Weddingbee Blog

*personal photo*

I was debriefing the wedding the other day with my Hottie of Honor. I told her that the wedding DIY-ness was far beyond me and what I could handle. I went on to say, what now sounds ridiculous, that I would even recommend to future brides to consider having a full-on coordinator. GASP! You remember all that stuff I had going on in my life?

Graduating, moving across the country, starting a new job, the wedding, the blogging, and feeling overwhelmed, I can’t believe that no one told me to just hire someone to take over. Double gasp. Is this not Weddingbee? It’s so crazy because when Mr Hot Wings and I initially sat down to discuss our top 5 must-haves or must-dos for our wedding, I specifically said I wanted it to be a big ol’ crafting project. Ask and you shall receive…and indeed, I received.

The truth is that I take great pride in being able to say that we (mostly I) DIYed a heckuva lot for this wedding. I take even greater pride in the fact that we saved a ton of money because of the DIYing. And I take the most pride in the fact that our family and friends lived my vision of our wedding day and it ended up being a really great memorable event that I envisioned and brought to life (with the help of many, of course).

There really are tons of pros and cons to doing stuff yourself. Only you, your partner, and DIY helpers can really decide if the work is worth it. All of our situations are unique. Here are some questions you should consider that I’ve seen on the Bridal Insider boards, and now modified by me.

• Do you generally enjoy being creative and crafty?
• Do you already own general crafting tools (e.g., paper cutter, glues, tapes, bone folder, hole punchers)?
• Will you use any of your new crafting tools again after this project?
• Do you own or have access to computer graphics programs?
• Do you know computer graphics programs well enough to design? Or can you learn relatively easily?
• Do you have a great printer or alternative way to print?
• Do you have the time to invest in a time consuming project?
• Do you do well under pressure?
• Do you restrain from getting frustrated?
• Do you have space for DIY assembly and storage?
• How clean do you keep the house?
• Can you and your partner be okay with a cluttered house from ongoing DIY projects?
• Do you have the time to devote to researching where to buy paper and tools online on the cheap?
• Do you tend to DIY in other non-wedding aspects of your life?
• Will you be okay with failure or will it hurt your ego too much?

These are important questions to consider. DIY projects can be costly if you don’t already own tools and supplies or know where/how to get supplies cheaply. They take up a lot of space, energy, and time. They hurt your ego and eat away at your sanity. Look at that first photo. Notice how all of our helpers are sitting on the floor crafting? That measly little coffee table definitely did not cut it.

At the end of the day, some things are worth it. Only you can decide for yourself.

I’ll leave you with two tips.

1. You’ve heard it around the hive before from the likes of Miss Glasses and Mrs Trail Mix: KISS. Freaking KISS already! That’s Keep-It-Simple-Stupid! Seriously now. The next time you sit down to design a DIY project, repeat after me, “KEEP.IT.SIMPLE.STUPID!”
2. It’s okay to buy some things. You don’t have to make everything yourself. No one will look down on you. If you need it, I’m giving you permission. Go ahead. Prioritize. Pick and choose. Give yourself a break.

One month past our wedding event, and it’s still pretty clear that I have not fully recovered from that final month of crafting madness and stressing over details. It was exhausting, but I’m pretty sure I don’t regret it. (wink) I don’t! I just want to make sure others are thoroughly warned.

What else did you consider before deciding if you would DIY or not?