6 Major DIY Wedding Mistakes You Should Avoid

Before you start working on some crafty plans, you should be aware of DIY wedding mistakes that may come back to haunt you.

Look, DIY, or “do it yourself”, and weddings, go hand in hand. When done right, DIY means that you can save money. You may also be able to create meaningful items for your wedding. Weddings come with a personal vision from those doing all the planning. When engaged people are able to create their own décor and items, based on what they see in their heads, it can be very appealing to go the DIY route.

The thing is, there are many DIY wedding mistakes out there. Mistakes that you may not take into consideration before you start a project. It makes sense, too. Starting an inspired DIY project can be exciting. It’s easy to go out, gather supplies, and jump right in. However, before you do, let’s discuss what can go wrong.

6 Major DIY Wedding Mistakes You Should Avoid

This post is going to share with you six major DIY wedding mistakes you should avoid. The tips in this post can happen to anyone, even those who are very crafty. They are all about planning ahead, and watching out for risks so they don’t become issues. Because, let’s be honest here. When you’re planning a wedding, issues are never fun.

Let’s get into it!

1. PUTTING TOGETHER YOUR OWN DIY FLOWERS WITHOUT PROPER STORAGE

Are you considering making your own flowers for your wedding? If so, you can save a lot of money and still have gorgeous flowers. I even wrote about it in this recent post.

However, there is one crucial item you need to watch out for when it comes to DIY wedding flowers. The temperature in which you store your flowers.

I’ll walk this one through for you. You go out to a local wholesale market or flower shop a couple days before your wedding and buy some loose flowers. They are beautiful. Exactly what you want. You get the flowers home, and get to work. Maybe a friend helps you and it’s a whole big thing. You do you. The flowers become arrangements, and at the end of a long day everything looks great.

It’s now time to put those flowers away until the wedding. However, you find that they don’t fit properly in your fridge, or there’s a heat wave affecting your garage. Keeping your home super cool isn’t practical, and this is all starting to become stressful.

Long story short, make sure you know exactly where and how to store those flowers so they don’t wilt and cost you time and money right before your wedding.

2. BUYING THE WRONG MATERIALS FOR DIY SIGNAGE

This is one of those wedding planning mistakes that I have definitely made.

Buying the wrong materials when making a DIY sign is so frustrating. The wrong pens, paint, size, whatever it may be, can be rough. It means going back out to the store, and trying to find the right stuff. It means sunk costs. And, it means stress and frustration.

Here’s what you need to do, so you don’t waste time and money on the wrong materials. Do your research. Look at tutorials. Measure, measure, measure. Ask for advice. The bigger the project, the more important it is to your wedding, the more you need to plan it.

3. GETTING OVERZEALOUS WITH YOUR DIY ABILITIES

Are you a crafty person? Like, Martha Stewart crafty? Or, are you normal?

I would put myself in the “normal” category. Meaning that I’m not that crafty, but I can cut a strait line and give an opinion. If you are like me, don’t get too overly excited about DIY wedding projects. Be realistic. Just because something looks easy on Pinterest, doesn’t mean that it is. There are whole websites of Pinterest fails just to prove this point.

So, be realistic about what you can handle. What you’re willing to stretch your abilities to do. And, look at options that don’t make things too hard for you. For example, instead of free-handing seating cards, use printed labels or Canva to help. Or, outsource really complicated, high stakes projects, like your wedding ceremony arbor. Just be realistic, that’s all I’m saying.

4. NOT GIVING YOURSELF ENOUGH TIME FOR YOUR DIY PROJECTS

Have you ever had a tight deadline on an assignment? Maybe it was work related, or homework. Did you maybe not give yourself enough time to do it, and fell behind schedule?

Yeah, me too. And it felt horrible.

When we’re planning our weddings, lots of stress can occur. I’ve written all about wedding stress in this post. And, while, stress is okay, to an extent, it’s not fun to add more stress. Staying up late in the days leading up to your wedding, trying to complete a DIY project, will not be fun. This is the time that you should spend resting, getting mentally prepared, and with family and friends. Not tripping about the centerpieces not being completed.

It’s a huge DIY wedding mistake to not give yourself ample time to complete DIY projects. And, I mean ample. Months in some cases. Get it scheduled, get it done, and give yourself time to breath afterwards.

5. ASKING THE WRONG PEOPLE TO HELP WITH YOUR DIY WEDDING

Wedding planners, there are just some people we should not work with.

DIY wedding mistakes definitely include working with the wrong people. From those who don’t do well working in a team because they are flakey, easily frustrated, or poor communicators, to those who mean well but just aren’t that good at projects, be selective over who you ask to help you. You might think something will be a fun activity for you and your bestie (or your partner), and find out the hard way that you’re wrong.

Working with the wrong team members can ruin a project. Frustrations can happen, rework and delays are inevitable, and it’s not worth the extra help. Of course, if you have a tried and true helper who will add lots of value, work with them. Otherwise, be selective.

6. BEING YOUR OWN DAY OF COORDINATOR

Not all DIY wedding mistakes include crafts. This one is referring to being your own wedding vendor.

If you are planning on being your own day of coordinator, you should reconsider. A day of coordinator needs to coordinate with everyone. Direct vendors. Remind bridesmaids of the time. Usher guests and groomsmen into their spots. A day of coordinator is busy. And, it can be a stressful gig.

So, please don’t plan to be your own day of coordinator.

Now, you may be reminding yourself that you don’t have the budget for a professional day of coordinator, so you need to take care of business yourself. I’m here to remind you that you have options. Ask a friend or family member to help. Find out what services your venue provides. See if someone else, anyone else who is competent, can step into the role for you. Once you do, you’ll be able to enjoy your wedding a lot more.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

DIY wedding mistakes are inevitable if you’re not careful. Remember to plan out your DIY projects, and be realistic about how much time and skills you have. Carefully evaluate who you work with on projects, as not all help really helps. Remember when it comes to your actual wedding day you need to be selective about the roles you take on. As the person getting married, you’re busy enough. Be sure to use what resources you have so you can enjoy your wedding to the fullest. Happy wedding planning!