Planning a DIY (Do It Yourself) wedding can be a creative experience, but it can also be challenging. Here are five tips to help you avoid unnecessary stress and hassle when planning a natural wedding:
Budget and guest list: the basics of DIY weddings
The first and most important steps are to determine how much money you have available and who you are inviting. Without this, don't even start to go further. Defining and allocating a budget will help you to manage money consciously and prevent you from spending too much on something at the expense of something else. It limits how many people you can invite, which will affect the amount you can spend on venue and food and drink.
Start on time: planning and preparation
It's important to start preparing early and not leave anything to the last minute. There are many tasks that can be done months before the wedding and you don't have to do everything yourself. Have a small task to do for each day or week for yourself and for others, keep an eye on the situation and delegate to others if necessary. Don't forget to choose and book your venue well in advance - in our case, for example, you could think about coming early with a few friends and decorating the venue.
Involving family and friends in a DIY wedding
Although family and friends can offer lots of ideas and help in planning your wedding, think carefully about which ones you accept. Yes, it's a boundary-drawing and no-noing exercise that is often difficult to do. Believe me, you can save a lot of nerve-wracking moments by thinking this through, because you may not be able to ask everyone as you first thought.
Sustainable ideas: creativity and reuse at your wedding
One of the big advantages of DIY weddings is that they offer the opportunity to save some money. Before you spend a lot on new decorations, for example, think about what you can create from what you already have. It's important to try to display your own creativity and style and not copy another wedding - remember: be casual and sometimes less is more.
When organising a wedding at the Factory, it is the vintage venue and rustic atmosphere that appeals to couples. It is often important when choosing a venue that it is also a venue for a wedding, so you can accommodate a certain number of people.
Allocation of tasks - Everyone does only what they are good at
One of the last things you want is to have a task done by someone who doesn't know how to do it, so it's going to be a bit of a hassle to see what gets done and how. The task: to find out who bakes the best cookies, who has the best brandy, or which pantry has some elderberry syrup. When it comes to music, it's often easier to have a pre-prepared playlist that anyone can scroll through when they need it. It's not just the experience and the mood that depends on it, not to mention your money, so make sure you choose the right ones.
We hope the tips above will help you to organise a unique and truly DIY wedding for yourself, minimising stress and hassle. A location close to nature will give you good photo subjects, and you won't have to worry about going far to sleep.
If you're looking for a natural and vintage venue, come and see what an exciting rustic feel the Distillery has. Email us at retreatfactory@gmail.com and have a look around!