WEDDINGS. Something that gives me jitters every time. At puberty
even up to now when I am a bit old already, I did not have the heart attending
to such. It makes me terrified just fitting up a gown for the entourage or
being questioned as to when I will get hitched with my long time boyfriend. Yes
I didn’t have the heart for it, but surely I am always fascinated of how things
can be so magical on a wedding day.
Until my turn came, early this year I and my boyfriend have
decided to tie the knot! Yeeyy!
We were so excited about it! And so clueless we didn’t know
what to plan and where to start. Caught us some slack, we’re young and didn’t have
much savings but we’re too in love to let the momentum slip away!
We religiously researched on smart-save budgeted weddings; we
resulted in doing a DO IT YOURSELF (Diy) WEDDING.
On this blog I will be sharing some of the stuffs we did for
our wedding. During our preparation I have learned so much about budgeting and
practicality.
Here are my advices for DIY weddings:
Do a research! There
are a lot of smart-save styles for a simple DIY wedding.
Before you start planning make sure you already have decided
on which motif you wanted to pursue.
Look for:
-
Wedding gown. Choose
a simple but elegant wedding gown patterns or ready to wear wedding gowns
available on the internet or wedding shops maybe. If you decided to have a made
to order gown, make sure that you choose a mid-class fabric, neither the cheap
one nor the expensive ones, just MID-CLASS. Satins are less expensive than
fabricated laces fyi.
-
Entourage dresses. “First user dresses/gowns” are good if you have the budget but if not
just rent. You just have to meticulously check for cuts and stains.
-
Make up. Look
it up on youtube. Or let somebody else do it for you. Have a trial make-up with
a friend so you’ll have a glance on how you want to look on your wedding day.
The same thing also goes with your hairstyle. For your entourage it’s better to
set a flower crown for the girls to save putting much effort for the hair
alone. Powder will do the trick for the boys.
-
Invitations and Wedding favors. Go for the least expensive style. Search on Instagram and
Pinterest for DIY samples. It took me two months to finally come up with a
simple concept for my invitations and souvenirs. Make sure that your designs
for these two are similar. Don’t forget to put RSVP on your invitation cards.
OR you may put ‘We have reserved __ seats for you.’ Trust me this one is
essential.
-
Shoes. Buy new
shoes for the bride and groom. It’s a rule. It doesn’t have to be expensive; it
just has to be comfortable. For the entourage, it will be smart looking if they
wear uniformed style of shoes. Choose something that they can also wear on casual
events.
-
Flowers. Hire a
florist if you can. But if not, there are also a lot of DIY flower arrangements
you can search on IG and Pinterest. Don’t spend too much on the flowers. The flower
decorations on the Church can be brought to the reception if you wish; you can
save a lot on the decorations plotted at the reception by doing this. But don’t
forget to inform the Church personnel or assistant if you plan on doing so.
(Just a reminder!) Also a one long stem flower is a budget saver for the
entourage compared to a bouquet of flowers, just put little ribbons on the
holder part and it’s done. (Of course, it also depends on the theme and style
you wish to have.)
-
Food/Reception.
If you wish to save on this part. Make a list of the people who will be present
on your wedding day. That’s a principle. Don’t run out of food and make a guest
go hungry! How do you do it? Make a RSVP on your invitation card. Remember that
you can’t invite all the friends and relatives you have. Choose those people
who are closest to you both and those who have been part of your relationship
as a couple. Be realistic and don’t stay out of budget. If you really are in a
tight budget, have your celebration on mid-morning/mid-afternoon set up; Serve
snacks and refreshments instead of heavy lunch or dinner. Choose different type
of meals, dry and savory. It all depends on your taste. Not all people eat the
same type of foods, be sensitive that there are people who you may not known
are allergic to certain types of foods and etc. Choose a variety of cuisines
available by your Caterer.
-
Decorations. Make
use of a tulle, put small ribbons and a couple of flowers to do the magic! Paper
chains or paper patch is conventional. Don’t overdesign. Curtain drapes are
elegant to look at only if you have the budget. Remember to never go overboard!
-
Cakes/Wines. Don’t
go for tall standing ones. The principle of the slicing of the cake is for the
couple to stay sweet for their entire lifetime. It doesn’t matter if you have a
4-5 layered cake, coz the cake won’t make your destiny. Nah seriously, just
have a plain and simple one. One simple cake and a few cup cakes on the sides
will do. Don’t drink too much alcohol, it will take away the moment. 100% sure!
-
Photos/Videography. Invest on photos for this will mark the most memorable day of your life.
Make an album and call it your “memory lane”, look it up after 50 years after. Lucky
if you won’t get Alzheimer’s early on. Seriously speaking, nothing is more
valuable than keeping memories.
-
Program. Make it
smart, entertaining and fun. Do the traditions first, wine toast, slicing of
the cake, releasing of the doves, removing of the bridal garter, bridal dance/
money dance, tossing of the Bridal flower and etc. Don’t bore your guests; make
sure to involve everyone around.
So I guess those are the essentials. I
will be putting up our photos really soon. I hope you enjoyed reading and
learned something. Put in mind that you are not getting married to impress other
people. Spend what you can, only when you can. Don’t stay out of budget and
drown out of debt. The Vow of the Holy Sacrament of Marriage is what will keep
two hearts together, neither anything nor anybody else. Keep calm, don't over spend, just enjoy the moment...
