Weddings are expensive, we all know that.
While I loved going shopping and searching for decorations, flowers, and accessories, there were some things that I also knew I could make myself. So I did!
The Projects
One of the first things I DIYed was some ring bearer boxes. I did not like how the pillows looked – they were all the same and not the vibe I was going for! I saw some boxes on Etsy, but, again, they were not what I wanted or were so expensive for something that would be used for barely two minutes. So, I made some!
I got some cute little jewelry boxes with a clear glass top, then painted each in our colors. I painted some white flower foam inside and covered it with white fabric. For the last step, we used a little hook to keep the ring on top of the foam!
Another thing I DIYed was our table signs. This was for things like where to put cards, pick up favors, and sign our guest book. I got some 5×7” frosted acrylic signs with stands from Amazon, invested in a Cricut (thank you to my mom), and learned how to use it! It was a lot harder than I thought (especially since I picked some very thin fonts), but it was fun! It’s also very cool to say that I made them, and I’m proud of how they turned out.
I made almost everything for my bridesmaids, minus the toiletry cases I ordered from Etsy. For their proposals, I made a video with their names and photos of us asking them to be my bridesmaids. Then, I sent these cute little holographic toiletry bags from Etsy. They were filled with goodies from Ulta, along with a card I made in Canva, giving them all the wedding details. They loved them! I also made them custom gift bags (thanks again to my Cricut) and little hanging cards (that were a big secret). I hung these with their dresses on the night before/morning of. These had their name, title, year/where I met them, and four words that describe them. I also made some for my mom, mother-in-law, and flower girls.
I also made slippers for them because the seller I bought from on Etsy forgot to put their initials on them as I ordered! So, I bought the supplies and finished them myself.
One Cricut project I was excited about was for our cocktail hour. I created the decals for our welcome selfie mirror, which was placed outside during cocktail hour. It said, “Hello. You look incredible, now go grab a drink.” Nothing too crazy, but I’d seen it on TikTok and thought it was cute. So I wanted to try it myself! I got a mirror during Prime Day and then did the decals in black and sparkly silver (I needed to have some sparkle!. Then, I placed them on the mirror with help from my mom and best friend.
Stationery
While I admittedly got some template ideas online, I did ultimately DIY most of our wedding program design. Finding fonts that matched our wedding welcome sign was hard, but I managed! Our wedding sign I made on Canva and then had printed on a retractable banner through Zazzle. It was hard finding something I liked that wasn’t going to be huge or take up too much space. There were a few different ways people could come into the ceremony. Plus, we were driving everything to the venue and only had so much room In the car. I didn’t want anything too crazy or big (or expensive). I thought the retractable banner was a fun idea.
But, anyway, back to the wedding programs! I also wanted to honor our bridal party, so I made sure to leave space on the back for that. I’m proud of how they turned out! I think they match our “feel” very well and give all the important information, which is good. I used Prints of Love to print our wedding programs as well as our “thank you” cards. These we had we put in the napkins at dinner instead of a menu card.
Another template I used and customized was for wedding day newspapers. My amazing grandma made us welcome baskets, and we put them in there. They had some fun activities, like a word search, “Bride or Groom” trivia, and sudoku. They also gave a schedule of the ceremony and reception, insight into ‘our story,’ and just some fun wedding facts. I thought that was a nice touch! Those were printed through Zazzle – they turned out really cute!
It was so much fun to DIY some of the things for the wedding… even if it was a bit time-consuming and stressful at times! Not only did it save money, but it was exciting to get to say, “I did that!” I highly recommend DIYing some of the things for your wedding if you can. Even if you don’t think you’re particularly crafty, I’m sure you can do it!
Did you DIY your wedding? What was your favorite project? Tell me in the comments!