Weddings are a pricey affair. While you want your day to be incredible, there are many clever ways to save money while still keeping it fabulous. Here are nine money-savvy DIY wedding ideas for a memorable and exquisite occasion.
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1. Keep It Paperless
Save yourself a lot of money by creating an invitation online. There are many free websites that allow you to create your own save-the-date, invitation, and more! You can even use a free website service and host your own wedding site, complete with detailed information for all your guests.
2. Rethink Your Guest Book
Take an old picture frame and jazz it up with flowers, ribbons, or greenery. Guests can take a Polaroid of themselves holding the frame and stick it inside your guest book with a personal message. You can also come up with a wedding hashtag, so guests can upload their snaps straight to Instagram.
3. Get Creative With Centrepieces
The days of giant flower bouquets are gone. Now you can really get creative and do something that reflects you, your theme, and your relationship. Make your own mason jars filled with seasonal flowers for a simple and elegant addition to the floral arrangements on your table. Fill a small white birdcage with baby’s breath for a spring wedding. Pots of succulents, lanterns, votive candles, or plain greenery will all make your table special.
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Assorted vases and beautiful blooms will make a simple and chic centrepiece. Plus, they’re easy to collect. Just ask your friends to keep their old medicine and gin bottles aside for you.
4. Keep It Personal
A wedding is a great time to let people know how much they mean to you. All the people you love and care about will be in one room, celebrating your big day. Add personal finishing touches that don’t cost the earth, such as creating your own place names and adding a personalised message for each guest on the back. It will make the day even more memorable for your friends and family.
5. DIY Wedding Decor
Statement balloons and colourful paper lanterns hung all over the venue in your wedding colours is a quick (and affordable) way to create a wow-factor effect with less. Hanging florals are also a romantic addition and a simple DIY trick. All you need is wood for the frames, fish gut to hang them, and beautiful South African blooms to top it all off.
Need an arch under which to say your nuptials? Why not create a stunning balloon or floral garland adorned with flowers and greenery? It can even double as a pretty photo backdrop.
6. Get Fancy With Floral Favours
While some couples seem to blow the budget when it comes to wedding favours, you really don’t need to spend a lot of money to give your guests something special. Seed packets have become more popular lately, and all it takes is a pretty bag and a ribbon. Other DIY wedding ideas include jars of jam, potted succulents, and bags of sweets.
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7. Rethink The Cake
Wedding cakes are notoriously expensive. An easier and cheaper alternative to the traditional three-tier monstrosity is to buy or hire a few cake stands or doughnut walls to stack with delicious sweet treats. Style your dessert bar with pretty vintage jars and vases as sweet bowls, then add some silverware and chic sweet bags for guests to help themselves. Finish the look with a few cut flowers, fairy lights, or something else in your chosen theme.
8. Jazz Up The Seating Plan
A seating plan no longer needs to be a giant canvas with your guests’ names (although there’s nothing wrong with this, either). There are hundreds of DIY wedding ideas on Pinterest, including mirror table plans (great for a classic, elegant look), rustic window frames with pegs, and many others. I love this simple but effective idea below. All you need is old wine bottles and some fairy lights!
9. Enhance Ambience With Candles
Candles are an exceptionally easy way to create an atmosphere and give your space a warm glow. Plenty of candles in elegant holders will make a stunning centrepiece on each table if you don’t have the budget for large floral arrangements. Even better, LED candles and tea lights in candle holders will give you that warm, romantic glow without the mess afterwards.
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While these DIY wedding ideas let you add a really personal touch to your big day, there’s also no reason to create unnecessary stress for yourself and your partner. Embrace your own personal style and personality, and don’t concern yourself with what others have done. If in doubt, keep things as simple as possible so you can actually enjoy your day.
Compiled by Food and Home Editor, Claire Badenhorst
