Even Keel Weddings LOVES creative couples.

Creative couples have an eye for design and are invested in making their big day aesthetically really beautiful. Creative couples also typically want to get their hands a little dirty and take on Do It Yourself (DIY) projects for their wedding. Now, I’ll be straight with you- most wedding coordinators/designers will discourage DIY endeavors. And on the whole I have to agree, but I do think there are some exceptions to the rules. There are ways to satisfy your itch to creatively contribute to your perfect day. The key is being honest with yourself and knowing your strengths, weaknesses, and your determination to commit to a project.

First a disclaimer: In the vain of keeping it real, you’re not necessarily going to save money by doing a DIY project and the reality is that beyond money, a project can end up costing you stress and precious time. This is why I encourage your to be honest with yourself! Ask yourself do I have the time? patience? skills? true desire to do this thing?

If the answer is yes to all of these here are some conditional PROS:

The best benefit of doing a DIY project is seeing your personal touch can be truly satisfying. I personally created our wedding invitations. It was a labor of love but seeing them all done made me so happy and they were truly unique.

DIY projects can also build and strengthen your support circle. You’re gonna want to call on some helping hands. Get your wedding party or family on board to help. Take inventory of their skills and strategize how they might be able to help*

***(that is IF they’re willing. DO NOT expect or assume people are going to be willing and wanting! Assumptions like this can lead to disappointment and bridezilla breakdowns)

So, say you have the time, you have the help, you’ve got the skills- You’re also going to want to pace yourself and stay extremely organized- DIY will definitely mean more of your time even with helping hands! If you’re a procrastinator or are scattered I’m begging you. Put the craft down! This especially goes for those of you who have a sizable guest list! The bigger the wedding- the bigger the project is going to be.

If at this point you’re thinking. OK I got this I could totally pull off X project, I’d like to offer my final plea to you- incorporate and coordinate with professionals. Get on the same page. Make sure your coordinator knows EXACTLY what to do with your DIY project.

Effective DIY projects that I’ve seen:

A paper artist made 1000 paper cranes.

A ceramicist threw vases for the tables.

A hand made ceremony arch.

Hand made invitations and name cards

….

And then there was Ann and Mike’s wedding in Ukiah, CA. The pair are quirky, creative, and love a themed event. Ann is an event producer and when it came to her wedding she went to town! The two came up with their own wedding logo and thanks to the power of a die cutter everything at their entire wedding was branded. Every element was considered and executed beautifully: The invites, guest gift, all the decor, the macrame alter, and even the brides dress were designed by the couple. They’re a unique case where almost all of the wedding was DIY and the executed with the help of Fringe and Food

They called the unforgettable weekend “Camp Yokayo” held at Yokayo Ranch in Ukiah, CA. The camp theme was brought to life with actual camping/glamping, crafts, and don’t forget the s’mores! If you were to ask someone to describe the weekend you’d find words like 80s disco dance party; meets Wet Hot American Summer meets Back to the Future; meets crafty sleep away camp; meets modern rustic chic wedding party… I know you’re probably scratching your head but as you can see in these photos the whole day came together beautifully in one of the most beautiful places on earth! So keep scrolling to check out the fun!