The Top 10 Wedding DIYs (and how you can do them too)

Weddings are quite complex affairs, for more reasons than one. Not only is the event emotionally significant, but it also presents a seemingly endless list of details to plan and things to buy. Modern brides are beginning to realize that many of the aspects of a wedding do not require a professional, and can be created by themselves! Enter do-it-yourself projects.

DIY projects allow for more freedom and creativity. Brides no longer have to stress over miscommunication with vendors about how big they want the cake topper or what color font to use for the invitations or where to place the wedding arch. By taking these aspects into their own hands, they have complete control (for better or for worse) over how each aspect of their wedding turns out. Below you will find the most popular DIY projects brides are doing today, along with some guidance on how you can do them yourself, too!

1) Invitations

There is nothing more personal or deserving of a do-it-yourself project than wedding invitations. Save-the-dates, invitations, and other stationary ought to be personal, reflecting your unique relationship. Generic purchased stationary just can’t achieve the same vibe as the DIY variety.

You need not be intimidated by the creativity required to create such stationary. Making aesthetically pleasing invitations does not require artistic ability (but it is always helpful for DIY projects). Rather, success for this project comes from collecting the necessary supplies and taking your time. While you could form invitations completely from your own imagination, you can also use templates, suggestions, and other tools to make ones without your own creativity. Get some tips on how to successfully make DIY wedding stationary with our article Creating DIY Wedding Invitations that Look More Chic than Shabby.

2) Signs

When you think about all the details of your wedding, the cake, the dress, and the venue immediately come to mind. The point is, signs are probably not at the forefront of your thoughts. But these seemingly minute forms of decoration can be the stars of the show if given any amount of time and attention. Signs welcome your guests to your wedding, provide them with details about the day, and reinforce the romantic feelings of the day with appropriate quotes, verses, and words.

Wedding signs cater perfectly to the DIY spectrum. You can purchase the physical sign itself, whether it be a slab of wood, a chalkboard, or a sheet of paper. Then, you can customize the content of the sign for your purposes. All you really need is decent handwriting, and even that is not required. Embellish with some artwork if you are able, but if not, focus on making the font as beautiful as you can. For some ideas for your very own wedding signs, refer to our article 23 Awesome Wedding Sign Ideas That Are The Icing On The Cake.

3) Centerpieces

You can go a million different directions with centerpieces for the tables at your reception. Flowers have served as the traditional residents of that treasured no-man’s land, and they are a beautiful option. But, you can also decorate this space with just about anything imaginable, from a fish bowl to a stack of books to a cupcake tower.

The versatile nature of wedding centerpieces allows them to very easily become a DIY project. To help narrow down your options, consider what objects are significant to you and your spouse, and use your creativity to form a centerpiece out of those objects! Such a project can be as simple or as involved as you desire. To get you started on this DIY project, check out our article How to Get Creative Wedding Centerpieces When You Aren’t Artsy.

4) Boutonnières

Boutonnieres, those mini flower bouquets pinned to the suit jackets of the male members of the bridal party, sound a lot more fancy than they really are. Most boutonnieres are comprised of some flowers and leaves held together by ribbon, twine, tape, or pins. Now-a-days, you can even stray from the flowers and use buttons, ribbons, rope, and more to create a unique accessory for the men on your big day. Don’t pay a florist to create something you can easily create yourself! For a simple boutonniere look for your groom and his men, check out How To: Make A Boutonnière.

5) Bouquets

Fine, bouquets are a little more complex than boutonnieres. They are larger, contain more flowers, and require more substantial materials to maintain their shape. But even these can serve as a fun DIY project. Unless you have a particular flair for floral arrangements, simplicity is the key to creating a beautiful bouquet. Stick with one to three types of flowers. Keep the size manageable so that you can secure the stems with ribbon or twine. For ideas that stray from the norm, take a look at these 8 Unique Bouquet Ideas.

6) Favors

Wedding favors are an odd tradition. As if the free night of food, friends, and festivities wasn’t enough, you are also expected to show your appreciation for your guests’ attendance with a small gift. In order to not feel as though you are wasting your valuable wedding budget on an unnecessary expense, make the favors yourself! Buy small, inexpensive items in bulk, and then present them in a decorative way to give to each of your guests. We got you covered with How to Find Wedding Favors That Won’t Break the Bank.

7) Cake Toppers

Did you know cake toppers can be more than just the classic woman in white dress, man in black suit? Anything you can place on skewers that won’t smash your cake will suffice! You can cut words, designs, and shapes out of paper to make a dirt-cheap and completely customizable cake topper. It will cost you a couple minutes and save you a couple bucks. Check out our article, The Wedding Toppers to Top Them All, to see whether an alternative cake topper is right for you.

8) Seating

There are many elements that go into wedding seating. This could involve letting guests know what table they are assigned to, having place cards at that table, and more. Thankfully, even though decisions about who sits where can be extremely stressful, the actual signs, cards, and stationary are relatively simple to create. Take your time with your handwriting to make cute place cards for guests. Find unique ways to display the seating assignments. Have fun, you can’t really go wrong! Check out these DIY Seating Cards and Displays for some assistance.

9) Guest Books

Guests books no longer have to reside within the traditional guidelines of notebook-like books where guests scribble their John Hancock. Refer to our article, 10 Alternative Guest Book Ideas You Wish You Thought of Yourself, for some inspiration. These unique ideas will be more difficult to find in stores or online, and can be made without much effort or skill.

10) Arches

Wedding arches are often the focal point of the wedding ceremony. Why leave its result up to a stranger? You can ensure that the arch turns out exactly how you visualize it by making it yourself! Ask for the assistance of someone who is handy with tools in order to make sure that the structure is strong enough to withstand a little wind or rain. Otherwise, have fun being creative and making a beautiful background of wood, flowers, fabric, and more to accompany you as you say your vows. To get some ideas for your own wedding arch, take a look at these 20 Incredible Wedding Arches.

DIY projects are great. They allow budget-conscious brides to still have the wedding of their dreams and for any couple to customize their big day. Give some of these top wedding DIYs a try, you might just surprise yourself with how well they turn out!