So today I was at Micheals purchasing some last-minute pieces for our wedding when a woman stopped me and asked if I was much of a DIY bride and if we had a DIY wedding. When I responded “oh yes!” she then asked me if I did save the dates and if so where? how much? etc.
I proceeded to share with her my successes and failures as a DIY bride and thankfully she seemed to like my advice.
This encounter has led me to this post. For some, this will be a wall of words, but for those of you who read it, I hope you get some good tips to smooth your DIY wedding trail.
My Tips, Tricks, and Advice for a DIY Wedding
1. Get started early:
Bask in the glow of post-engagement for a day or two, but then kick it into gear and get started planning. You will be surprised how quickly time flies and if you are a DIY like me you will add projects as you go.
If you don’t get started early you will end up with unfinished or poorly finished projects and loads of stress. And well that’s no fun for anyone!
2. Create a Bridal Binder:
People laugh when I say this but seriously do it. It’s a great way to keep track of everything from contracts, to magazine clippings, to color swatches….literally everything.
And the great part is if you need to remove or add something you’re not confined by the nasty spirals and 70 sheets of a notebook.
3.Invites, programs, paper:
If you decide to make your own invites or programs plan ahead EARLY! Try not to rush out and buy paper and supplies because you fell in love with something on the internet yesterday.
Trust me if you like an invite or program save it and then if you still love it a week later then begin a game plan. Once you have an invite you like, sit down and decide exactly how much paper, ribbon, etc you will need.
A huge mistake I made was making calculations in the store. There may or may not be TONS of orange paper in my collection now.
4. Keep organized!:
I have found that by keeping a list of my planned projects and what supplies I need/will need for each I am able to take full advantage of sales.
Sometimes, whether to kill time or perhaps I am at Walmart doing the weekly shopping, I will stumble across awesome sales and without my list of supplies needed I could very well be sitting on 600 rolls of aqua ribbon.
By keeping things organized I have been able to get all the supplies needed without breaking the bank.
Sites and Stores I L.O.V.E:
1. Hobby Lobby, Micheal’s, & Joann Fabrics:
Sign up for emails and mailed flyers from any (for me all) of these stores. These coupons will help you get quality products without spending a small fortune.
Notable sales for me included 6/1.00 cardstock from Hobby Lobby (used for invites), 1/2 off candles and candle holders from Micheals, cardstock packs of 50 sheets for $3.00 (less if you have a coupon) from Joann’s, 50% off floral stems from Hobby Lobby.
2. Vista Print:
We used this site to print our save the dates and I was incredibly pleased with the result. They almost always have a “100 postcards for free” promotion running and when paired with the ability to design your own piece it’s such a deal. We created 100 STD and had them shipped to our house for under $20. And the delivery time was less than a week.
3. Envelopemall.com:
This was a recent find of mine. I was just about to order our invite envelopes when I decided to do one last Google search. I stumbled across this site and they had a better quality envelope at half the price of the other company I was about to order from.
I called their super helpful customer service and they were so helpful and answered all my questions including a few semi-crazy lady ones. I also received my envelopes in less than a week after ordering.
4. TheKnot.com:
Use. This. Site. For real, there is no reason not to and you will, almost certainly, find ideas you love and things you had never thought of.
The community page is wonderful for swapping ideas, getting advice, and the classifieds board can be a gold mine for wedding supplies. Seriously go now.
5. Linentablecloth.com:
You will read mixed reviews on this place but for me, it was a success. After reviewing our venue contract I discovered it was going to cost just as much to rent table linens as it would cost us to purchase from this place.
I ordered on a Wednesday which is when they give a discount (I don’t remember the percent) off all orders. They were also running free shipping on orders over a certain amount, which I surpassed by purchasing 30 table cloths. They were delivered quickly and from what I can see (I haven’t opened them all) they look great. I am truly pleased.
So here’s what I’ve learned throughout wedding planning. Best of luck. Oh also 84 days ’til I’m a married woman!!
