Wedding DIY & Inspo
There are few things we love more than brilliantly crafted and meticulously curated DIY weddings! Junebug couples continue to find new, creative, and seriously impressive ways to personalize their big days, which is why we decided to do a round-up of some of our all-time favourite DIY weddings.
We were on holiday in Costa Rica. He had set up with the hotel that we won a romantic meal for two on the beach, so I didn’t suspect! It ended up raining, so they moved in into a wine cellar in one of the restaurants. He had chosen my favourite food, and I thought it was strange how the hotel had known! Little did I know he was about to propose Cosmopolitan events has proven itself to be an iconic wedding venue and function centre in Melbourne. Book today so you don’t miss out.
It’s wedding season, and you know what that means – lots of planning and not enough time! We rounded up some of our most favourite DIY marriage blogs with a few snaps to capture their romantic ambiance. These bloggers know their stuff when it comes to planning a wedding, from romantic getaways to beautiful DIY decor.
However, wedding planning can be stressful for a new couple to take on alone. Finding a cheaper venue, hiring bartenders and servers, and other vital details are easy to overlook without the help of an experienced professional.
Below you’ll find collages of the details the couple (or their friends and family) made, as well as explanations of what they did and how they did it. If you’re feeling particularly inspired or just want to learn a new crafty skill, we also included video tutorials to help you recreate some of the projects.
Choosing Your Wedding Gown
It was the last dress I tried on at The Bridal Collection in Harrogate – it was the first time I had ever tried on dresses, and I knew I wasn’t going to be one of those people who went from shop to shop!
You won’t be disappointed by memories that these bloggers have been able to capture. Check out all of their beautiful posts and make sure to come back for more. Enjoy!
One of the most challenging aspects of wedding planning is the reception. Due to growing wedding costs, more couples are opting for outdoor, low-key dinners to relieve some of the financial burdens that weddings create.
Angela and Colin’s DIY wedding was a bohemian-inspired dream come true! The bride created macrame and tapestry hangings, freeform bouquets and centrepieces, hand-painted signs, a gift teepee, and a copper “taco bout a party” board to display their llama keychain favours.
When I first put it on a wasn’t 100%, but my bridesmaid said, why don’t I try a belt and it completely changed the dress, and I loved it! I felt so comfortable which is something I wanted to make sure of, and I felt amazing in it
The ruffled blog features a section entirely dedicated to making DIY wedding gifts, favours, napkins and centrepieces. We just adore their aesthetic. Ruffled also features separate articles for vendor ideas, recycled wedding decorations, and flower guides. Give them a peek and see if it’s what you’re looking for! We’re sure you will find something you’ll fall in love with.
Although this is a great option, without budget know-how and forward-thinking, the happy couple’s outdoor, low-key reception can easily reach or even surpass the cost of an expensive venue, specifically when it comes to food and beverage.
As if that wasn’t enough, she even learned the shibori fabric dying technique to create custom indigo napkins for each guest! If you’re interested in the shibori dying technique, check out the video below. Then, don’t forget to check out the rest of Angela and Colin’s wedding right here!
Wedding Styles
We didn’t want to make it too formal. We wanted everyone to feel as relaxed as possible, so we kept things quite simple but with a touch of elegance. I didn’t want it to become to country themed with it being in a barn, so made sure the flowers and the decoration didn’t fall into that and brought out a little bit of glamour!
Choosing the location and venue
It was the first and only venue we looked at. I loved that we could all stay at the place and has access to the whole site for two days and the fabulous courtyard! This made the wedding as all our friends and family could enjoy the run-up and be together to celebrate with us for as long as possible!
Her elegance and style just take the cake (pun intended). We especially love her section of DIY wedding decor and wedding cakes. She does everything so entirely! It will put you in the mood to be wed, we promise.
Check out this fabulous floral bouquet from her latest and greatest selection of handmade gifts and decor:
The trouble is that sorting through the thousands of blogs and websites out there to find legitimate, sound advice can be challenging for a newly engaged couple. That is why I have created a list of the best five blogs and websites to follow when planning a wedding feast!
Each guest received a napkin hand-dyed shibori, and I bought muslin fabric to get that in-depth blue indigo look. I made all my macrame and tapestry hangings; some were made out of the macrame cord, the biggest one I made, was made out of piping cord, a thicker cotton rope. I mainly just searched basics on Pinterest and made my designs based on what I learned.
The day ended up being warm, so our singer and string quartet ended up been outside in the courtyard, and it was terrific. We are both very laid back, so as soon as we went to look, we knew it was the one, so went for it!
Personalizing Your Wedding Ceremony
Can you describe what type of ceremony you had and how you were able to personalize it?
- Any readings? Yes, we had both our sisters do a reading each.
- Vows – did you write your vows, if so, would you be willing to share them in the feature. If you didn’t write your vows, can you share what you said or were asked by your officiant? We didn’t write our own we stuck to the standard ceremony
One of my favourite wedding pages to browse is her vintage wedding section. Most recently, she did a post on a rustic french wedding in the South of France. Swoon. Her taste and photography make the experience all the more beautiful while perusing her site. Take a peek and hang around, baby.
