DIY: why it doesn’t always work (part 3 of 3)
The do-it-yourself movement has EXPLODED in the wedding industry. What began as a need to control the wedding grew into a passion for beauty and uniqueness and nowadays has become an economic need. These days an engaged couple can:
- make their own wedding invites
- sew their wedding attire (and their groomsmen and bridesmaids)
- mix their music on an ipod player (to play at the wedding)
- have a relative become an ordained minister online (to marry them)
- make their own cake
- create their flower arrangements
And – guess what? Just by following along with her magazine, Martha Stewart makes it all so easy in just 5 steps with scissors and a glue gun! But, you and I both know that this just isn’t always the case. Now, there are some people that are truly talented and might just be able to pull all of this off (without losing their minds) but the average wedding joe and jane find themselves a little in over their heads.
The pressure to be truly artistic and talented is mounting. As an industry, we can stop the inanity. I like to remind my clients of the following:
- Have you ever crafted before and is this a hobby you care to acquire in the months leading up to your wedding?
- What is your priority? If you are faced with budget issues, where will you get the most bang for your buck with a DIY project and where will you just create stress and not save much money?
- Calculate how much money you will be saving, and determine whether that is worth the time you will be spending.
- Do you feel pressure to create a DIY wedding because of your peers?
- Do you see yourself enjoying this experience?
When people get married they prioritize their most preferred wedding features. For me, it was the food and the music above all else. The last thing I would consider would be to ipod my entertainment. But, there were other elements that were not as important that I would take on as a project. It’s important that we remind engaged couples to prioritize and be realistic with their DIY projects.