Not to toot my own horn (toot!), but I’m crafty, and as a scenic designer, its kinda my job. It makes up for all the other crap in life I suck at (math, taxes, social situations). Usually I see something or eat something (love to cook!) and I think, “I can make/do that!” and with a little research and trial, I typically can. So you bet I planned on taking full advantage of this skill set when the Hubs and I started wedding planning.
See I wanted an Intimate Grand affair, excuse the oxymoron, but I didn’t see any reason to pay through the nose, especially on the items I could execute myself at a much reduced cost.
Now I understand this isn’t every one’s bag, I mean I totally outsourced the things I can’t/ was unwilling to do and think that’s typically the best option for any bride, again its all about realism, what one can and is willing to do in the given time, budget and space. That’s my number one design rule in fact, design for the time, budget and space. So get real with yourself and if you won’t like the result of an item if you do it, research, haggle and outsource. Did I mention the haggling? I did a lot of that, especially with my caterer, it never hurts to ask!
I Can Do Myself/ Don’t See The Point In Spending Money On;
- Invitations. I designed my whole suite in Photoshop, from Save The Dates (email; very green, very fast), to Website (free, The Knot), to the Invites themselves including cards with hotel information, directions and RSVPs. I also did wedding announcements for parent’s friends and extended family who wasn’t invited. The design was modern and pretty but not too feminine and congruous from beginning to end. I bought enclosures/envelopes on sale at Paper Source, purchased a ream of green (environmentally speaking not color), recycled paper at a local paper supply (cheaper than a store), bought on sale stamps for decoration at JoAnns and cheep ribbon. I printed them all up, including the address labels (another fault, horrendous handwriting) on my Epson printer, a little time and assembly and Ta Da! almost 300 dollars cheaper than if I’d ordered a suite.
- Decor. I got yards and yards (seriously, 24 yards) of this amazing raw silk/synthetic combo ON SERIOUS SALE at a local fabric store and made table runners for my family style table design (two long banquettes, we only had about 50 people)(fabric will be re-purposed, see future curtains, table runners, dust ruffles, Halloween costumes, etc). I also bought super cheep glassware of various sizes and shapes at Christmas Tree Shops, it didn’t matter to me if it matched just as long it at went and was lots of it, along with really inexpensive white unscented candles to place in the glassware (anyone need any hurricane vases?). The husband and I have been collecting black and white smooth beach rocks since our third date so we used those in the glassware to stabilize the candles, it looked fab. I wanted a scattered lovely candlelit dinner scene. To top it off I had a few bud vases scattered about with a single pink (my color!) flower, since you know I refused to get a florist.
- Decor Part II. Along with all of that I made the gorgeous huge paper chandeliers with the white round paper lanterns, regular and eyelet lace, all in various sizes. These chandeliers also had rounds of silver paper dangling. They were very charming and neat and made the already lovely decor of our location really “Us”.
- Cake. Yup, made it myself. Husband and I not being huge cake fans, correction he doesnt love cake and I dont love icing, so we made a tiny bundt cake topped with flowers and powdered sugar on a glass teired desert plate with pink velvet cupcakes on the lower tiers (made those too! cream cheese frosting!).
- Guestbook. We wanted something to have and to hold, pun intended, so after our fab photographer mentioned this sight called blurg.com, a place to make and create your own books of any kind, I downloaded it and use it to create a picture guestbook with our awesome photos from our engagement session. It was easy and inexpensive and so personal, everyone got to see a selection of our pictures and we get to keep it forever, almost like a more grownup version of a high school yearbook.
- Favors. I made Mexican chocolate (dark chocolate with cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne) truffles for every place setting. Two per person in a lovely plastic packet with and stamped “thank you” tag. It was cute and comparatively inexpensive, plus people see truffles and think that its so fancy!
- DJ. Didn’t have one. Husband and I made an awesome playlist for each section of the ceremony/party and bought an awesome at home ipod stereo system that I’ve been wanting anyway and my KICK ASS younger sister ran the whole thing all night with much success.
- Hair, Make-up. From the curling down to the false eyelash tips, I did it myself. I used to teach make-up classes and my hair is less than cooperative so I saw no reason to pay someone else to do it. I think I looked great and so did everyone else, my photographer could not stop raving about my eyelashes!
- Bouquet. Made it. Found an YouTube instructional video on how to do it, practiced and bought my flowers whole sale. I wanted dahlias, but they weren’t in season so if I couldn’t have the flower I wanted I only cared about color, I honestly don’t remember what flowers I had. I think a combo of roses and mums, all I know is that they were perfectly fuschia! And since I’m not a flower decor girl and didn’t have brides maids, my bouquet was the only “flower” thing I had to worry about. I made it the day before and kept it in my fridge.
- Accessories. NONE where bought. I either already owned them (my perfectly fuchsia patten leather peep toe pumps, my lacy blue panties), or borrowed them (my mom’s pearls and veil). And my afore mentioned kick ass sister made me a flower out of chenille and my great grandmother’s antique lace to wear in my hair during the reception.
And those DIY’s are just the things I can remember!
