More and more couples are choosing the DIY route for their weddings. Some do it to save money, others want to be deeply involved in the planning and design, and some simply have a specific vision that they can achieve only by doing it themselves.
Before committing to DIY for your wedding, consider several important factors: why you’re choosing to DIY, how much money you might actually save (or lose), how much time the project requires, whether you realistically have that time, and if you have the skills or creativity required. For many, recognizing personal limits is crucial — I limited my own DIY efforts because I’m honest about not being very crafty.
When I attempt Pinterest-inspired projects, I often end up with “Pinterest fails,” so I knew many of the ideas I liked online would look poor if I tried to recreate them. That kept me from attempting too many things myself.
There are many wedding elements people commonly DIY: the dress, bridesmaid dresses, invitations, hairstyles, desserts, cake toppers, bouquets, and more. Below are a few specific areas to consider when deciding whether to DIY your wedding.
Outdoor Wedding on Private Property
Holding an outdoor wedding on private property isn’t a DIY in the classic sense, but it does mean you handle nearly everything. It can turn into a DIY wedding nightmare or become your perfect DIY dream. We took on responsibilities including renting tents, tables, chairs and linens; arranging dance floors; creating weather backup plans; maintaining the property; coordinating vendors and timelines; planning layout and setup; and arranging restroom facilities. There are many details to manage, and everything related to the wedding becomes your primary focus.
Because of the sheer amount of work, we hired a wedding coordinator to help. The planning stress was intensifying, and the coordinator helped ensure nothing important was overlooked. An outdoor, private-property wedding lets you tailor the event to your exact preferences—you choose the rental company, caterer, coordinator, music, and more. However, such weddings usually don’t save money, so choosing this path solely to cut costs isn’t always realistic.
I don’t regret our decision. Our wedding day was wonderful, and many guests still tell us it was the best wedding they’ve attended. That said, planning for our guest count was very stressful. Some people even questioned whether we were “too poor to have a real wedding,” which was frustrating and unfair.
DIY Wedding Invitations
We chose not to DIY our invitations. After comparing costs, time investment, and the outcome I wanted, it wasn’t worth it for us. I found an affordable option on PaperStyle that matched our style and budget. Including envelopes and stamped return addresses, our invitations cost about $160 total — roughly the same as making them ourselves to the standard I wanted. While many couples DIY invitations successfully, it didn’t make sense for our priorities and time constraints.
DIY Wedding Flowers
We did DIY our wedding flowers and saved significantly by ordering wholesale from FiftyFlowers. I don’t recall the exact total, but it was approximately $350 for well over 2,000 stems. We saved more by using discounts, ordering at opportune times, and — by chance — receiving a 50% refund after an address mix-up. The seller handled the error professionally and refunded half without hesitation.
The address error meant flowers arrived at my home instead of the venue, and someone drove 1.5 hours to ensure they were kept safe. To avoid similar issues, confirm the delivery address after booking. I researched many wholesale florists and chose FiftyFlowers because of their broad selection, color-coordinated bouquets, combo packs, and personalized guidance. A representative helped me pick blooms suited to my wedding colors and to withstand a hot, humid outdoor ceremony.
If you worry about keeping flowers alive, FiftyFlowers provides a straightforward care guide for the blooms once they arrive. Despite being a self-proclaimed plant killer, I managed just fine. Arranging the flowers was fun: my bridesmaids and I gathered the day before to assemble bouquets and centerpieces, and the experience was relaxing rather than stressful.
DIY Wedding Lighting
The rental company we worked with offered to hang lighting for a per-foot fee, which was common among local vendors. They charged roughly $0.75 per foot, and because we needed hundreds of feet of lighting, that added up quickly. We declined and handled lighting ourselves, a decision I don’t regret.
We hunted for discounted lights at Target after Christmas and bought Philips outdoor Christmas lights at about 75% off. Unfortunately, those failed after about an hour, which was disappointing after all the effort to install them. Fortunately we had backup lighting from the Paper Lantern Store that performed flawlessly — none of those lanterns went out.
Final Thoughts
Deciding what to DIY for your wedding means balancing cost savings, time, skill, and stress. Some projects—like flowers or lighting—can be cost-effective and rewarding if you prepare carefully and have the right support. Other tasks, like invitations or major venue logistics, may be more practical to outsource if the price and convenience align with your priorities. Consider your strengths honestly, budget the true costs (including time), and build a team or hire help when the workload or stakes are too high.
Did you DIY anything for your wedding? Why or why not?
When was the last time you DIYed anything? How much money did you save?