Do It Yourself or Not?

There is no rule of etiquette nor social dictate that says a bride must purchase items made by “professionals” for use in her wedding. Everything can be home made if she likes! One of the main reasons our wedding cost so little is that we made so many things ourselves. This included the save the date cards, the invitations, the wedding veil, the bridesmaids’ dresses, the table decorations, the bridal bouquet, the boutonnieres and corsages, a photo board, and all the food.

Are you ready?

Now, we understand completely if a bride doesn’t want to make anything for her wedding. There’s already plenty to do leading up to The Day as it is and we can appreciate the need to minimize chores! Providing the bride has the money and finds exactly what she wants, there’s no reason not to buy everything! But for the bride who wants to save money or would like to make some or all of what she wants for her wedding my word of encouragement is do it!

Now before you dive into creating unique and special things for your wedding, ask yourself these important questions:

• Do I have the time to make the item in addition to everything else that I need to do? This is the most important consideration for the do-it-yourself bride. Be realistic about construction time including the time it will take to un-do and fix any mistakes you might make. You may need time to learn “how” to do certain things. Which brings us to the next question…

• Do I have the knowledge and skill to make the item? Be clear about exactly what needs to be done and honest about whether you can do it. If you don’t know how to make something, don’t give up! We spent a lot of time at our local library before we jumped into certain projects. In some cases, after doing a little research, we understood that we simply could not do what we wanted. We then decided whether to purchase the item or do without.

• Do I have the necessary tools to make the item or will I need to purchase special tools or materials? Which leads to our next question…

• Is it really less expensive to make the item rather than buy it ready made? Make a tools and materials list complete with costs. If it’s not less expensive to make something then my advice is to buy it.

I’m a great list-maker. Lists help me organize my thoughts and take the first steps toward accomplishing a goal. After I made the spreadsheet of expenses, I made a list of all the things I hoped to make for the wedding. Meanwhile, my daughter made a list of all the things she hoped to do and pinned it to her bedroom wall. These lists helped us stay on track.

The Big List

Suggestion: Make a list of every task you must do in the months leading up to the wedding such as sending out invitations, dress fittings, and ordering the cake. Include the time you spend at work and don’t forget that you need time to eat and sleep too. Next, add the tasks you’d like to do such as making certain items. Now, tally up the time it will take to do them all. Looking at the list, be very honest with yourself -- do you have the time?

More on this tomorrow…