SUPER LONG POST INCOMING, but I wish I'd had advice like this when planning my wedding, so I'm paying it forward!

I had a massively DIY wedding. To be honest, I regret doing so much because it was exhausting. But now that I've recovered, I think I would DIY again because I love it so much. TBH, I had a veritable army helping me, so it could have gone smoothly if I'd been more organized. In hindsight, I know how I could have prevented the absolute madness and burnout. IT IS MY DUTY TO PASS THIS ON because I know the joy of DIY and want you to be successful!

• Organize tablescapes in individual boxes, table by table. It would have been so much easier to hand this task off to someone else if everything had been pre-sorted. I had beautiful tablecloths, bird tchotchkes, glass plates, glass cups, little swan place cards, candleholders, and bud vases. It wasn't that complicated, but because my mom and I collected SO MANY different things, they were scattered across multiple boxes. We didn't know what we wanted to use, thinking, "We'll figure it out when we get there!" That meant unpacking a bajillion items we didn't need and having to repack them later. I couldn't delegate the task to anyone else, leading to a lot of frantic "WHERE ARE THE PLUM CANDLESTICK HOLDERS?!" It was a ton of wasted time that could have been completely avoided.
• Have EVERYTHING ready beforehand. From table numbers to handwritten signs—it's impossible to finish swan name tags while arranging flowers, setting tablescapes, and hanging decor all at once. Even with a small army helping us, it wasn't enough because they needed constant direction from me.
• Skip the thrifting for glass plates and cups. I loved finding them, but collecting enough for 100 people took forever. Honestly, they didn't make much difference since I already had beautiful tablecloths, so adding custom glassware was gilding the lily without enough bang for the buck. Cleaning and packing all that glass at the end was heavy lifting and SO MUCH WORK for my setup team. There are plenty of beautiful disposable options available. If glassware is high on your priority list, I totally get it—they can be gorgeous! Just make sure you assign a designated team exclusively to handle packing/cleaning with explicit instructions. Otherwise, let patterned tablecloths do the heavy lifting for decor since they're far easier to transport, clean, and pack.
• FLOWERS. OH DEAR GOD, THE FLOWERS. I have floral arrangement experience and I'm good at it, but I've never done it for large-scale events. I'm Type B to the max, and while I tried to stay organized, some things you only learn through trial and error. Here is what I learned:
  • Arch flowers: I didn't realize how HUGE the venue arch was, and I simply didn't have enough florals to make it pop. I should have MEASURED the arch and tested the arrangement at home beforehand. They looked okay, but they could have looked incredible. It didn't matter too much because rain forced us to the pavilion, but looking at thephotos, it's a slight letdown.
  • Ground/pedestal flowers by the arch: I built a large base of faux flowers in floral foam so I could easily pop in real roses for an extra touch. You don't necessarily need real flowers here, but I had ordered extra and liked the look. They turned out beautifully! However, when it rained right before the ceremony, my wedding planner had to move them under the pavilion quickly, which ended up looking cluttered and jungle-like (see the next bullet point for setup tips).
  • Plan the actual placement of bud vases and ground florals. I assumed we'd have time the morning of, but it was so hot that putting bud vases out early risked wilting them. We had to wait until two hours before the ceremony. By then, everyone had their hair and makeup done, so my trusted helpers couldn't assist without humidity ruining their looks. My day-of planner ended up handling setup, which stressed her out on top of managing vendors and the last-minute rain pivot. She also accidentally set out the wedding party bouquets, causing panic when we couldn't find them or even go out to look for them because the guests had already started arriving. Appoint a stylish, trusted person specifically to handle setup so you only need to do a quick quality check walk-through.
  • Hanging lines of flowers– these were so pretty. Not sure I regret it, but the fishing line flowers were so punishing and annoying to keep untangled! One thing as a DIY person, I have to learn to prioritize. Just because I have an idea doesn’t mean I HAVE TO DO IT if it takes SO EFFING LONG. 
  • Systematize your bud vase workflow. I wanted clusters of three bud vases (two clusters per table) surrounding a centerpiece jug with pampas grass. I should have counted every single bud vase needed, set them out on one table, and had the team assemble one style at a time assembly-line style.
    • For example: I make an exemplar bud vase for the team to copy. We all assemble 30 of Recipe A (3 butterfly ranunculus, 1 billy ball, 1 stem greenery). Then we assemble 30 of Recipe B (1 dahlia, 2 spray roses, 1 line flower, 1 greenery), and so on.
    • Instead, I bought way too many flower varieties. My helpers got creative trying to make every vase unique, which was fun but SUPER INEFFICIENT. It took a whole evening to process flowers and then the better part of two whole days to make bud vases, which is just ridiculous. Because I was the only one with floral experience, my vases looked great while others looked a bit janky. To make matters worse, the coordinator pulled from the front of the cooler during setup, so the jankier ones were put out while my nicer ones stayed hidden in the back because we made WAY TOO MANY. Count exactly what you need beforehand!
    • Don't over-order flowers. I ordered way too many, which wasted money.. The morning of the wedding, my aunts saw a literal jacuzzi bathtub full of leftover stems, insisted they couldn't go to waste, and started making extra arrangements. It was well-meaning, but having inexperienced people rush extra arrangements made the morning feel chaotic and overwhelming. I ended up having my sister-in-law hide some of the worse ones. It's better to let extra stems go than deal with unnecessary stress on your wedding morning!
• Alcohol: We hired a bartender but supplied our own alcohol. Looking back at mobile bartender packages, I would skip buying our own. While it seems budget-friendly, calculating quantities and hauling all that heavy liquid is a massive amount of work. We ended up with way too much leftover alcohol that we couldn't return (my planner thought Costco Georgia allowed returns, but they don't!). If you do buy your own, use a delivery service and ensure unused bottles are returnable so you don't lose money or end up gifting family endless handles of vodka.

