DIY wedding ideas to save you money on your big day
Add a personal touch to your wedding whilst saving some money with these DIY wedding ideas.
Image: Unsplash, Ben Rosett
Between the dress, renting a venue, dressing it up, sorting out catering and a million other things that come with the big day, weddings are expensive. However, people are now spending less on their weddings than before and looking for any way to cut back on the costs.
This includes turning to DIY methods for things like centrepieces, table decorations and even food and drink. So, if you’re looking to get personal, and save some money while you’re at it, we’ve found some of the best DIY wedding ideas for your special day…
Centrepieces
Personalised wooden crates
These wooden crates are great for those wanting something simple but with a bit of character. Personalised crates can be fairly cheap to order but, to save even more, buy the crates plain and decorate them yourselves!
You can fill the bottom with putty and create your own arrangement with artificial flowers and any other décor if you have a particular wedding theme.
Rustic metal buckets
Similar to the crate idea above, a simple metal bucket is easy to get hold of and gives off rustic, country garden vibes. They can also be personalised with text and stickers to go with your theme.
Quirky succulents
Succulents have become increasingly popular over the past few years, so it’s no surprise this craze has spread to wedding décor as well.
Due to the high demand for these petit plants, you can now pick them up for cheap almost anywhere, and in a range of unique pots and holders. Grab a bunch in different shapes and sizes, as well as some candles and other trinkets, and create your own masterpiece in the centre of the table.
Seating plan
Succulent place cards
Speaking of succulents, why not use them as a way to help your guests find their seats? You can even personalise them by writing your wedding date on the pot – that way they double up as a wedding favour that people can take away with them and remember that special day for years to come.
Chair place cards
What better way to show your guests their seats than with a seat! All you would need for this neat bit of origami is some card and nice penmanship!
Keep it cheap and simple, these things end up on the floor most of the time anyway.
Seating plan with pictures of guests
Some people opt for a DIY seating plan instead of, or as well as, place cards. If you decide to go with this idea, make it fun by printing a picture of each of your guests, giving them a table number and placing them on a big board.
The pictures can be as formal or as funny as you like. We recommend finding the goofiest ones you can, to put a smile on everyone’s face as they look for their seat. Alternatively, for a more classic look, you could print pictures in black and white. Meanwhile the board can be anything you want! Black boards and canvases are great choices as you can doodle around the plan.
Table numbers
Fun facts
DIY table numbers don’t have to mean plain, boring signs. Make it exciting and personal with a little fun fact about you and your partner. This way it gets the table talking (which is good if people don’t really know each other) and encourages people to visit other tables and mingle to see what other facts they can find.
Old photos
Why not go one step further? Add a photo of you and your partner at different stages of your relationship and give a fact about that time in your lives. You can even find clever ways to link it to the table number itself, as seen above.
Themed objects
If you’ve got a wedding theme, then it’s always good to tie this in with the tables. Why not personalise an object, like with the boat in the nautical beach themed wedding above?
The great thing about this DIY wedding idea is you can use objects you have laying around the house, buy them for cheap online or even in charity shops!
Guest book
Small scrolls
Gone are the days of guest books in the sense of writing on a blank page of a boring ring binder. Now there are so many inventive ways of collecting messages from guests, like this unique frame idea.
This ‘guest book’ sees people write little messages on colourful pieces of paper and place them in a frame with chicken wire to create something you can hang up and revisit for years to come.
A work of art
Guest books are becoming more about having something that the couple can display, rather than hide away on a dusty bookshelf. With that in mind, why not get a canvas, or a plank of wood as shown above, and have guests sign it. This way it can be hung up at home and become a statement piece that you can style a room around.
Jenga blocks
Get playful with your guest book and have your friends and family sign Jenga blocks which you can use at your future game nights. Every time you pull out a block you can read a message and be reminded of that fun filled day.
Drink
Booze bath
A lot of people are turning to catering parts of their own wedding in order to save some money. This is particularly a good idea for those who want everyone to have a ‘merry’ time but can’t afford to have an open bar.
A little gesture like this ‘Booze Bath’ is perfect, as you can load a big tub (or a few large buckets) with ice and a selection of bottled drinks for guests to help themselves to. It’s a fun idea that not only looks cool but will be appreciated by your friends and family.
DIY cocktail bar
Making your own cocktails and serving them in a large glass drinks dispenser is another great alternative to an open bar. A fun twist on this is to make two cocktails; one representing the bride, and one the groom, using their favourite alcohol and garnishes.
You can also go one step further and make the bar itself! Whether you use a nicely decorated table, or even wooden pallets with a bar sign, it’s a great personal touch that won’t break the bank and can be a fun project for you and your partner.
Bar cart
Bar carts are another rising trend in the home and at weddings. You can use a cheap bar cart from online or even reuse an old, industrial trolley to serve your own cocktails or a bunch of spirits and mixers.
You can even put two trends together and create a gin cart with a selection of interesting types of gins and garnishes as shown above.
Food
Donut wall
Wedding days are long, and guests usually need a little pick me up throughout the day, or later on in the night once they’ve danced off that three course dinner.
Wow your guests with a donut wall that they will not be able to resist. This sweet treat is sure to go down well and it can even double up as a backdrop for fun wedding pics!
Ice cream bar
This is a great one for the kids and the adults alike because, well, who doesn’t love ice cream! An ice cream bar is especially great to whip out half way through the night when everyone is hot from busting out their moves on the dance floor and needs a cool down.
You can buy the toppings and ice cream cheap from super markets, but make sure your venue has a way of keeping it cool until you’re ready to bring it out.
Nacho bar
To balance out the sweet, it’s a good idea to have a savoury snack as well, like a Nacho bar! Simply pile up the tortilla crisps and lay out the salsa, guacamole, sour cream and cheese for the ultimate wedding fiesta feast!
Have you got any DIY wedding ideas to save money? Share them with us by tweeting us @goodhomesmag or posting a comment on our Facebook page.