7 MISTAKES TO AVOID FOR DIY WEDDINGS

Are you engaged? Has your significant other FINALLY popped the question?? First of all, congratulations!! There's no doubt a lot of feelings are involved and will be involved in the coming months. Enjoy the butterflies and selfies and soak up every moment of this exciting stage because you know what comes next...

Wedding planning.

Yes, it will seem exciting and you pretty much know how you want your wedding to be (thank you Pinterest?) But there will be times when it will seem too much or something will go wrong.

For DIY weddings, there are more possibilities for things to go wrong because 1) you are working with many outside vendors and 2) you are making things yourself.

7 MISTAKES TO AVOID FOR DIY WEDDINGS

Not Setting a Budget

The first thing you need to do whether you are doing your own wedding or going to an established event place is setting your budget. This will make the difference between knowing if you will have a sit down 3-4 course meal or buffet style. Chiavari chairs or white padded ones? Live band or DJ? This does not mean you won't be able to have the tablescape of your dreams, it just means you will have to plan and allocate your money in a smart way.

Not Reading Vendor Reviews

This is a personal mistake I made and wish upon no one. If you come across a vendor that is too good to be true, don't turn a blind eye and hope for the best. Research the person and company and read reviews. What if they don't have any? Ask for references! You don't want to be let down by a no-show caterer ;)

Not Having a Planner 
Or somebody in charge of the timeline in general.  Your wedding day will fly by and you should be focusing on soaking up every sight, smell, and emotion. Hire a day-of-coordinator or make a timeline with vendor information to someone responsible in your wedding party or family.

Putting Too Much on Your Plate
How many DIY wedding decorations are you planning on having at your wedding? Are you buying a veil or making it yourself? Pinterest makes it seem so easy to create flawless creations such as centerpieces and florals. Truth is, it will be time consuming especially if you are making something for the first time. So pick your battles and decide what you really want to make while finding inexpensive alternatives to other things. You don't want to be stressing in the weeks leading up to the big day.

Not Asking For Help
Asking for help can be tough but trust me that by handing tasks off to friends and family your life will become easier and wedding planning can be a positive experience. Your loved ones are there to help and they will like being in the planning process as it gets them involved.

Worrying About Planning Tasks During The Wedding
This one goes along with hiring a planner or having help from your maid of honor, etc. You don't want to be running around your reception like a chicken with it's head cut off trying to get dinner on time or gathering everyone up for the send-off. If you don't have a day-of-coordinator or someone helping your with the timeline, ask your friends for help or have signs around your venue with a schedule. I would recommend hiring a day-of-coordinator to alleviate your friends and family of wedding duties during the party.

Expecting Perfection
This could go for DIY weddings as well as not DIY weddings. While it looks easy when professionals make and explain things on video, your finished product may not look the way you intended it to be (have you heard of "Pinterest Fails"?) and THAT'S OKAY! If you plan with enough time, you can have a couple of trail runs and work on perfecting whatever it is you are creating. Just remember, even if it does not look the way you wanted it to, keep up your positive spirit and remember at the end of the day you will be married to that special person. And that is really what it's all about.



Though it's good to prepare for the worst and avoid setting yourself up for failure, know that something will go wrong. There are so many moving parts that it would be weirdly inhuman for everything to turn out perfectly.So try not to stress, remember the reason for the celebration, and try to make planning fun!

Did you have a DIY wedding? Are you in the planning stages now? What did you do? Have anything to add to the list? SHARE your experiences below for all to read and learn from!