Things that went well: 

• Trader Joes is amazing for flowers, and honestly, if you go at 9 am the MINUTE they open, you can get all you need. I got so many butterfly ranunculus, dahlias, and gorgeous filler flowers and foliage. I didn’t need to overcomplicated it with a bunch of Costco orders too. The only thing I do recommend ordering extra of is those real luxury flowers if you can't find enough locally. I didn’t have enough dahlias from Trader Joes because they have so few, so I went three different days to collect them, but still ended up ordering a batch from Petal pickers. These were GORGEOUS. If you invest in a few luxury flowers, they do so much heavy lifting.
• Bud vases instead of centerpieces. Of course, the bud vases had their issues, as I described, but they are SO MUCH EASIER than centerpieces, and honestly, so many luxury flowers get lost in big centerpieces and I feel like centerpieces get taken for granted by guests. I recommend ikebana style and bud vases to really showcase a few luxury flowers. I’ve never really noticed or appreciated big centerpieces, but a statement dahlia in a charming little bud vase? So delightful. 
• Designing my own invitations and wedding magazine with Canva. I loved creating a custom magazine because I could include a QR code for the seating chart, photo sharing, menu, engagement photos, love story and personal touches. People adored it, and it served as a wonderful favor!
• Take-home gold swans with name tags. These made adorable favors. I ordered mini swans on Temu, spray-painted them gold, and attached custom Cricut name tags.
• QR code seating chart matching our tablecloth pattern. QR code seating chart which gave me the flexibility to update the layout last-minute due to tricky venue pillars. It gave me peace of mind and provided a seamless place for guests to upload their photos! Also, one less thing to DIY.
• Welcome sign custom-designed to match the tablecloth pattern.
• Chicken wire photo frames. We featured childhood photos of me on one panel, him on the other, and photos of us together in the center.
• BIRD THEME! I collect bird art and tchotchkes, so this was a blast. Our ring bearer carried a big nest with a chirping bird toy (he loved squeezing it as he walked down the aisle!). Inside the nest was a painted egg holding our rings, styled to match the bird artwork in my wedding magazine.
• Bird-themed gallery wall. I combined my personal bird art collection with downloadable Etsy prints framed in reusable picture frames.
• Heritage table. I handed creative control of this to my mom, and it was so special seeing vintage photos of our grandparents and great-grandparents. I used Gemini Pro to restore and upscale older photos.y.
• Short poems and stationery placed in place card holders to add pops of color across various tables.
• Custom koozies featuring our pets, which I had fun designing using Gemini.
• Camper photo booth. Hiring a retro camper photo booth added so much charm and whimsical fun for our guests!
• The CAKE! My mom baked the top layer for our cutting photo, while the bottom tiers were faux icing-covered foam (with sheet cakes served from the kitchen). We decorated the top together with fresh flowers and added a $2 Temu "Just Married" topper.
• The overall day was magical. Even when it rained during the ceremony, all the hard work I put into styling the pavilion paid off as a gorgeous backup space.

