Weddings are extravagant and price tags can be exploitative. But when you’re tying the knot, it can be hard to justify where to cut corners. Decorations are the easiest part of a wedding to do on a budget, even if you don’t have much experience in DIY décor. Here are some ideas for DIY wedding decorations for any theme and skill level.

Have fun with flowers

Flowers can be extremely expensive, maybe more than you were expecting. But there are ways to cut costs and incorporate flowers into your final design all by yourself. After all, your floral arrangements should speak to who you are as an individual, so it’s worth it to create your own.

First-time crafter

• DIY rustic wedding décor ideas include foraging for wildflowers. You can use these in your bouquet or as aisle and table décor.
• Add small sprigs of greenery to name cards and wedding favours for some colour.

Experience in DIY

• You can always buy more affordable flower bouquets and rearrange them yourself.
• For DIY wedding centrepieces on a budget, try mixing flowers, foliage, vases and candles to create cluster centrepieces.

Pro crafter

• Create your own flower wall by mixing real and fake flowers. This will give you a show-stopping backdrop for photos. [1] [2] 
• For your bouquets, arrange dried flowers and wrap in ribbon. Dried flowers won’t wilt, so you can prep the bouquets far in advance.

Tip: For your “something old”, you can take a piece of fabric from your mother’s or grandmother’s old dresses to turn into ribbons to wrap around your bouquets.

Get creative with crafting

When it’s time to decorate your wedding ceremony and reception space, there are lots of opportunities to get creative. You can create some unique DIY wedding decorations and get your loved ones involved in the preparations for your big day.

First-time crafter

• You can upcycle outdoor materials to use as place-card holders. Look at using seashells for beachy weddings or pine cones for a more rustic theme.
• Make sure no one loses their way on your big day. Create some signage for your guests with some reclaimed wood, paint and a stencil.

Experience in DIY

• Design custom labels for the wine bottles at your reception. You can find a template online or simply use your imagination to design your own.
• Ditch the expensive wedding favours and make candles or bake treats for your guests to take home instead.

Pro crafter

• Try your hand at calligraphy and write your own name cards, invitations or menus. They won’t all be uniform, but this could be the unique touch you’re looking for.
• If you’re really handy, you could build your own ceremonial arch with reclaimed wood and flowers.

Tip: There are a lot of innovative DIY wedding decoration ideas out there, but that doesn’t mean you have to do all of them. Do as much as your budget, skill level and schedule will allow.

For more wedding ideas on a budget, read these blogs:

Wedding ideas on a budget

Micro-weddings on a budget