Wedding DIY from Disaster to Divine

You’ve decided you’re going to create a little DIY magic for your wedding.

Fabulous…  DIY is a great way to infuse your personality into your event,  step outside the box, and of course, save some money.

To take your Wedding DIY from Disaster to Divine, follow my 5 simple rules:

1.  Costing Your Project BEFORE you begin…

Let’s be honest… most B2B undertake DIY elements of their wedding decorations and styling to save money.  Like it or not, weddings can be expensive, and the majority of couples do not have unlimited funds.

Wedding DIY can allow you to create your dream day and stay within your budget BUT and I stress this strongly!  You must cost your Wedding DIY projects properly to ensure you are in fact, saving money.

Time and time again, I hear (see) B2B spending countless hours of their precious time creating centrepieces, favours (you name it) only to find in the final wash-up, they have spent more money than the cost of outsourcing.  Just because you are spending money in dribs and drabs, does not negate that you are still spending money.

Figure out exactly what it is you are making.  Determine how many of the finished product you require – taking into account any extra’s you may need.  Go out and purchase everything you need to complete ONE (1) item.  Keep a detailed record of how much you spent.

Why only one I hear you say… The point of this step is to figure out how cost effective the project will be.  By only purchasing enough for one, you limit your exposure to wasting money if you decide not to proceed with the entire project.

Make the prototype and keep a record of how many of each component you needed to complete this prototype.  Were any of the pieces broken in the packets?  Did you break anything whilst making the prototype?

All of this info helps you to work out exactly how much each items costs to complete and what the total $$ to complete the project will be.  Don’t forget you need to allow for breakages whilst making, the cost of the tools required and if you have a very busy life, the cost of your time.   Only by taking all of these factors into account, can you calculate the true dollar value.

2. Plan and Practice

Make sure you plan your projects!  Don’t go in to a store and blindly buy what you think “might” work….. tempting as all the pretties are.  Remember what I said in the first point – we’re doing this to save money.

Look at your inspo picture and make a list of all the items that make up the finished product.  This is all you need

Write a work instruction – by taking the time to list each step, you enable friends and family to help you without being a drain on your already limited time.  Granted, this does take a little while to complete BUT write the work instruction when you first decide to take on the project and you’re still as keen as mustard haha, you will thank me for this gem of insight…. a little way down the DIY track.

Once your plan is done, make up your practice piece to iron out any wrinkles in the construction process.  Refine the work instruction as you go, and make sure you finalise it!  Again, this will be invaluable when your mates want to jump in and give a hand.

3. Tools

You’ve probably heard the saying – it’s a poor tradesman that blames his tools!  I tend to disagree somewhat, as I have found a good quality tool really can help with the finish of an item.  If you’re cutting ribbon for instance, a beautifully honed, sharp pair of scissors will give you a much better cut than your blunt grubby old garden scissors.  On saying that, if you do not take care to cut the ribbon on the same angle for each item you run the risk of ruining the finished look – so in that regard, care must be taken and I suppose that’s where the saying originates.

I certainly don’t agree you need to purchase the most expensive of each tool required.  If the tool you are purchasing will have uses beyond what you are creating for your wedding, then by all means, upgrade to the highest quality you can afford.  The most important thing to remember, when purchasing tools, is they need to be fit for purpose.  There is really no point buying an expensive set of secateurs when in fact you require a scissor to cut paper.  If in doubt, talk to the salespeople at your craft store, or wherever you are sourcing your goods,  these people usually are very knowledgeable and happy to assist.

4. Schedule your Time

Scheduling is by far, one of the most important factors in completing a Wedding DIY project with NO STRESS.  

Darling readers, do not be complacent with how far away your wedding day is.

The time will fly and the closer you get to the wedding the more stressed you will feel.  Having a half completed DIY project a couple of weeks out from the wedding is a recipe for disaster.  You will not be happy and this is supposed to be THE happiest time of you life.  Remember that, book time every week in your calendar and stick to it.

 Plan to have you Wedding DIY completed at least 2 months prior to your date.  

You may think that’s an unrealistic expectation, but believe me, anything less than months is not worth the stress levels.  Get your maids over on a Saturday arvo, have them bring a few snacks, maybe some drinks and DIY for your wedding will be  fond memory to look back on.  Time spent bonding with your besties, and taking some well deserved girly time.  Anything else just creates angst, and will potentially create some resentment in you – trust me on this xx

5. Be kind

Haha, maybe you think this is a bit strange but always be kind… to yourself… your fiance… your family… your friends.

Weddings are stressful at the best of times, but undertaking large (or small) Wedding DIY projects can exacerbate these feelings.  If you get part way into the project and decide – NO!  I can’t do this – be kind to yourself.  Don’t beat yourself up, don’t yell at your fiance, your folks or friends, just let it go – find a supplier that will complete the project for you and move on… It’s better to admit you have bitten off more that you can chew, than to stick with it and in the process upset yourself and everyone around you.

 Have fun and if you have some DIY pics you would like to share – upload them to my FB page  – tag me on Instagram – @distinctive_blooms – add to the comments below – I would LOOOVE to see your projects <3

Love AND Laughter always…

Deanna x

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Deanna Byrne

Deanna Byrne, the head designer at Distinctive Blooms, has been fascinated by and dabbling in flowers most of her life. After careers in Hairdressing, Motherhood and finally, Quality Assurance; Deanna decided to leave the corporate world behind and formalise her knowledge and skills in floristry. So began the most recent and satisfying chapter of her career. Her fledgling business has bloomed into existence and in now known for its cutting edge design and outside-the-box approach. Distinctive Blooms is a boutique, bespoke floral design studio located in Brisbane Australia, offering unique and one-off floral designs for your special event or occasion. Deanna is always looking to the diversity of nature for her inspiration and this is reflected in her ever changing designs. “I feel so blessed to be able to share a small part of my passion and vision with the outside world. It’s both an honour and privilege to be a part of so many wonderful people’s stories.”