has customisable wedding invitation templates that are downloadable for print or online invites.

Though the cheapest option to wedding invitations is to not have them in printed format at all and just send it online. 

Costs aside, creating your own wedding invitation can be a really memorable occasion for you and fiancé. If you are a sentimental person, you may enjoy having a hand-made keepsake.

Step 3: DIY Decor

This is probably the funnest part of a DIY wedding. There are so may ways you can DIY your wedding decor.

If your fiancé is a crafty handyman, he may enjoy the task of creating your very own arbour! For one of my friends’ weddings, her sister’s boyfriend actually made them their very own donut wall and he loved chipping into the wedding in his own way. If you have close friends or family who want to help out, a DIY wedding is the best way to foster their generosity and make them feel involved in the wedding.

If you or someone you know enjoys floristry or gardening as a hobby, try making your own floral centrepieces! Get creative, hit the op shops and start collecting jars, crystals and vases to put leaves and flowers into. 

Step 4: Flowers

Creating your own floral arrangement is actually not as intimidating as it seems. It can be as simple as going to the local flower market in the morning, getting some blooms and making the bouquets. Or, it could even be from your very own backyard!

Step 5: Brief The Photographer

If there is one thing you shouldn’t DIY, it’s your wedding photographer. This is because photos are one of the only things you get to take away from the wedding and keep. 

It’s important to know that event photography is a different skill to other types of photography.   You should always get someone who has had some experience in capturing events (even if it’s not a wedding). You definitely don’t want to be in a situation where you’ve paid someone for photos and majority of the time the couple has their eyes closed! Try asking around for an amateur photographer who has done a handful of events photography if you want to save costs. 

The heart of DIY weddings is the couple’s creativity and the connection to people. These types of weddings are often very collaborative, and you want that to be captured on camera.

Ask your photographer to focus on the details of all the things that your family and friends have created together with you. And don’t forget to ask them to capture behind-the-scenes moments of it all coming together!

Step 6: BYO Bridesmaid Dresses

Instead of buying your bridesmaids dresses for the big day, you could totally let them bring their own dresses! The key to keeping the bridal party looking cohesive and unified is to establish a strict colour theme or style. 

There are some stunning examples of the bridal party wearing different colours but still looking cohesive. A clever way to do this is by matching floral dresses.

Step 7: A Pot Luck Reception

While most couples don’t often DIY catering because of time constraints, you could always host a pot-luck wedding if that’s more your flavour. This is a fantastic way to really save money on your wedding day and keep costs to a minimum. Pot luck weddings are often collaborative and intimate. It makes everyone feel like they have contributed, and if you know that your inner circles are generous people who would appreciate the opportunity to contribute this would be perfect for you. 

Step 8: Let’s Bake!

If baking is your thing, this is your time to shine! Baking your own wedding cake can be stressful and time-consuming. But if you or your family members enjoy baking and have intermediate baking skills – why not give this a shot?

If you’re not a baker, you could always DIY the wedding cake decorations. Making your own topper or cutting fresh flowers and decorating the cake yourself can put your own twist to a stock standard white cake. 

Step 9: Borrowing Transport

If one of the most important things to you is making a grand entrance, try asking a family or friend who owns a particularly nice car if you can borrow it for that moment. Of course, you know them better than I do, so make sure to create an arrangement that is comfortable for them and makes it easy for them to say ‘yes’. 

Step 10: Music

If you have friends or family that are musically talented, you could totally ask them to provide music for your wedding either for free (depending how close you are) or at mates rates. 

Other than live music, you could always create a Spotify playlist on your phone and play it through some speakers during the reception. I would however recommend you hire large speakers that can be heard throughout the room instead of bringing a small speaker for the night. 

A quick tip for you is to set your Spotify to crossfade tracks for a smoother transition in between songs.