A do-it-yourself (DIY) project can be a custom, cost-effective approach to dressing your event space. But, do the pros truly outweigh the cons?

A DIY approach to wedding decor is common— but not well understood. Access to endless social posts, articles, and tutorials portrays DIY projects as cheaper than they are. As wedding planners, we often hear this age-old question, “Should I DIY my wedding decor?”

We don’t think it’s a matter of if you “should” or “shouldn’t”. It’s a matter of what makes sense to DIY for your wedding day. Our rule of thumb is this— keep it simple, don’t overcomplicate it! You should commit to projects contributing to your wedding day without taking you or your loved ones away from the celebration.

We’re about to give you a great set of criteria to follow when deciding if the extra obligation of a DIY project is worth it.

Are You Planning on Hiring a Professional Wedding Planner?

Hiring a credible wedding planner can make or break your wedding day experience when DIYs are in the mix. There are a few reasons for this:

1. Your wedding planner doubles as a myth-buster. It’s scary to think how many misconceptions exist about wedding planning— a wedding planner protects you by giving truthful, personalized answers to your questions.
2. Certain DIY projects sound great on paper but have caveats in reality. A wedding planner knows what projects fulfill their purpose best. Between vendor knowledge and hands-on experience with DIY wedding decor, wedding planners know where a project stops saving you and starts costing you.
3. A wedding planner is your second brain on your wedding day. We handle all logistics, leaving you with more time to savor and memories to create.

This day comes once in a lifetime. We want you to love every moment. Your wedding day is not the day for you or your loved ones to be the point of contact for logistics. Consider hiring a wedding planner before determining DIY details to simplify the process.

Are You Travelling?

Extra items you’re accountable for will complicate travel plans. Keeping projects simple and featuring them in moderation is key for transport. If your DIY wedding decor would require multiple car loads between its home and your venue, it’s too complex to be efficient.

No one walks away from their wedding day with less stuff than they came with. Believe it or not, you could leave your wedding venue with 25% more things. Buying products to resell or return can be expensive, especially since it leaves you with more obligations after your wedding day for a return that’s not guaranteed. With this, make sure to only contribute items that will continue to be meaningful to you, before and after the wedding.

What Are You Really Saving?

If you’re considering DIY-ing a project a vendor could handle, always reach out to the vendor to ask questions, get clarity, and receive quotes. If you’re unsure of who to reach out to, ask your vendor team for recommendations! After meeting with them, sit down and weigh out the pros and cons between the two. Ask yourself questions like…

• What would it cost me if I opted for a vendor’s help? What would it cost me if I did it myself? Think of all the resources you’d have to provide (time, energy, financial cost, etc.).
• What’s the difference in value between the two? Consider the logistics included in the vendor’s service, along with the quality and durability differences.
• Would this project have the potential of taking me or my loved ones away from the celebration?

We see this often when couples consider florists. Many are attracted to the lower cost of taking the task on themselves. But, the value of a florist outweighs the value of DIY florals. Florists have the tools, equipment, knowledge, and resources to do the task right— with durability and efficiency.

A Final Note

You may not see the money go out with DIY projects, but you’ll see those memories leave if you don’t plan accordingly. Does losing time and memories with loved ones justify the financial costs saved? Would you consider the DIY project as “money well spent”?

We want your wedding day to be the best day of your life. To us, this looks like you and your partner, madly in love and living in the moment— enjoying your people while celebrating your love story.

DIY wedding decor can be a beautiful way to personalize your space, but understand what you’re signing up for before committing to the task. Your wedding day is not the day for experimentation. When in doubt, it’s always best to entrust your vision with vendors so you can truly savor the day and experience that “wow” with the results!