How To Plan A DIY Wedding & Nail It! Plus Grab A Free Spreadsheet

Planning a DIY wedding? Hooray! You’re in for a real treat, not only is there potential to get creative and share your personality by the bucketload.

But you could be set to save some hard-earned cash and by using my top tips you could also be kinder to the planet too. Win-win.

Photo: Emily + Katy Photography via Creative Village Hall Wedding

Grab Your DIY Wedding Planning Spreadsheet

I know the real reason you’re here. Am I right or am I right? You want the freebie.

In all seriousness, my free DIY spreadsheet is awesome if I do say so myself. It has a place for every single wedding project, a place to cost it out, work out how long it’s going to take, who’s making it and the deadline. Plus more!

You’re very welcome…

How To Start DIY Wedding Planning?

• Set your budget
• Nail down your date and book your venue
• Choose your wedding day style
• Send your invites
• Find awesome wedding suppliers
• Arrange the outfits
• Plan your DIY projects
• Pick wedding songs and wedding readings
• Organise the little details and timings

Check out my ultimate wedding planning checklist. It seriously covers everything for your whole wedding planning journey and beyond.

Trust me when I say you’re going to want to bookmark this page!

Do You Actually Want To Plan A DIY Wedding?

Before you go down the path of planning a DIY wedding I want to fill you in. Seriously, you need to know the truth about wedding planning and going DIY. I have featured thousands of real weddings, many of which have been DIY weddings, so I know a thing or two about what goes into them. And the pitfalls.

However, it can absolutely be done.

Is A DIY Wedding Actually Cheaper?

DIY weddings can save you money, but you need to be savvy about it and have a meticulous plan. Otherwise, a DIY wedding can actually cost more than you think.

Some couples choose to have a DIY wedding to express their creativity and pour their heart and soul into their day. Others are simply looking to cut costs or need to look for do-it-yourself options depending on the venue they choose.

If you are looking to save money plan your wedding budget! Then keep track of every penny to stay within it. I recommend planning your DIY elements too when planning your budget, try to cost them out and you can see if going homemade will save you money.

Otherwise, it may be worth contacting a professional wedding supplier to give you a helping hand here and there.

Will A DIY Wedding Take Longer To Plan?

Oh yes! A homemade wedding takes more hours to pull off. You may not need a longer timeline to plan but you will need extra free hours to crack on with the wedding planning.

Again, make a timeline to track how many hours you need to create the different DIY projects you are planning. Then you can work out the time saving vs hiring a professional to complete the project for you.

Only you can weigh up the value of your time against your wedding budget. If you want to get on with life during wedding planning, socialising and fulfilling your busy schedule, a DIY wedding may not be the best route for you.

Can A DIY Wedding Cause More Stress?

It really depends on how much spare time you have and how much you love a project. Are you able to handle project management well and love crafting in your spare time? Then a DIY wedding may be for you. Similarly, if you have a bunch of creative loved ones who are willing to help pitch in, it will help lighten the load.

However, if you have a lot on your plate and then you add in a wedding (which by the way can take a lot of hours per week) to plan you may leave yourself overwhelmed. Which in my opinion defeats the purpose of getting married in the first place.

After all, you are wanting to marry your soul mate, not pile stress onto you both for the sake of a Pinterest worthy affair.

Can You Plan A Wedding Without A Wedding Planner?

You can absolutely plan a wedding without a wedding planner. Want proof? Check out the real weddings on Whimsical Wonderland Weddings, the vast majority of which, have not had a wedding planner on board.

Photo: Electric Blue Photos and Film via Cider Barn Wedding

Top DIY Wedding Planning Tips

Have A Solid Wedding Plan Before You Begin

What can I say, I just love a plan! If you don’t, please please try to make one. Honestly, it will save you headspace and keep you in control of everything. This is exactly why I created the DIY wedding spreadsheet planner, to help you to get everything in place.

Set that wedding budget, have your spreadsheets all filled in and you will be ready to go. Be sure to delegate to any friendly helpers too, family and friends often love to help couples plan their wedding. All you need to do is ask or take up their kind offers of help.

Decide which elements you really want to create due to you wanting to flex your creative muscles and then details that are to be cost-saving projects. Try to estimate the actual real costs, then compare to professional wedding quotes. You may be surprised that often DIY projects don’t save money.

If you can outsource these elements to a professional, one, they are more likely to be polished and two, it will save you time and energy.

