The cost of weddings is reaching silly heights and couples are looking for a unique and personal experience. So there is an increasing trend for planning your DIY wedding. Top tips from an expert, Kim of wringworthy.co.uk, will take you through the possibilities, the pros and the cons. This does not in any way take down the wonderful professionals in the industry who provide a fantastic service to make your special day magical and stress free. The choice is yours.
Let’s start with the venue. What’s your style? Boho? Rustic? Country chic? Or more formal?
Kim says: ‘DIY weddings are best at blank canvas venues: the kind of venue where there are no packages, no tie-ins to caterers, drinks, bar, wedding planners, entertainment or anything else. The couple get the venue, maybe some essential stuff like chairs and tables and some will do a bit more (we do) .’
Situated in Cornwall, Wringworthy offer a barn and 70 acres of family friendly accommodations and facilities – perfect for a rustic or boho wedding. ‘You can let your imagination run wild, not your budget. Our DIY brides (and that’s the only sort we have!) come up with some fab ideas. Pizza van wedding, inflatables on the lawns, outdoor games, picnic where everyone brings their own, Halloween themed, Day of the Dead themed, Viking wedding, party like it’s Valhalla and loads more besides. They can do this because there are no restrictions. No planners telling them “do you want the white chairs or the blue”. They have what they want and how they want it.’
Or you could consider a truly rustic setting in a Northamptonshire field! Stone Siding Events hire out a field as your blank canvas to create your own unique wedding. If it feels too daunting to source everything, they offer packages that include marquee, catering, welcome drinks…. And toilets (who ever thinks of hiring toilets! These are luxury versions that I’ve actually used.)
What if you dream of a stately home wedding but can’t afford the (sometimes astronomical) prices? My son and daughter-in-law hired out Muddifords Court for their reception, a beautiful 18th Century country house Table and chairs were provided by the venue, and then Geoff and Katie had free rein to make the whole event their own. I’ve read recently of a couple who hired Colehayes Park, a DIY wedding venue in Devon. Your choices will only be limited by your budget.
So what about that all important question?
Kim’s view is: The main advantage of DIY is cost. You can make some huge savings on everything when you make your own. One of our brides made little tea light holders with black lace around them. Cost her 50p each and would have been several pounds elsewhere. You set the budget, not the venue. How many times do you see on posts on Facebook groups “we went to our venue and now they want to charge us £XX damage deposit or £XX to cut the cake or £XX insurance. Or a surcharge of £500 to make sure no one brings in their own alcohol. How can the bride and groom control that!
A DIY wedding means you can let your imagination run wild, not your budget. No one else’s will be the same, even if it’s at the same venue. We call hotel weddings “wedding by numbers” because you know that your wedding this week will look like the one next week and the one after that – the same every time just like painting by numbers.
Can I DIY my flowers and table décor?
You sure can! I have to be honest – as a wedding florist I would much rather you asked me to do your flowers and table décor. It’s what I love doing and I regard it as a privilege to be involved in a bride’s day. That said, there are plenty of stories around of brides and their mums who have done their own flowers. Supermarket flowers, or artificial flowers from places like Dunelm are all readily available and affordable for anyone who has a flare for arranging flowers. Keep it simple and the effect can be lovely. Pinterest is definitely your go-to place for ideas and inspiration. (I have several boards that are theme based to help you – check them out.)
The critical question is do you have the time to do it? I spend several days creating bouquets, buttonholes and corsages. Add in table garlands and table centres and you’re looking at many hours over two or three weeks. Florists who work with fresh flowers have even more concentrated time in the 24 hours before the wedding and on the day itself. Flowers surround the couple with beauty and my personal view is that they should be done professionally.
Yes, but what about our venue décor?
Now this is definitely something you can do yourself. Kim says: ‘Dressing the venue yourself – seeing your vision for your wedding made real is the most amazing feeling. I had it 27 years ago and so I know that my DIY couples are going to feel the same. We let our couples in a few days in advance to set up the barn. It means there is no rush. If something goes wrong so what! We have time to sort it. I tell my couples to use Facebook groups and pick up pre-loved wedding items. There is a huge number of them and they have been used once so it’s a waste to throw them out. There are lots of local wedding groups and real bargains can be picked up here.
DIY weddings make you decide what’s really important to you. If it’s having a choice of 20 hand-made gins then that’s great. If it’s a massive sweetie cart, no worries. It’s not just about how the day will look … it’s about the planning and Pinterest, and the buying little bits and bobs, and the table decoration ideas that don’t work first time but do in the end. It’s about involving family and friends. Not just giving them an invite to “the chicken or the fish”
What about invitations and all the other bits of wedding stationery?
Definitely do-able. I made my daughter’s wedding invitations, menus and orders of service using linen faced heavy paper, Publisher and my daughter’s laserjet printer. It’s worth having a look at DIY design sites to compare prices. Some suggestions are picmonkey.com, vistaprint.co.uk and bananaprint.co.uk. (I use bananaprint for my business cards and leaflets and find the printing quality is excellent) They all offer free templates you can use, or you can design your own. Time again is a factor (getting it right with my daughter’s printer was a fiddle as Publisher is a bit clunky at times) – but I can vouch for the deep pleasure in creating something unique and personal for your special day.
We can’t afford a photographer
Kim says: ‘Other people’s photos are your friends!!! Look at as many Facebook groups and websites as you can to pick up tips on what you want to have at your wedding. There is always someone on the internet who will show you how to make it.’ Smartphones have superb cameras and those happy informal shots are fantastic memories to keep. If you really want a couple of classic professionally posed photos, that might be the point to ask a photographer for a limited shoot that won’t break the bank.
I’m getting stressed with the number of children we have to cater for
Kim points out: More and more weddings feature bigger extended families. The couples themselves probably have children; they might be having a second marriage so there could be a whole second family as well. They don’t want to be stuck with “the chicken or the fish” type menus and they don’t want something different that costs anything from £60+ a head. For that money you can have a 3 day banquet of food that guests will actually eat. One of our couples wanted an afternoon tea. They got all of their friends to bake and bring something – either savoury or cake – they didn’t specify what, it could just be that friend’s signature dish as it were. ‘
I’ve heard of couples having a buffet style meal with a hog roast. A country setting with lots of ground for kids to run around in takes the pressure off you – and they are, after all, the responsibility of their parents.
What are the disadvantages of a DIY wedding?
Time management is key. Allow yourself a year’s planning and making time! Hitched.co.uk makes this point: DIY weddings can be absolutely wonderful but it’s so important that you’re able to relax and enjoy your big day. Don’t underestimate how long wedding tasks take. I think making something for your wedding is wonderful but I would avoid making everything for your wedding. You need to allocate time to research what you are making, time to buy the items, making the items, and assembling on the day. Before you think about DIY-ing your wedding, consider your time and your talents.
The final word is from Kim
A DIY wedding does take imagination – working out how you want things to look and what you want your day to be about. But with the internet you can find masses of help with this. It means you might need some storage space because once you start the DIY you can’t stop! As a venue owner DIY is just so exciting. You have no idea when you open that barn door what the room is going to look like – red with spiders, pink everywhere (literally everywhere) or a country cottage feel. I absolutely love it.
Planning your DIY wedding should be busy, creative… and above all fun! Enjoy it together!
Have you signed up for emails with me? As a VIP, you will be the first to know about new blogs, new products, special VIP discounts ….. and don’t forget: just ask if you get stuck with anything!
Recent Comments