Are you looking for a caterer or bartender for your event? The Knot has a Venues and Receptions section on their website that allows users to narrow down their search by price, specialty, and location. The database even includes customer reviews so that users know what to expect.
How did you choose your table décor?
We decide to go for half the tables decorated with an arrangement of candles which we did ourselves and the other half with big floral centrepieces that were high and had floating candles to tie in with the other tables.
Wedding Signage
Most of my signage was handmade, as well. I bought plexiglass and collected mirrors around my room, and did calligraphy on all of them. This was just something I learned through friends, Pinterest, practice. Our guests take home gifts were tiny llama keychains that were a little representation of my husband and me.
- Where any of your guests involved in the ceremony in any way? No, but my flower girl (my niece) decided halfway through that she wanted to come up and hold my hand, so we had a little guest stand with us for a part, which was very cute!
- How did you enter your wedding ceremony? (Accompanied? Together? Solo?)
- I walked down the aisle with my dad
Any DIY décor elements?
We decorated part of the ceremony room ourselves. There was a large opening which we wanted to fill, so thought what’s better than flowers. My mum loves flowers so we ordered from a wholesaler and got some vases and it looked amazing! We also did half the table decorations ourselves which were simple but effective
Check out some of her place card/ seat holders. These rustic birds are such a good idea! All you need is a little clay and some time, and you can make a ton of these for a few dollars! Saying “I do” at Cosmopolitan events is an elegant and luxurious affair.
Wedding planning doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Creating inspired wedding centrepieces and a menu that will leave guests drooling is entirely possible for any couple. With the aid of these websites and blogs, guests will wonder which top-notch chef catered for your memorable and delicious event!
Our Top Picks for Wedding Decor DIY
Style Me Pretty
Have you marvelled at the wonders of Style Me Pretty’s wedding and bridals section? If you’re a hopeless romantic and you’ve dreamed of your wedding day since you were a little girl, then you’ll love this blog.
Thankfully, some professionals have not only seen it all when it comes to self-planned weddings but also offer their advice for free so that couples can plan like the experts.
Shibori was something I was wanted to explore with for some time; I wanted our vibe to be simple but also bohemian. Shibori was a staple look that I could work with whether I wanted to make it classy or rustic, once I knew I could play around with look in whatever circumstance I was sure this was the best choice.
Once Wed
Once Wed is one of the best wedding blogs for ideas on recipes, used wedding gowns, hair + makeup and more. Her navigation on her website allows you to search by the type of wedding you’re trying to create, whether it’s rustic or vintage – you’ll find what you’re looking for.
The Knot
I believe The Knot is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to wedding planning. With endless planning tips, real-life wedding inspiration, a vast database of vendors, and much more, The Knot truly is a one-stop-shop for wedding planning.
I did all my florals for my wedding day, including installations, centrepieces, but of course, I had a few helping hands, but I created all the bridesmaids’ bouquets, along with my own. I studied scents and colour themes and then created what aromas I liked.
A Practical Wedding
A practical wedding is a DIY wedding website where you can check out all of these fantastic ideas and design on a dime. This website is a godsend for the thrifty shopper. You don’t have to be crafty to fashion these brilliant ideas. All you need are a few simple crafting tools and voila! Her DIY crafts section is probably one of the most creative and inspiring DIY endeavours we’ve seen yet!
The name pretty much says it all. If it is practicality that you seek, then look no further. A Practical Wedding is a blog that offers sound advice, DIY projects, a vendor guide, and several other juicy tips for wedding planning on the inexpensive side.
I built a hanging board for them, just painted it metallic copper, and nailed in some push pins, and wrote in calligraphy. Lastly, I made the gift teepee, I had lace fabric, and four poles of wood that I propped up with rope, there were plenty of tutorials to build an intricate teepee, I settled for a more straightforward setup.
What made you choose the type of ceremony that you had? We wanted it to be short and straightforward. It’s much pressure to stand in front of everyone saying your vows, so we wanted to make sure we both felt as relaxed as possible, but not putting too much pressure on ourselves
Check out these fantastic feather centrepieces. They do not look very time consuming and can probably be made in a few hours.
They even offer free printable tools, such as budgeting spreadsheets and checklists, for couples who are planning the event on their own. To top it off, this blog has added several articles on alternative wedding planning and rehearsal dinners that include options like backyard dinners, barbecues, and potlucks.
The cozy and industrial vibes in Meghan and Kash’s downtown Seattle wedding were taken to a whole new level with all the DIY projects they completed! To keep the integrity of the iconic red-brick venue, the couple kept their palette clean with whites/creams, greys, greens, and subtle pops of mixed metallics and relied on candlelight to set a romantic mood.
Do please share any other thoughts or feelings that you have about your ceremony, which might help inspire others. We had a fantastic string quartet who were playing at the service.
Her website is also fantastic and takes the number one spot for excellent food + drink section.
