Wedding Planning|Wedding Planning & Wedding Advice

The Do It Yourself Wedding Planning Guide

Unfortunately, most brides are not planning their wedding with an unlimited budget. To keep costs down, many elect to take on a Do-It-Yourself project or two.

If you want to do a project on your own but don’t know how to pick or where to start, these guidelines can help you out.

DIY Wedding Projects

Invitations
Do-It-Yourself invitations are a popular choice for a lot of DIY wedding couples. It may seem daunting when you first think about it but once you have some ideas about the look, the wording and what you want to include in your invitations, it’s not as complicated as you might think. Many crafts stores have wedding invitation sets you can purchase then print and assemble at home. Scrapbooking specialty stores are also a great place to get patterned paper, ribbons and decorating ideas.

Wedding Programs
Wedding programs give you a great opportunity to personalize your ceremony. Not only can you include the traditional break down of events but you can also choose to add short bios about each of the members of your bridal party.

There are a lot of websites that allow you to choose the format, font and look of your wedding program. All you need to do is fill in the information and print them off on your own computer. This saves you the hassle of having to trade emails and phone calls with a professional printer and you can make changes whenever you want.

Centerpieces
With DIY wedding centerpieces, you can do almost anything you want to personalize them. They are also one of the most important elements of your reception dinner and they will set the mood for the evening. Whether you want centerpieces that are formal and elegant or casual and stylish, the choices are endless.

Popular ideas for centerpieces include floating candles, tall vases filled with citrus fruits, tightly bound bouquets of flowers places in square glass containers or tall pillar candles in your wedding colors.

Wedding Favors
DIY wedding favors are a great way to give your guests something to take home at the end of the night. Favors are also something any bride can do and it’s very easy to personalize.

Favors like CDs with you and your fiancé’s favorite songs or pictures of the two of you from you childhood up to your wedding day are easy and inexpensive to make. You can also put together small bags filled with heart shaped cookies, candy hearts or order M&Ms online in your coordinating wedding colors.

Some brides choose to skip guest wedding favors and instead donate to a charity or cause on behalf of each guest. In place of the favor on the table, they leave a card telling them about the cause, who the donation was made to and the difference it will make.

No matter what wedding project you decide to do yourself you don’t have to be overwhelmed. Recruit your bridal party or family members to help you out by organizing and assembling décor with you. DIY wedding projects are a fun way to personalize your wedding even more, while saving money.

How to Choose a Wedding Theme

The theme you choose for your wedding will no doubt influence the rest of your wedding day options. Weddings themes can be as simple as a unique colour combination or as complex as a historic theme which includes guests and attendants dressing up in costumes and make-up.

A theme gives you the chance to make your wedding a night to remember for all of your guests, as well as create something unique to you and your partner as a couple.

What Are Some Wedding Theme Options?
First there are some questions you should ask yourself that will help you come to a final decision.

Will the wedding be formal or casual?
This sets the tone for the attire that will be worn by the guests and the bridal party, as well as possible catering and decoration options.

Outdoor or Indoor
When you choose to have a wedding outdoors, there are many things you need to plan for. Things such as location, shelter in case of bad weather and finding out about permits are all plans that would need to be arranged far before the wedding date.

Indoor weddings also have unique planning considerations. Time and noise restrictions and in-house catering rules all have to be thought about.

Colour Combinations
Choosing colors that carry on throughout the wedding is a simple way to create a ‘flow’ for your ceremony and reception. Coordinating decorations, floral arrangements, invitations, and the bridal party’s attire with complimenting colors, is a great and easy way to harmonize your wedding.

Seasonal Weddings
Choosing what season you get married also presents you with wedding theme possibilities.

Winter
Snowflake Theme
Christmas Theme
Valentine’s Day Theme
Blue, Silver, Black or White Colors

Spring
Themes centered on different flowers (Calla Lilies, Daffodils, Daisies)
Backyard Wedding
Garden Wedding
Pastel colors coordinated with Ivory

Summer
Ocean Theme
Seashell Theme
Hawaiian Theme
Beach Wedding
Royal Blue, Royal Purple or Coral Colors

Fall
Country Theme
Halloween Theme
Autumn Leaves Theme
Orange, Red, Brown or Burgundy Colors

Historic Themes
Taking your guests back in time is also a great way to make your wedding fun and unique.
Victorian Theme
Renaissance Theme
Medieval Theme
Retro/Rock ‘n’ Roll Theme
Vintage/1920’s Theme

Finding Inspiration for Your Theme
Sometimes deciding on a theme for your wedding can become especially difficult. Maybe the colors you like don’t go over so well with your fiancé’s taste or you just don’t know where to start. The best way to come to an agreement is to choose items that will personalize your wedding and reflect your tastes as a couple.

First, look at what you have in common. Maybe you both like a certain activity or hobby. Activities you enjoy doing together are great start-off points. For example, if you both like skiing, maybe you can hold your reception at a chalet or lodge. Choose to have the wedding in December or January and use cool colors like blue and silver. From there you can base your wedding day around a theme of ‘Winter Wonderland’.

Once you have a place to start from, choosing the theme for your big day won’t seem as daunting.