While countless couples have had perfectly lovely and traditional weddings over the centuries—complete with a plain-but-functional church altar, professionally-embossed invitations and rented tables and chairs for the reception—some are preferring to go a more personal and DIY route. From using elements of nature to complement an outdoor nuptial setting to hand-crafting chalkboards to introduce the wedding party, there are plenty of meaningful and relatively easy projects that DIY-minded couples can complete prior to their big day.
With this in mind, the following ideas are perfect for crafty couples who hope to make their wedding as budget-friendly and personalized as possible.
Ladder Archway
If you are getting married outdoors, an archway that is made from basic wooden ladders and decorated with flowers and any other meaningful items you like can be an eye-catching addition to the ceremony. As DIY Network shows, this unique archway involves taking two open wooden ladders and placing them about six feet apart, then placing a third, unopened wooden ladder across the top. After the basic arch is constructed, you and your betrothed can get super creative by adding different things to the various steps of both open ladders; including bouquets of flowers, photos and candles. For an added touch, you can also create a garland of paper flowers and wind it around the archway.
A shade tree bursting with blossoms
If your outdoor wedding setting includes a large tree with plenty of shade-providing branches, Confetti Day Dreams suggests having the ceremony underneath the tree and hanging dozens of flowers from the many branches. Even if the tree is already blooming, the addition of streamers and multiple paper and real blooms will transform the tree into a canopy of loveliness. To safely reach the higher branches and prevent you from falling off a ladder right before your wedding ceremony, you might want to consider renting a scissor lift or other piece of equipment that can help you to safely decorate the tree ahead of time.
Chalkboard Signs
There are a variety of reasons to use signs at a wedding; from pointing guests to the proper places to park to listing the names of the bridal party, and directing them to the reception area. DIY-minded couples can make custom chalkboard signs in less than an hour. You can either purchase chalkboard vinyl paper and cut it to fit frames and/or mirrors, or you can buy chalkboard paint from your local craft store and simply apply it to flat pieces of wood. If you are going for a more rustic look for your wedding, you can use pieces of old barn and fence wood for the borders of the boards. Then once the chalkboard signs are done, all that is needed is some chalk in different colors and someone with nice penmanship to write on them. When the wedding is over, you can give them as gifts to your attendants or keep them to use in your home or in the garden.
When to Leave it to the Professionals
Planning a wedding takes up a lot of time, so you’ll probably want to limit how many DIY projects you take on. When trying to decide which items to make, be honest with yourself and choose projects that take advantage of your inherent talents. In other words, if you a have never used a hammer and nails in your life, this might not be the time to create a homemade chuppah from antique wood. In addition, while it’s nice to make decorations and other items for your wedding with your betrothed, it’s best to hire professionals or enlist friends and family to actually set them up. You’ll be too busy getting dressed and ready to be sure the chalkboards are in place and the ladders are festooned with flowers.
