5 Things to Think Twice About Before You D.I.Y.

Don't get me wrong—I am the queen of the do-it-yourself trend. And at WeddingDay, we are huge proponents of the D.I.Y. movement and we especially love seeing brides who impressively collaborate with family, bridesmaids and friends to take on one wedding project after another. The problem is, sometimes—okay, many times—I would have saved more money and produced a better result if I had just hired a professional in the first place. 

There are plenty of you who are so adept at crafts, creativity and cuteness that you shouldn't even bother to read this article. But there are many of you, like me, who desperately want to be a D.I.Y'er, but just aren't. And while most of you are good at taking on certain projects, you fail miserably at others. I, for instance, am a writer, but when it comes to designing beautiful pages for the magazine...well, let's just say no one's asked for my assistance. I'm not good at art, but I'm better with words. And that is where the entire concept of D.I.Y. needs to be examined. Before you decide to do a D.I.Y. wedding, you need to know your strengths. And you cannot know your strengths without recognizing your weaknesses. The bottom line is this: just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you SHOULD do something. The only D.I.Y. projects you should take on are the ones you are 100 percent confident in. No tutorial in the world can teach you or your friend how to do something just as good as the professionals unless you already have some skill set in the matter. Tutorials are taught by professionals—that's why it's pretty rare to replicate that YouTube video.

So take this list for what it is: a list of projects and services we find take more time and money than if we had just hired a fantastic wedding vendor to begin with. It's true as they say—some things should be left to the professionals. And for those of you who could practically be a professional because of your skills, you go girl. (And let me know if you're available to re-decorate my living room this weekend).

Flowers

Sure, anyone can grab a bunch of flowers and tie a ribbon around them to make a bouquet. But that doesn't mean it will look good. And there is much more to floral arrangements than just picking a few colors that complement one another. Do you know how long each individual flower can be out of water? Do you have a van to carefully transport 25 floral arrangements? Do you know which flowers can withstand extreme temperatures before they wilt? When you hire a professional florist, you can be assured that not only will you have well-designed floral arrangements at your wedding, but your flowers will be properly cared for to ensure that they will last throughout your wedding day and beyond. It's tempting to cut costs here but you're paying for creativity, expertise and fresh blooms. 

Find a Florist Here 

Wedding Cake

Your mom or grandmother may be a Betty Crocker in the kitchen, but I doubt she has baked a cake for a large crowd (your first-grade Rainbow Pony cake doesn't count). There is much more that goes into baking a wedding cake than filling and frosting. Cakes are designed to be a decorative piece for the wedding reception. They are not just baked by bakers, they are designed by designers. Are you willing to risk allowing your grandma make an honest attempt at your wedding cake (bless her heart for volunteering!) or would you rather just hire a creative professional who bakes and designs cakes for a living?

This is a general rule that can be applied to any wedding dessert you serve. Baking for a family Christmas is much different than baking for a crowd of 100 or more. Not to mention, it can be a little awkward if the quality isn't up to par or someone gets sick. And have you ever tried transporting a three-tiered cake from the kitchen to a venue? I rest my case.

Find a Cake Designer Here

Your Hair

We all have that one friend who has totally Instagram-able hair. That doesn't mean she can re-create her hair to your head. This also puts A LOT of pressure on your friend to make you happy and a lot of pressure on you when you feel uncomfortable asking her to fix it or re-do it.

And no matter how much you practice or how many YouTube videos you watch, it's not likely you'll be able to create the hairstyle you really want. Your hairstylist doesn't just create pretty hair for your wedding, he or she designs your hairstyle to withstand the conditions of the day. They know the amount of pins and hairspray your hair will require to defy the weather elements whether it's humidity, wind or rain. Plus, your stylist is emotionally removed from your wedding day—her feelings won't be hurt if you ask her to fix something or redo. This may sound petty but if you don't love your hair on your wedding day, you will obsess about it all day and you'll hate your wedding photos. You may be wearing a $2,000 designer wedding dress, but if you don't have great hair, you won't even notice.

Find a Stylist Here

Videography

Most of us have an aunt or a friend who will willingly volunteer to capture your special moments with a handheld video camera. And of course you'll have plenty of Snapchats and cell phone videos to look back on, but you will miss out on so many details that will be lost forever after the day is done. Brides tell us again and again that they regret not hiring a professional videographer to record their day. Wedding trailers are one of the most beautiful ways to remember the day. There is just something really special about hearing two people say their vows with an audio overlay of Michael Bublé playing in the background, amirite? Plus, a videographer knows how to work with and around your photographer whereas a non-professional trying to get special moments recorded is going to interfere with your photographer. 

Find a Videographer Here

Music

I hope I don't have to speak much on this category. IPods are awkward, family members who are given the microphone for the entire wedding reception are even more awkward. Your DJ or band is more than a person who is playing music, they often serve as the host or emcee of the evening making sure that the timeline goes along smoothly. 

Find an Entertainer Here

When it comes to other D.I.Y. possibilities like stationery, signs, guestbooks, wedding favors and decor, think carefully. You need to ask yourself:  How much time do I have? How stressful will this project be to take on? How much money am I actually saving after the cost of printing and materials? Am I or do I know anyone who is actually skilled at this? And finally, is this more trouble than it's worth? If you're realizing the time and effort is not worth it, check out these other cost-cutting tips!

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