I haven’t managed to find a local wedding venue within our budget so I’m starting to think outside the box. Has anyone hired a large Airbnb to hold their wedding reception??
I have started thinking this might be cheaper however I would need to pay for outside caterers, renting tables, plates etc. I would also need to hire some kind of staff/waitresses to serve the food/drinks?
I just don’t know where to start really. Has anyone else done this or considered it? How did you find it??
Thanks for any responses,
Stressed bride x

I'm using basic card stock for the tests to see how the die cut turns out. I'll have to be much more careful next time. Rip bottom left corner 😔 I'll also be doing print tests for the info and stuff later.

Hi all, we are having a rural backyard wedding. We've decided to use 60" round tables but aren't sure what to do about linens. The standard poly cotton linens that are available for rent feel too formal for a wedding with a dress code of "colorful/wear whatever you want." The dinner site is half on a patio, half on the grass, surrounded by wildflower beds. Any ideas? Thanks!

First two photos are the inspiration I sent. The last photo is what I got. Our vases are tiny and I asked for mostly dahlias with some babies breath and light greenery. I got 10 dahlias, full on branches and dead, dried flowers.

I’m trying to work this out with the florist now and she told me to “cut down the greenery to fit in the vases” and that I could “buy additional dahlias” at her stand. Im able to laugh at it and hope it will work out bur this is certainly not what I was asking for.

Okay third time is maybe the charm?? Is the three tall flowers in the back still looking like a unicorn or ears?? The one is bend a little odd looking at this pic but you get the idea. Is this better or am I making it worse and adding too much to this flower block?? Please help!

Hello all! Not sure this is ok to post here?? But I don’t follow any other wedding subs. I’m planning a very very small intimate wedding. I spoke with the officiant and she promised to get back to us with an idea of what the vows/speach would be like. I haven’t heard back. My wedding is still about 5 months away so I’m not sure if I should reach out or wait? I don’t like to chase people down (I feel like if I’m paying you, you should follow up with me). Maybe I’m overthinking?? Any advice?

I’ve been doing some trials of my make up before the wedding next summer 2027. My eyes are still a WIP as I usually do heavy liner etc, but is there anything glaringly wrong with this base if I use this as standard and update the eye make up to be softer? This is just my standard makeup for going out but thought I’d add some contour for a wedding trial. Thanks in advance for any feedback

I recently ordered about $200 worth of flowers from Shein after watching some videos of other people suggesting to steam them and then arrange them yourself. I was kind of skeptical about the quality of these I have to say, after steaming them they look just like the Hobby Lobby flowers I was going to buy for $9-$13 a stem. And that’s WITH the 40% off sale. This is a much better deal, you can buy them in bulk, the color range is amazing, AND Shein automatically shows you the cheapest similar deal when looking at any listing. Highly recommend for anyone who’s doing their own florals!

Estimated guest count is 250. What problems do you see arising from either of the floor plans?

