Should I Have a DIY Wedding?

Should I Have a DIY Wedding?

Back in 2011, my wife and I had a DIY wedding and honestly it could not have been more perfect. Our personalities and family support were key factors in the success of the day. We love to plan and celebrate parties and can put those plans into action. I am also the type of guy that likes to save money while figuring out things by myself. That said, there are times when a professional should be brought on board. Saving money is a good thing. However having to do everything on your own will need to be considered. Is doing more a good thing or not? Let’s consider, should you have a DIY wedding?

Pros of a DIY Wedding

If you are a planner and motivated, a DIY wedding can be so much fun! Fun from the research stage all the way to the end of the celebration. First, let’s look at the positive sides of having a DIY wedding.

If you plan carefully, consider what things are truly most important to you and accept the help of friends and family; you can save a lot of money.
You get to create your own theme and implement it through the joys of garage sales, borrowing and/or rentals.
DIY weddings are unique to the core, so your wedding could include anything – it could be a Bring Your Own Beef picnic or you could have a treasure hunt for teams of guests.
Your wedding could take place in a park or even your own backyard!
Almost, if not all wedding venues do not allow fireworks, but a backyard DIY wedding with adequate space and an insured professional can. I had fireworks at my wedding and it was one of the many highlights of the celebration. We even had a sparkler exit.

Cons of a DIY Wedding

If planning an event, even thanksgiving sounds like a daunting task, then a DIY wedding could be incredibly stressful or frustrating. Cut the stress and hire a professional planner because losing the joy of a wedding is not worth the potential savings

Saving money is not a given. You can easily go over budget with all of the things that were forgotten to estimate.
Planning a wedding takes enormous amounts of time and energy. A professional could take 20 minutes to do the same thing that could take you 10 hours and guess what, your time is valuable.
Having to search for each and every element of your wedding.
Who will be in charge of making sure the day happens according to plan? Are they up for the task?
You have to clean up after the wedding

Conclusion

A DIY wedding can be absolutely perfect but there are definitely some things to consider. A DIY wedding can take a lot of time, add stress and in the end it may not be quite the way you had hoped. Or, a DIY wedding could be the perfect activity to excite your creative side and celebrate with your family and friends!

Hiring as many professionals as needed is definitely a good step in lowering stress and enjoying your day but do your best to stay in budget by choosing professionals for the hardest parts of your wedding planning. Find savings where you can or even do a little bit of DIY so you can splurge on the things that matter most to you. When considering what matters most, consider what will last beyond the physical wedding day. Are the memories of an incredibly beautiful venue most important or the taste of the food, the flow of your wedding or the pictures? Or? Of course I believe that photos are the most important aspect of your wedding day because they are the record of the memories created on your day that will actually live past the physical wedding day.

I hope this journal has been helpful for you and wish you a wonderful wedding. If you are looking for a wedding photographer, I would love to be considered.

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