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Are you considering DIYing your wedding decor? Thinking you'll just buy the stuff from Facebook Marketplace or borrow it from friends? Or maybe your venue supplies all of the decor pieces? I am here to tell you why these things are a bad idea, and are most likely things you hadn't thought of. In no particular order, but all of the same importance:
10) STRESS. You already have enough going on with all of the details of planning a wedding. A lot of couples get in over their heads with wanting to go cheap or DIY every piece of decor for their wedding, without the slightest clue of where to start the process. Adding more elements to the details you already have to decide on (beef or chicken? What about our vegan friends? Or do we create a signature cocktail or have just beer and wine, or ...) adds so much additional stress!
9) And what happens when you realize you only have a month until your wedding and you still haven't crafted your seating chart? Or you haven't factored in the design process and time it takes to then transfer those names (somehow?!) to the substrate of your choice. Oh, 150 names won't fit on that mirror you bought off the FB Marketplace? Stresss...
8) TIME. If you factor in the time it takes to purchase all of the items from the various stores, whether brick-and-mortar or online, laying out the design and all of the other planning, you'll have invested hours! And not to mention, trial and error will most likely be a part of the process unless you or your fiance/fiancee happens to be an artist or graphic designer. So then it's back to the store or online to order more "stuff"... more time (and even more money gone)...
7) So you now have the plan and supplies. Have you factored in the time to actually make everything by hand? Or will friends and family be helping you out? We've seen the scenario all too often that people will offer to help but can never seem to actually show up to do it! Or crazy aunt Velma decides to bring a bottle of Fireball and the DIY party becomes a rowdy sing-a-long with no actual work getting done. Or at least nothing useful.
6) SPACE. Do you really want to be stuck with 150 glass candle holders or charger plates after your wedding is over? Unless you’re going into the wedding planning business after saying “I do,” it’s best to rent the stuff you need for the one day you’ll use it than to take up space in a corner of your living room, or worse, a garage that's not insulated. Ever seen what extreme temps can do to fragile glass or candles?
5) Or have you considered just how much space charger plates will take up in your kitchen? Those buggers are HEAVY, so until you sell them (if you're lucky), or gift them to your next friend getting married that absolutely LOVES the idea of black gloss chargers for her high summer wedding, you'll be stuck with them for a long while.
4) QUALITY. Sure, your venue might supply all of the decor you'll need (or think you need...), but have you thought about the fact that with their limited quantities, your wedding will most likely look a lot like everyone else's at that venue? Even if they have two kinds of chairs, your wedding will still look like many others. And those same old white polyester tablecloths? Boooring! Also, venues sometimes use tablecloths that don't reach the floor. No one needs (or wants) to see those metal table legs that come with most plastic tables.
Also, at a wedding I was the planner at, the venue supplied all of the decor. I was able to observe several problems: 1) nothing matched! It was a mix and match of stuff. If it doesn't bother you that none of your candles, vases or candle holders match, then it's a win. 2) half of the items that had batteries didn't work. So I had to take the time to replace them! And then some still didn't. If you don't have a planner, these duties will fall to you or your guests.
3) Thinking about buying all of your decor from the Facebook Marketplace to save money? Do you realize that most supplies bought off the internet are not designed for repeated wear and tear? After one wash, those linens you bought super cheap will fade and fray. And who wants candles that are already half used and will burn out before dinner starts?
2) TALENT. As mentioned above, unless you and/or your intended are super artistic, anything DIYed will look, well, DIYed. There's a reason there are websites devoted to Pinterest fails.
1) LOGISTICS. The big questions here: a) How will I get it all home (especially if yours is a destination wedding)? b) Do I really have the space to store it all if we do manage to get it home? c) Do I really have the room to stage everything to try and sell it on FB or elsewhere? Most venues require clean-up the same night. Who will help?
Before you decide whether to rent or buy your wedding decor, ask yourself these questions: "Do we really have the time?" "Can we afford to buy everything knowing full well we will never recoup the costs of everything?" "How will we get everything first, to the venue, and second, back home?"
Trust your wedding decor rentals with a professional like us here at Heart Wedding Decor. For those of us who do this as a full-time career, we have more availability to get projects done and done right. Not to mention, prior to wedding day!
What is your time worth?
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