4 ways to cut costs on your big day by doing DIY wedding projects

Your dream wedding with all the bells and whistles doesn't have to be unaffordable.

Wedding decorations that you create in fun do-it-yourself projects will not only give your budget some relief, but be unique, personal and totally YOU!

Call on friends and family to help you.

You'll find that you've fostered an unforgettable pre-wedding experience for lots of loved ones.

According to Dr. Wealth, a typical wedding in Singapore carries a price tag of minimum SGD 50,000.

Expenses can soar to SGD 130,000 or more.

Coming up with at least some of the decorations yourself can make your wedding day less costly and more memorable for everyone.

Before you decide on a DIY decoration project, be honest in assessing your creative skills.

Re-doing an unsatisfactory outcome time and again until it is perfect may cost you more money than buying a ready-made version.

If you are confident about your crafty abilities and are sure you want to proceed, start by creating a timetable for each of your targeted wedding decoration projects.

Some designs may take more than just a weekend to pull off to your satisfaction, so make sure to start early.

That way you won't be stressed out trying to finish them right before your wedding day.

A quick internet search will reveal hundreds of projects that may interest you.

To get you started on your DIY mission, here are a few projects that you can finish in just a couple of days.

DIY Wedding Projects #1 : Fancy Banners

Colourful glittery banners strung across several different spots at your wedding celebration are sparkling eye-catchers.

Hang them over a fancy photo booth at the reception, over the dessert table, or above your sweetheart table.

Your first step is to create lettering that you cut out from foam board. If you or your partner has a talent for drawing, you can design and draw these fonts yourselves.

Otherwise, find downloadable templates online and trace them.

Once you have cut out all your letters, generously cover each surface with spray adhesive and glitter.

If glitter doesn't complement your theme, an alternative would be to use bright paint to decorate the letters.

Creating and cutting out the foam board letters, decorating them and cleaning up your work station can take between two and three hours.

DIY Wedding Projects #2 : Chalkboard Signage

Another versatile wedding decoration is chalkboard signage.

This attention-getter can be used for almost anything from welcoming your guests to displaying the reception menu.

Moreover, chalkboard signage can be easily customised to fit a wide variety of themes.

You and your groom can easily create custom chalkboards by attaching adhesive chalkboard paper to a background surface or painting a wooden surface with chalkboard paint.

You can choose distressed wood for a rustic look, an antique door for a vintage look, or the back of a mirror if you want something that you can reuse after the wedding.

With the help of your groom, you can finish this project in 30 to 60 minutes.

DIY Wedding Projects #3 : Push-Pop Confetti

With these confetti poppers your guests can shower you with paper confetti as the two of you leave the wedding ceremony venue.

To make the poppers, wrap empty toilet paper rolls with patterned paper or gift wrapping.

(Remember to ask your family and friends early on to collect rolls for you - this is free material!)

Fill the rolls with paper confetti, or perhaps star confetti if it fits your theme.

Use twine to create a pull string, and seal the rolls with tape.

Print out your guests' names on sticker paper, and label each popper for easy and personal distribution during the ceremony.

Alternatively, create handwritten labels if you or your groom is a talented calligrapher.

With the help of your bridal party, family members and friends, you can easily create hundreds of poppers over the course of a weekend.

DIY Wedding Projects #4 : Flower Headpiece

A fresh-cut flower hear ornament can be an interesting alternative to a bejeweled headpiece.

A great way to hold down your veil, for example, is with a self-made crown of flowers.

While you'll want to finish all your other DIY wedding decorations at least a week before the big day, you'd do best to wait until the morning of the ceremony to do a living flower piece.

Bend floral wire ($4) into a loop to fit the crown of your head, and secure the ends with floral tape ($6).

Attach your selected flowers to the loop using the tape.

For the main flowers, try roses, peonies, daisies or other medium-sized blossoms.

As fillers, use baby's breath, myrtle or other dense, less expensive flowers.

 
The New Savvy is the definitive financial and career guide that empowers women through meaningful and relevant content.