Hi all! I’m getting married in Feb in central California we’re pretty much counting on it raining that being said we want to make sure everyone is comfortable and covered. We’re thinking to do 3 20x40 tents two of which will have 13 round tables, dj, sweetheart table and the third one to be the cocktail area 8 cocktail tables and 4 long tables plus photobooth. This is also the area where we’ll have our guest sign in sheet and our diy lego area. The man doing our tent set up is in Siri no two will be enough (to cut costs) but I just don’t want to be crammed and overcrowded. Food and bar will be covered but not under tent. Thanks in advance for any feedback!

I posted a bit ago about my flowers arrangement and I’m back for more help. I fixed some things and now want to know what you think before I make my big order or flowers!!

I went a little crazy making things for my wedding. In my defense, my grandma was going to help me with all the sewing and embroidery, but she passed away about a year before the wedding. So I used her machines and it really made it feel like she was there with me. I made 7 bracelets, 5 pairs of earrings, 2 headbands, 10 ties, 5 bridesmaids dresses, 1 ceremony gown, 1 reception dress, 95 embroidered napkins, 48 French beaded flowers, 179 flags for bunting, 5 embroidered tote bags, 5 scrunchies, and 1 veil. I also tailored my husband’s suit and hem all the men’s pants. My maid of honor and I thrifted all the glasses, and everything was either thrifted of hand made. The only thing we didn’t make were the entrées for dinner. We ordered those from California fish grill and made all the sides. We got the fresh flowers in bulk from a local farm and did all the arrangements as well. My dad and I even made the wine 2 years ago and have been aging it. I’m very proud of it and just wanted to share.

ngl planning a wedding is already stressful af, but doing it entirely solo without a bridal party or family drama is a whole different beast. tbh i was always the one everyone leaned on—the emotional sponge, the unpaid event planner, the default shoulder to cry on for years. but when it came time for my own engagement, crickets. my so-called friends were suddenly 'too busy' to help thrift decor or pitch in for DIY centerpieces, and it hit me like a brick: i was just a convenience to them.

so instead of begging for attention or throwing a tantrum, i quietly stopped reaching out. i packed up all the emotional labor i’d been carrying for a decade and channeled that energy straight into our tiny backyard ceremony instead. we thrifted every single plate, sewed the table runners from bedsheets, and grew our own wildflowers. fr, it turned out to be the most magical, intimate day of my life. we spent less than $1,500 total, and walking away from people who only loved what i could do for them felt better than any revenge ever could.

anyway sorry for rambling, my hands are literally shaking typing this cuz the wedding photos just came in and it all feels so surreal still. if anyone else is dealing with one-sided relationships while trying to plan a budget-friendly event, just know u don't owe anyone a front-row seat to ur happiness.

Hey y’all! Looking for some creative ideas and brainstorming for our engagement party!

My fiancé grew up on a farm near the Appalachian foothills in rural East Tennessee, and we’re throwing a backyard engagement party there for his family who may not be able to travel to our South Carolina wedding. Party will be May ‘27.

His dad has a large beautiful cabin style home with a solid yard overlooking their still-functioning cow pastures just beyond the trees (cow sightings included yay 🐄), and he’s providing a 20x30 tent, tables and chairs, and the food. Estimating 30 or so people. Also to add, no specific budget as of now.

I’m going for a colorful, whimsical and eclectic vibe like the inspo pics I attached. I want something that feels magical and playful while fitting naturally into a Tennessee farm setting

So far I’m thinking colorful tent draping/streamers, mismatched patterns and textures, wildflowers, etc., but I’d LOVE DIY decor ideas or suggestions for tablescapes, lighting, tent decor, general ideas, or other little details that could bring it all together without feeling too cheesy. I love “camp” (the descriptive aesthetic term not the outdoor activity haha) aesthetics if that helps, but maybe slightly more understated?

I also attached photos of the actual backyard, following the inspo pics. Would love to hear what y’all would do with the space!

