When planning a wedding, couples tend to want to express themselves and their individuality, perhaps coming up with a unique idea that conveys the ideals of their relationship. These days, everyone is coming up with something different, whether it be an underwater ceremony or a wedding on the beach.
But one cheap, easy and effective way to put a unique stamp on your big day is to try your hand at a bit of wedding DIY. What better way is there to express yourself than creating your own wedding items?
Depending on your time and skills, you could pretty much do everything for your wedding from making decorations to dresses and you can recruit talented friends and family to help.
If you are lucky enough to be (or know) an amazing seamstress, what better way to achieve the wedding dress of your dreams than to design and make it yourself? Use your dream wedding dress as a basis for your ideas, but be sure to also try on some ready-made wedding dresses to see what designs flatter your figure.
Most brides-to-be would find creating their own wedding invitations and other stationery a less daunting prospect than playing fashion designer. Sending personalised wedding invitations to your loved ones is great for cutting costs and putting your stamp on the big day.
By looking at other designs on the market and paying a visit to a local crafts shop, you are sure to get inspiration to create a style that matches your personality. Invitation kits are now readily available and are a cheap alternative to buying pre-made versions. You can even include your favourite picture to into the design. When printing wedding invitations on your home printer, the key is to use high-quality material such as hammered paper and to keep the design relatively simple and sophisticated.
Once you have identified your colour palette, you can design and print the rest of your wedding stationery - such as the order of service, table plan and place cards - in the same style.
Centrepieces are often a big expense, but you can cut costs dramatically by designing your own. Using flowers that are in season is a budget-saving option and loosely-arranged blooms that require no professional input are perfect for adding a whimsical look to an English summer wedding. DIY brides can also make their centrepieces well ahead of the big day if they use dried flowers and candles to create a dramatic effect, particularly for autumn and winter weddings. If you are a Christmas bride, decorate your tables with baubles that can double up as wedding favours for your guests.
Brides do not have to do all the DIY work themselves. Add a creative slant to hanging out with your hens or bridesmaids and get everyone involved in making wedding invitations, place cards or wedding favours. After a few glasses of wine this is sure to be a brilliant way to celebrate the upcoming wedding and come up with some great ideas.
When it comes to bridesmaid gifts, why not try your hand at making soaps, bath scrubs or other pretty personalised gifts such as purses for your bridesmaids? A gift that you have made yourself will mean so much more and you can tailor them to the bridesmaid's personality to show how much you care.
An important bit of advice for brides going down the DIY route is to not take on more than you can handle and to ask for help when you need it. Wedding planning is a fun and exciting time of your life, and taking on too many projects will leave you unnecessarily stressed.
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