DIY Brides: What You Can Do Realistically to $AVE Money!

In the heat of this recession, brides- and grooms-to-be are looking for more and more ways to save money, and many have looked at DIY (Do It Yourself) options. 

Some are realistic, others aren't. Let me acquaint you with three DIY options that are realistic and that can save you at least $1,000. 

You can definitely make your own, gorgeous invitations. These can go from simply elegant to over-the-top, fancy. All it takes is a computer, imagination and time. 

Go to a full-service crafts' store that offers plain invitations' stationary to make elegant, traditional invitations. Just print them on your computer. 

For fancier invitations, buy plain card stock in any color you prefer and decorate with dried flowers, ribbons, etc. (all available at the crafts' store). Print on your computer before decorating. 

NOTE: Give yourself plenty of time to make wedding invitations. If making an intricate invitation and each takes 30 minutes to complete and you're making 50, you're going to need about 25 hours.  

Having owned a wedding floral business for years, I can say with certainty that you should NOT entertain thoughts of doing your own bridal-party flowers. These flowers take lots of TLC and skill to look their best, not including the preservatives and "coolers" that are required for them to look fresh on the wedding day.

But this doesn't apply to centerpieces for the wedding reception. Who said they have to be floral? Candles and candelabra make beautiful, stunning centerpieces. Faux crystal bowls, filled with fruit (sprayed gold and/or silver), placed on mirrors and surrounded by votive candles, also make for elegant centerpieces!

Use your imagination and $ave a ton of money. Make them well ahead of the wedding reception and have friends and/or family members deliver them the day before the reception.

You can save hundreds, if not a thousand dollars by making your own headpiece and veil(s). Although tiaras are still popular, bridal "wreaths", dramatic flowers (silk), and headbands are making their way into the mix. And, they're easy to make. Search the Internet for the styles that look good to you and then hit your local crafts' store to buy what you need.

To make a veil(s), you need to go to a fabric of crafts' store and buy a pattern. Buy one that includes ALL veils: cathedral, finger-tip, "blusher" (face veil), etc. and then follow the instructions. You'll also need to buy tulle, in the color of your gown, which is only a couple of dollars per yard.

You don't need to know how to sew professionally to make a veil. If you can sew a hem, you can make a veil. And you can decorate it with crystals or pearls, for example, with glue! I suggest Beacon's Fabri-Tac.