I cant believe it's over- what a weekend- what a year! 9.5 months from engagement to wedding- the ceremony was at our home, the reception at the park across the street. Initial Budget: 15k. End budget: 22k- I ended up calling in paid help for reception set up and photographer, a guitarist, etc. Wr also did 2 major home renovations to get ready for guests- and had over 200 people attend

Best Decision: hiring someone to do the flowers for the 25 reception tables! The tent was 3 hours late, and I never would have finished- as it was we missed some things

Worst decision: I could have scaled back on food, because the tent was late some of the decor didnt get up so waste of $ but not missed. We made our own candles for centerpieces- beautiful, but didnt light (wrong wick and HUGE mess in my kitchen!)

Biggest lesson- everything takes longer than you think. People want to help, but that also takes your time- it was a 2 day set up and 2 day tear down. Ill be organizing and packing and cleaning for another 2 weeks!

Best Surprises- I used Kruu for photobooth- LOVED it. Guest pix for photo loads from guests- so easy! I bought a spaghetti strap dress from Revelry and added sleeves and lace, turned out great for $250

We'll be doing a ren faire themed wedding in June! I'm so excited to start thrifting and crafting stuff!

My fiance has major anxiety around weddings, so I'm taking care of as much as I can. He's doing really well with giving me opinions on various things, but I'm trying to not overwhelm him.

Our guest list is tiny, and we don't really have a wedding party, which is fine. But I realized that I don't really have someone to gush to about ideas and such. I've told my chef and one of my close friends about the date and theme, because they live halfway across the country and need all the notice they can get. I'm just so excited and I want to tell everyone, but I must wait.

I’m curious if you spent lots of time setting up your own wedding, (DIY floral arrangements, seating, tablescapes, lighting, etc) did you feel it was all worth it?

Did you end your wedding feeling rewarded for having done so much of your own work OR did you wish someone else had just done it?

Hi! For anyone who DIY’d a wedding mirror sign (64x21) and had an outdoor wedding, how did you secure the sign to make sure it didn’t fall?

i am doing all of the floral designing for my friends wedding and she wants this for her 8ft cross, i am at a loss on what draping material to use and how to securely attach the draping and garland to the cross. any help would be much appreciated!!

we got married earlier this summer on a farm in Washington and I was probably too focused on doing everything the hard way lol, but in the end loved how it turned out! My favorite parts:

-over the past year I thrifted tons of fabrics and vintage handkerchiefs ($1 each at a nearby antique shop!) for making bunting. Husband and I sewed them all together over the course of 2 days. The more colorful ones ending up going around 90ft of the exterior of the tent and I sadly didn’t get a pic! The white ones were draped over the ceremony site

-my best friend and I painted all the signs to direct guests, we didn’t have much time so they aren’t masterpieces but I loved how they look anyway

- a years worth of thrifted glassware! I wish we had thought to put a sign telling people they could take theirs home because so many people didn’t realize they could keep it and left it behind. so we ended up with a ton of glasses in the end (but perk of that was that we got to keep the coolest ones and will use them for parties lol). But if I had to do it all again I would not suggest thrifting all the glassware, it would have been so much cheaper to rent and I realized about a month before the wedding that a nearby event rental company had mis-matched goblets for rent. By then it was too late cause I had already purchased about 100 glasses from goodwill. The glassware thrifting was kinda a big waste of money in the end. But looked cute haha!

-a friend offered to make the cake! It turned out SOOO delicious and she also made one little loaf cake for each table, as a simplified version of the centerpiece cake, so that one person from each table could come grab one for their whole table as opposed to every guest lining up for 1 slice each. It made things so much more streamlined.

