Make the best use of your time – while still planning your wedding.
Whether you’ve had to postpone your wedding due to this coronavirus pandemic, or your wedding is months or even a year or two away – with the mandate to stay home, now is a great time to channel your inner Martha Stewart and work on some do-it-yourself projects for the big day. Not only will this help pass the time at home, but it will get you excited for what’s to come and could save you money in the long run.
So, make a wedding playlist on Spotify or Pandora, dust off your Cricut and start searching Pinterest for inspiration. Here are a few things you can tackle – even if you’re like me and not very creative.
Centerpieces
Hear me out. Flowers are great centerpieces, but why not research alternatives? Lanterns or faux flowers, candles and fake rose petals can be just as beautiful and probably half the cost. A couple Michael’s or Joann’s online orders, and you could really create some beautiful centerpieces that are sure to wow all of your guests. Plus, you get the added bonus of saying, ‘Yea I did that during quarantine with my husband’ (because, yes he’ll be your husband soon enough!). You can get as creative as you want too. My husband loves golf, so we made flags for each table (luckily we had 18). Simple wooden posts in a Styrofoam half ball base and paper at the top. A nice unique and personal touch to the day.
Place Card Table
Sure, every venue has a generic table for the place cards – but make it fun and unique. Sticking with our golf theme, we cut a wooden board, stapled fake greens on it and even had a flag and a sand trap. If you have a theme, get creative. Again, take a look on Pinterest for inspiration.
Favors
You’ll have to think outside the box with this. Sure, you can package up candy or cookies, but if you don’t have a set wedding date and everything in flux, you don’t want things to get stale. But if you’re a baker or a cook, maybe you could make some simple pot holders or dish towels. Granted you have to have a sewing machine for this – but if that’s your thing – this could be a fun way to pass the time.
Save the Dates/Invitations or Programs
Depending on where you are on the planning process, you could easily design your save-the-dates, invitations or programs yourself online. Sites like Shutterfly, Minted, Snapfish or even Walgreens have so many designs that you can customize yourself. If you’re unsure of how they will turn out, some sites will send you samples before you make a purchase.
Bridal Party Proposal Boxes
Again – get online, order some things and get this out of the way. Whatever the theme, Amazon is sure to have what you’re looking for. This one is a no brainer if you’re at the beginning of planning.
If DIY isn’t your thing, there’s other things you can do while at home to plan for your wedding. Here are just a few.
Start Your Registry
Now is a great time to pour yourself a glass of wine with your significant other and start your registry online. Sure, it’s not as fun as walking around a store with a little gun to scan things, but you’ll be in the privacy of your own home with no associates to tell you what you should and shouldn’t register for.
Plan Your Honeymoon
Yes, we don’t know when traveling will be safe again. But, you could get some great ideas and deals right now if you’re wedding isn’t for a while. If you’re unfamiliar with a location, Google it – write down all the places there are to see. Check maps of the area. Become your own travel agent.
Make a Wedding Playlist
If you have Spotify, iTunes or any way to make playlists, start a few lists. Cocktail hour music. Must plays. His and hers playlists. Entrance music. Dinner music. Ceremony music. This way, when it’s time to go over songs for the wedding, you’ll have an idea of what you’re looking for. Get your significant other involved, and stroll down memory lane with songs you haven’t heard in a while.
Choreograph a Wedding Dance
If you’re like me, you love to dance. I choreographed a flash mob for the big day. I filmed myself and my stepdaughter doing the dance, and then sent out the video to all my friends and family. On our wedding day, right after our first dance, my husband and I busted out our moves, while our wedding party and everyone else joined us on the dance floor to “Shut Up and Dance.” If this isn’t your thing, you could just choreograph your first dance with your significant other to surprise your guests.
Bonus: Make Your Wedding Album
If you’re already married, save a ton of money and make your own wedding album. Granted a lot of photographers include this in their package. But for those brides who didn’t purchase one, sort through your thousands of photos, and pick any site online that has the best deal and make the album yourself. You’ll have a blast reminiscing about the best day ever.
The sky is the limit when it comes to do-it-yourself for your wedding. Depending on how creative you are, you could really do any and all of the things for your wedding.
While we all try and get through this time, if you can tackle a few items off your wedding checklist at this time, it will give you something to look forward to. And it will take your mind off what is going on in the world. So, stay home and get crafty!
