The average cost of a wedding in the United States is $26,645, but we think you can have your dream wedding without spending nearly that much. One big way to save while truly making your wedding more personal is by DIY-ing some of the details. Also, consider the time of year. Wintertime weddings have gained popularity as these off-season months often translate to greater savings at venues and vendors! Read on for five ways to make your day an unforgettable one without breaking your budget. 
Favors
You may be able to develop an idea for favors that fits you by thinking about your interests, and we also recommend trying Pinterest for ideas. The harsh truth is that those little boxes of four chocolates go for $13 each. $13 each! So if you can make your own little favor, you’re going to save a lot very quickly. Some ideas to get you started? How about making chocolate covered pretzels? Or, purchase your favorite candy and his favorite candy and make “his and her” favorite favors.
Centerpieces and Other Decorations
If you’re using flowers for your wedding, we think it’s comparably easy to buy and make your own. Depending on the style of your wedding, there are lots of photos and tutorials online to help you make your own centerpieces with mason jars and fresh flowers. You could also use glass bowls and floating candles, both of which you could find at Hobby Tron in bulk for cheap.
Invites
If you go straight to a company with pre-designed wedding invitations and have them print them for you, you’ll be paying a ton. If you have a designer individually design your invites, you could be paying even more. If you can design your own invitations or use a template and then print them yourself, you could pay less than half for the cost of nice card stock and ink. Joann’s even has paper specifically meant for wedding invitations. Plus, you’ll have a one-of-a-kind invitation with your personal touch.
Placecards
Place cards are another area you could save by printing your own. Because you’re likely to just be printing a name and a table number, you could even write your own if you’re interested in calligraphy or have nice handwriting. We bet if you aren’t the writing type, you have a friend who is interested in calligraphy – calligraphy is probably more popular than you know.
You can also get creative and personal with the holders – using wine corks or even a package of seeds (which, by the way, could also serve as your favors – BONUS SAVINGS!).
Jewelry or Headpiece
Jewelry is slightly harder, but if you have any experience or are willing and interested in investing the time to learn, Pinterest could be a great resource for ideas again. If you are comfortable using imitation jewels or pearls purchased at Michael’s paired with ribbon and hot glue, there are some amazing pieces you can make.
If you’re considering a headpiece, like a flower crown or a headband, those are going to be even easier to make yourself. At $75 easy brand-new, you could have a piece that perfectly matches your wedding style and dress for considerably less.
We’d love to hear about the wedding details you decide to DIY, and we hope you DIY to your dream wedding while saving!
Read our other blog posts with wedding planning tips.