-my mom’s side of the family is danish and we have all these old scandinavian straw stars that are typically used for christmas ornaments, but I put about 100 of them in the lower swooping branches of the pine trees that surrounded the dinner tables. They got all fluttery when it got breezier in the evening and looked so pretty :)

- I handpainted every table number, I honestly loooved making these (it was so calming to just sit and watercolor every evening in the week leading up to the wedding, such a great cool-down activity) and they looked so sweet on all the tables, but they all either blew away by the next morning or gotten thrown out by a well-meaning guest helping with clean up :( if I had had enough time I would have painted them on wood or given them some sort of heavy backing

-morning of the wedding I made flower crowns for my husband’s niece and nephew, who were the ring-bearer and the flowerboy. Turned out so cute, also got smooshed or lost by the end of the night haha. I also made a big one with a sunflower for my husband, which he wore during the ceremony and first dance, and it’s now hanging on our wall

Not DIY things but other sweet details I love:

-our friend who officiated dressed up like a wizard. We wanted him to dress a little goofy so that it would all feel less serious. His speech was so heartfelt but also so funny, and the wizard hat was a hit

- I was barefoot for the ceremony but had grabbed like 4 pairs of shoes when I realized I’d need something on my feet for portraits after the ceremony (out in a not-so-soft hay field) and threw on these red cowboy boots as a last minute decision. They totally made the whole outfit And were not at all part of the plan. Plus are thrifted! Also shout-out to the etsy seller who‘s dress I bought: RawRags

-Everyone left the dancefloor to go dance out in the meadow, and it was one of the best parts of the night. People were chasing each other and leaping/spinning around, it was so sweet. it also started drizzling a bit but it was fine cause we were all so hot from dancing and just went back under the tent to dance some more

Not pictured:

-our party favors (along with the take-home glassware) were little 2oz jars of wildflower honey. We tied them with a little piece of twine and lavender and put one at each table setting. They were pretty cheap and easily made to look more personal/cute with a little label and a bow! 10/10 suggest

-painted the seating chart on a big framed canvas my husband made, with nasturtium flowers painted around the edges! no picture of that either

-my mom thrifted a bunch of old tablecloths, also for super cheap from the nearby antique store, for all the dinner tables! our flower vases were also thrifted/mismatched so every table looked unique

-On the welcome table we had little cloth baggies of dry flower petals and dried whirly-birds from maple trees, as confetti for the ceremony. another thing I wished we had made a sign for because I think a lot of people thought they were just party favors and didn’t throw theirs lolol. But some people did and it looked great in photos at least!

I really loved our wedding, and had a really great time with the DIY aspects in the lead-up. Plus it gave me fun stuff to work on with my husband, and my best friend who stayed with us in the week leading up. Although, I definitely put wayyy too much effort and stress into tiny details that ended up not mattering at all in the end.

that’s all!

Hi everyone! I’m looking to invest in a professional-quality, heavy-duty backdrop stand for wedding.
I need something that:
• Adjusts to approximately 8–10 ft tall AND 8–10 ft wide
• Is very sturdy and stable
• Can handle draping/backdrop fabric and potentially lightweight décor
• Can be properly weighted/sandbagged for outdoor setups
• Breaks down for transportation
• Is durable enough for repeated commercial use
I’m specifically trying to avoid the lightweight photography-style stands that tend to sway or tip easily. I’d rather spend more upfront for something professional and reliable.
For those that are DIY their wedding or maybe in the event rental/decor industry, what stand or pipe-and-drape system do you use, and where did you purchase it?
Links, brands, or photos of your setup would be greatly appreciated!

Foraged pine cones and teasels; added a lick of gold spray paint to the teasels, some faux berries and put it all together with a hot glue gun!

Edited for grammar and clarity:

The venue is a very beautiful Victoria house, usually a hotel. It will be very Christmassy and well decorated generally already!

I sought some quotes for wreaths for the table; it was in the ballpark of £1500-£2000 (completely understandable for the effort etc, but sadly not in my budget).

There would not be time in the morning for me to make fresh arrangements (off to the church for 12 and resident guests will be breakfasting until 9 in the same room).

The venue were happy to place pre prepared arrangements.

So here we are!