What’s not to love about weddings? It’s an opportunity for a happy couple to celebrate and share their love with those they care about most.
But let’s be honest for just a second. Weddings are fun, weddings are amazing, but weddings can also be stressful. There’s the planning of every little detail, there’s the cost (about $13,000 for a wedding reception in 2012) and there’s worrying about the guest list and who does or doesn’t get an invitation for the big day. It’s no wonder then that for as memorable and joyous as weddings are, they can also be a stressful endeavor for a happy couple.
So how do you go about taking the stress out of your wedding and reception? The answer is simple: do everything yourself. Don’t think you can? There’s literally millions of ideas and themes posted all over the Internet these days for you to pull off the perfect DIY wedding. This saves you from having to window shop for hours or feel pressured into buying a lot of expensive add-ons if you meet with a wedding planner.
These days, planning and pulling off a perfect DIY has never been easier and here are some tips to help you make it happen:
- Say no to catering: There’s no doubt caterers put out an absolutely delicious spread for weddings, but if you’re on a budget and looking for something different, enlist the help of family members to cook up some homemade food for the big day.
- Whittle down the guest list: As most couples know, putting together a guest list for weddings is a tricky thing. It’s easy to invite family and close friends, but after that it can become a battle of numbers, especially if you’re trying to keep it small. In 2014, the average number of guests at a wedding was 136. The best thing to do is make a list and whittle it down to who absolutely needs to be there.
- No gifts: You’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t like presents, but a good DIY option is to enlist the talents of your friends and family instead of asking for gifts. If you know cooks, photographers and designers, this is the perfect time to get their help. The same thing goes for gifts for the wedding party. Try something more personal like a card with a note.
- Shop around: If you’re going the DIY route for decorating, there are many craft stores that have sales all the time, so if you’re looking to go with a theme, you can easily stock up on everything you need. You can easily buy disposable items like disposable table skirts instead of renting linens and other items. Another good tip is to ask married couples you might know if they have anything left over from their wedding. They might be more than willing to sell or just give you tablecloths, table skirts, table skirt hangers, centerpieces and other things you may need.
- Keep things simple: When it comes time to decorate, the best thing to do is keep things simple. Pick a theme or a simple mix of colors and keep everything from the plates to the place cards to the napkins to the cutlery within that theme.
- Use the comforts of home: If you have a large home or big backyard, it can be the perfect spot for your wedding. An easy option is to get in touch with a tent and party rentals company and get a big tent to put in the backyard. A local tent and party rentals company can set up a tent for you and tear it down when you’re all done. With the help of a tent and party rentals company, you can easily transform your backyard into a beautiful wedding spot. Big event tents from a tent and party rentals company along with some tables, chairs, table skirts and decorations can make your backyard the perfect wedding spot.
Doing a DIY wedding keeps things simple and keeps the focus the happy couple. With a little bit of imagination and the help of friends and family, you can create the perfect wedding from scratch.
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