The Budget Savvy Bride
The Budget Savvy Bride is an excellent place for any couple working on DIY wedding projects. This blog offers free printable tools, wedding resources, planning tools, DIY projects, and even has an area on their website devoted to weddings by budget.
They DIY-ed nearly every detail, from the centrepieces to the signage to the Irish Blessing guestbook, and the overall look was as charming as could be. If you’re interested in learning how to make floral centrepieces like the ones Meghan and Kash created, we found an expert to teach you how below. And, if you can’t get enough of their beautiful wedding, you can see the rest of their special day here!
Describe the cake (including the flavours) and cake topper.
We had cupcakes and then just a small cake at the top! Rich’s mum made the little cake. They love fruit cake, and this was a nice touch for her to be involved with the making of the cake! A family friend made the cupcakes.
She also has an entire section on DIY beauty. Woo! We love it. We can’t wait to see more posts by this lovely blogger and feature her in our upcoming bridal posts. Thanks for a little inspiration
This area of the website is fantastic for couples looking for inspiration and wedding tips from real-life weddings that followed a specific budget. Simply select the desired budget and read how real couples pulled off their weddings under the same restrictions!
Around 90% of our wedding was DIY. The mother of the bride created a portion of the floral displays using fake flowers for different decorative arrangements. The signage, programs, favours, blessing stones (guest book), and dessert bar were all DIY.
I didn’t want a huge cake that no one would eat, so I went for cupcakes, and I didn’t even manage to get one as they all got eaten that quick! We had white chocolate and lemon flavour with a few different icing designs. It was effective and looked terrific!
The Broke-Ass Bride
The Broke-Ass Bride is a blog devoted to wedding planning on a budget. What makes this blog a favourite is a fact that they promote the idea of brides taking the budget they have and using their creativity to make the most of it.
Small details went a long way. The best part about short information is they can be very inexpensive. So, our advice is to pay attention to the little things. Alone they may seem insignificant, but added up; they genuinely contribute to the whole atmosphere.
What flowers did you use in the bouquet and at the venue?
We opted for an all-white colour theme with touches of blush and ivory for contrast and to tie in with my dress and the bridesmaids. My bouquet was white roses, peonies and blush-coloured stocks with some little eucalyptus. We had two amazing floral columns at the ceremony made from white lisianthus, big white roses, white peonies, green bell and white hydrangea.
We discovered 100 layer cake while looking around at different wedding blogs. What sets this one apart from the next? It has a lovely colour stories section. You can simply choose a colour theme for your wedding, and you will be transported to a world in living colour. Good luck and have tons of fun on this site full of adventure. Check out Cosmopolitan events Wedding Venue for your ultimate wedding reception.
This website is an inspiration to brides everywhere who have always dreamt of that A-list wedding but cannot afford the hefty price tag. The Broke-Ass Bride offers advice, alternative wedding planning options, and even a book, called The Broke-Ass Bride’s Wedding Guide, which includes all of the above and delicious wedding recipes for any DIY couple!
Since our wedding was in January, we wanted a cozy, intimate vibe. We accomplished that by pairing candles and whites/creams with the raw brick. The flowers, lace, and calligraphy added a romantic feel. It was simple and worked well together.
Intimate Weddings
Intimate Weddings is an adorable website that allows you to choose from several DIY projects for weddings, from decor to food + drink. Her ideas are super affordable and very easy to make.
The Daily Meal
Looking for a nerdy wedding cake? How about a DIY centrepiece option? The Daily Meal is the holy grail of DIY wedding food and beverage. With clear DIY and assembly instructions and even video tutorials, Pinterest fails will become a thing of the past.
When the bride and groom own a home goods store and are committed to making every detail of their wedding, you know it’s going to be magical! Emily and Alex’s Kansas City wedding took place at an upscale bistro, which matched the couple’s modern aesthetic perfectly.
What was the menu for the reception?
We had a free BBQ type menu. We didn’t have starters, and we increased the number of canapés. For main, we had the taste surf & grand turf skewer, which included smoked rib-eye steak, Giant Szechuan king prawns and Butter grilled chicken with Chunky hand-cut chips, Classic Caesar salad and garlic and tomato herb bread. For dessert, we had sticky toffee pudding and a cheeseboard.
Mason Jars and a little glue and you can make a ton of her awesome projects. Her website makes us wish we had tons of hands! DIY Projects will be featuring her how-to’s in many more upcoming posts. Kudos for making such lovely craft tutorials.
There are even articles available for vegetarian wedding menu ideas in the event of any non-carnivorous guests! Plan that wedding menu ahead of schedule with fabulous recipes and fun food-related projects.
They created wood planters, gold geometric table accents, wood signs, and upcycled candle holders. To round out their DIY decor, they also tasked two of their business-owning friends to create the floral arrangements and the most stunning fabric banner we’ve ever seen! Trust us. You’ll want to pin every detail of this crafty wedding, and maybe even learn to make a fabric banner of your own with the tutorial below!