Simple DIY Block Print Napkins
DIY Dos and Don’ts
Thinking about DIY-ing your wedding?
Are you considering a few custom decor items or do you think you can replace a few wedding vendors.
Maybe you want to save a bit of money by taking on a few DIY projects. Or maybe you just want to something custom and unique for your wedding. Or maybe you simply think a nice handcrafted gift or detail is the highest expression of love and gratitude you have for your loved ones and wedding guests.
Whatever the reason, here are a few tips for evaluating your DIY projects and motivations to make sure any DIY project you take on is a wonderful (and not stressful) experience.
Do DIY if your project expresses something uniquely you.
I made my wedding cake. I am a baker at heart. When I was 12, I was making homemade custard-filled pastries. I have patience with the precise measuring and folding, and whisking, and monitoring that baking requires. Also, my grandmother was a baker, and my mother passed some of her cakes pans down to me for the wedding. Making my wedding cake was such a deep reflection of who I am and where I have come from. I cannot imagine ordering a cake. Now granted, the learning curve for wedding cakes was steep, and I practiced for months, but I would do it again in an instant
I’ve seen blog posts and comments by a growing number of brides attempting to DIY their wedding cake to save money. This is not good. You pretty much have to be a professional baker already or have a God-given calling to pull off DIY-ing a formal multi-tiered wedding cake.
Even if you’re thinking of going simple here and doing single layer Southern cakes, you will be in the kitchen at least three days leading up to your wedding. IS that really how you want to spend your time?
{If you are trying to cut costs, I suggest you do a cake or cupcake buffet. Many bakers cut their per-piece fees for these labor-saving options.}
Do DIY if you want to give your guests a uniquely you gift.
Again, my mom and I DIYed the Italian cookies that served as favors and went on each table for dessert with coffee. Italian cookies are a big tradition in my family and it made sense to bond with my mother over making these. I also come from a long line of crafty women, so doing simple DIY decorations came naturally to me. Which leads me to my next DIY Do…
Do DIY if you have a talent that lends itself particularly well to a DIY project.
If you are a graphic artist and you have the time and interest, by all means, design your own wedding invitations. While I am not a graphic designer, the Hindsight Groom is an artist and I know my way around Photoshop. We had a blast designing this part of our wedding together. Similarly, Hindsight Groom is a musician. We felt comfortable doing an iPod DJ. We had access to equipment, and our Day-of Coordinator MC-ed the event and babysat the iPod.
Don’t DIY if your sole reason is to save money.
This is a recipe for disaster, disappointment, and so much stress! The fact is, sometimes, DIY projects save nothing. In fact, I spent around $800 DIY-ing my wedding cake. Between buying new equipment and baking test cakes for months, the price mounted. If you are a DIY newbie, by the time you buy supplies and do your trials, you’ve saved little if any money, and only added stress and possibly heartache to your wedding planning endeavors.
Don’tDIY Because you feel like you should.
Just because wedding blogs, magazines, and Pinterest are full of DIY wedding projects, doesn;t mean you have to do them. You can be inspired without pressuring yourself to be the Martha Stewart of weddings. You want your family and friend to join you as you marry your true love