What If You Have A Blank Canvas Wedding Venue?

A DIY wedding could mean including a few homemade projects or it could mean for you doing everything from scratch.

Have you booked a village hall or a farmer’s barn, perhaps you’ve rented a field for a tipi wedding or are planning a back garden wedding? There are some real upsides to having a blank canvas, but it is a lot of work to plan.

Especially if you don’t have a wedding planner. Here are some elements to consider if you haven’t already:

• Electricity
• Toilets
• Catering
• Drinks
• Cutlery/Furniture/Tableware
• Water Supply
• Kitchen Facilities
• Catering/Bar Staff
• Set-Up Before The Day
• Change Of Set-Up During The Day
• Clear Up After The Day
• Sound Limitations For Music
• Music Equipment
• Linens
• Lighting
• Accommodation
• On The Day Co-Ordination
• Parking
• Weather Contingency

Photo: Kirsty Mackenzie Photography via Festival Party Wedding

A DIY Wedding Doesn’t Just Mean Crafting Decor

That’s right, a DIY wedding doesn’t just have to come down to making pretty details. It could be growing your own flowers, baking your own cake or making your own wedding outfits.

I’ve featured many couples on WWW who have done these projects and much more, even catering and photographing their own wedding (the latter were wedding photographers BTW). The sky really is the limit.

Some other ideas for elements to think about before crafting wedding stuff:

• Buy second-hand. Facebook Marketplace and eBay are great for second-hand wedding items, they often only have been used once too!
• Scour your home for elements you can use as wedding decor and show off your personality.
• Buy or make stuff that will get used again, in your garden or home or as gifts for your wedding party.
• Upcycle things set for landfill and give them a new life. Often materials can be found for free or you can ask in local Facebook groups.
• Do you actually need it? You may feel you need it, but is it something that you feel you want, or you feel you should have?
• Make a charity donation instead of physical favours, give out drinks tokens or ditch the favours completely! Ohh controversial!
• Borrow or hire! So many wedding suppliers hire items for less than it would cost to DIY and it’s eco-friendly. Or perhaps a friend would lend you that thing instead?

Keep Your DIY Wedding Simple

Before you scour Pinterest and Instagram for all the wedding ideas. Take a step back. You are not planning a wedding to impress, you are planning a celebration of your love. Don’t get sucked into the trap of more is more. That is of course unless that’s totally for you, then go for it.

Essentially keeping things simple will simplify your wedding planning experience. Don’t forget when making each guest a personalised wedding favour it’s not just one you are making. Times that by the number of guests and you have a lot of work on your hands.

Time saved, less stress, more time for the fun stuff!

Photo: Jessica Grace Photography via DIY Barn Wedding

Zone In On Your Wedding Planning Talents

Hone in on your strengths and outsource your weaknesses. Simple as that.

Do the things that bring you joy and ditch the things that don’t. It’s not just the wedding day you want to enjoy, it’s just as much about the run-up too. You still want time for life outside of the wedding and a fun one at that.

What Not To DIY For Your Wedding

Some wedding DIY projects are just a no-go. For example, not booking a wedding photographer. You should really think about choosing a wedding photographer that’s a professional, who knows what they are doing.

One of the biggest wedding pieces of advice out there is from couples saying that wished they booked a pro wedding photographer or wedding videographer.

Put simply, a professional has the experience, equipment and knowledge of taking good wedding photos. You just won’t enjoy fuzzy shots, missed moments or badly lit images/videos after the day, and they can’t be redone.

But does it matter if your wedding favours are a little on the rustic/wonky side? Not at all. That your decor is a little inconsistent? Not really. It all comes down to what’s important to you. If you want a professional finish, hire a pro. Simple.

Photo: Naomi Jane Photography via Literary Wedding

Let Go Of Wedding Planning Perfectionism

Similarly, if you are going for a DIY wedding day, then you’re going to have to let go of perfectionism. I recommend letting this go regardless of your plans. The chances are if you are doing your wedding by yourself, things won’t be as polished or perfect as a professional will create.

Find joy in the imperfect, celebrate the little mistakes and embrace the things that go wrong. They all make up the entirety of your wedding story anyway. These translate into real memories to look back on.

In essence, go with your gut, plan like no tomorrow and have fun! Have any questions or want to share your DIY wedding plans, simply pop a comment below.