DIY Weddings – Overcoming Challenges

From wedding invitations and favors to flowers and cake, there are a hundred different details of a wedding and a hundred ways to do-it-yourself, whether you want to save money or simply express your creativity. DIY wedding details are awesome goals, but it’s easy to underestimate the effort behind it all. So keep the following potential challenges in mind.

Defying Expectations

As much as you love your family and friends, chances are there’ll be someone with the stubborn idea that things are supposed to be a certain way. And chances are, your DIY details won’t conform to that.

Stick to your guns. As long as you’re being realistic about your projects, don’t change your mind just because someone disagrees with your ideas. If it’s causing stress, find ways to de-stress and don’t let those nay-sayers get to you.

Time Limits

Deadline extensions are impossible when it comes to preparing for a wedding. But when you’re 10 months away from the big day, it’s easy to dismiss that fact without a second thought.

Whether you have just one project on your hands or 10, you should make a realistic estimate as to how much time you need to complete it. Make sure you have plenty of time left over for other things, too. What other things? Details you forgot about, final meetings with vendors, family to welcome, or downtime to de-stress; no matter what it is, things come up. Ensure your schedule isn’t too jam-packed so you can get those projects done with the least amount of stress.

Level of Difficulty

Shoving flowers into mason jars or arranging simple posies may seem easy enough in the trial run months before the wedding, but don’t fool yourself.

When you’re stressed out in the last few days with a hundred other things on your mind, it’s altogether possible that those posies end up looking like a pre-schooler’s creation. It’s no insult to your abilities or creativity; it’s simply an underestimation over how difficult it is to make 6 bouquets, 10 boutonnieres, and 20 centerpieces all in one day.

Make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into on a project, and get as much practice as you can before crunch time. There are plenty of resources online instructing upon DIY wedding ideas, but until you actually do it yourself, you won’t have a true idea of what it takes.

Worst Case Scenario

What if it all goes wrong? What if those 150 wedding cupcakes you’re baking come out burned? What if the ink on all those programs comes out smeared? What if the flowers wilt and die?

While you can’t spend all your time letting the “what ifs” plague your mind, you should be realistic about potential disasters. Make sure you have a solid back up plan should the worst happen.

Bottom Line

In any DIY project, realistic expectations, plenty of time, back up plans, and a handy group of family members and friends or bridal party members who can lend a hand are key. Good luck!