Raise your hand if you're like me and have a deep love of a good DIY project.
And now put down the glue gun because I'm here to tell you that, despite the millions of blogs on Pinterest about how to get your dream wedding for basically free by DIYing everything you can, you do not have to DIY your wedding.
In fact, I encourage you not to.
I hear you. "But wait, Marie. It's your job to tell me not to DIY. You're in the wedding industry."
You are absolutely correct. I am a wedding photographer. I was also once a bride who DIY'd a lot of her wedding. There is a growing unrealistic expectation on couples that they should be florists, designers, master chefs, graphic designers, hair and makeup artists, mixologists, perfect hosts, and also never be stressed during the wedding planning process.
Weddings are already a great source of stress for a large number of couples planning.
In fact, a quick Google search will pull up over thirty-seven million results on dealing with the stress of wedding planning. That doesn't include the extra stress of everyday life or a pandemic. Adding extra projects on top of that stress can quickly turn disastrous.
If the thought of a project for your wedding is stressing you out, I encourage you to take a step back and think about why DIYing it is so important to you.
If it causes you stress, don't DIY.
Now, I will say that I know there are projects that I enjoy, even when they stress me out momentarily. Sewing is one of them. However, there are some DIY projects that I don't enjoy, but I absolutely do for my house. Those projects for my wedding, though, I left to someone else.
If you don't enjoy the project process, you don't have to DIY.
There is also a misconception that doing something yourself will be so much cheaper. Yes, and no. It may be cheaper for the single project, but once you account for the time you spent doing it, the tools you had to buy to do it, and supplies for the project, it doesn't always come out in your favor. Remember that the cost of doing something isn't just the physical supplies for that single project.
If you think you need to in order to save money, you don't have to DIY.
You may find that there are some projects for your wedding that you absolutely want to do yourself. There is nothing wrong with that, and I always love photographing the little thoughtful details like the hair comb a bride made herself, or the cake topper that a groom carved.
Please know, though, that there are professionals whose jobs it is to make sure that you don't have to do every aspect of your wedding on your own. Hiring professionals can save you money, will save you stress, and will free up time for you to spend with your partner.
If you're looking for a photographer to capture all those moments or if you need help finding any vendors for your wedding, click the little envelope button below and send me a message. I have my list of recommended Atlanta area and destination wedding vendors that I love to share with couples.