Your Wedding: What You Can and Cannot Do Yourself

Many people want to save money by taking care of some the wedding essentials themselves. This is a good idea, and can be very helpful on the economical end of things. If you plan to have a simple wedding, then this works out even better. However, if you plan to have a large, complicated affair, it might be worth your while to divide and conquer. Here are a few suggestions of things that you can do yourself, and what you should probably hire a professional to do.

Things virtually anyone can take care of themselves:
*Wedding favors: simple and inexpensive favors like homemade magnets, little plants or flowers, candles, soaps and oils, or a homemade (burned) CD of romantic favorites.
*Simple centerpieces: these should be small and easy to assemble, like tea lights floating in bowls or scattered rose petals.
*Making the ring pillow
*Making the flower girl’s basket
*Your own bride/groom hair and makeup

Things that you can do IF you (or a relative or close friend) have experience in a particular area:

*Music: use an iPod for computer mixes. These can be hooked into a sound system and set to play continuous music. Make sure someone is there to play the entrance music, first dance song, and other specific music at the right time.
*Wedding cake: if you know someone who can make a great-looking cake (or if you can), there is no reason to hire a professional. Many times someone close to you who has the proper skills will do it as your wedding gift.
*Dress: if you or someone you know is an accomplished sewer, than this is something that can be without spending more than a thousand dollars at a bridal shop. But whoever it is better be good.
*Photography: an amateur in the family can be a great alternative. However, it never hurts to have a couple of professional pictures taken.

Things best left to the professionals:
*Large and complicated flower arrangements and centerpieces: even if you know someone, these can be hard to put together and require a great investment of time. You want to be free to accomplish what needs to be done, and you don’t want to burden your friends.
*Catering: if you plan to have quite a lot of food, have the professionals handle it. Your kitchen will never be big enough to get all the food done, and it’s your WEDDING. You shouldn’t be slaving in the kitchen anyway.
*Special venues: if you plan to have your wedding at an exclusive location or at a place where it requires special permission or clearance, some sort of wedding planner can help you better expedite the paperwork. If you do have your wedding at a particular venue, such as a reception center or some other similar place, find out what services might be included.