Do it Yourself?? or maybe not…

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Do you feel all inspired and ready to blaze a trail through your local craft store after finding the most gorgeous real wedding, where the couple made everything themselves, beautiful, effortless and cost effective!
I have to admit feeling a tad deflated as you get to the end of the story, only to find the couple are graphic designers, stylists or have some professional authority on the said crafts displayed, suddenly my hopes are dashed that I could ever re-create anything so good. In my case its good to remind myself of my own limitations…
The current trend for getting creative is finding its way into all the main stream mags and blogs and is very much on trend ‘add your own personal touch’ etc. so it’s easy to see why it can be very tempting, to have a go but before you nip over to your local craft store and splurge 100’s of pounds on the latest cutters, scissors and tissues, make sure you read on…
Many people think that doing things yourself can save you money and if you are already, a fairly experienced crafter with some essential kit, then this could probably pay off. However, if you are starting from scratch and have not done anything like this before, make sure you factor any equipment in to the equation and additional supplies, in case of mistakes. Setting up costs alone to get started could be as much as purchasing the end results from a local source and that is before you fill the bin, with your early attempts. Be prepared to spend many hours on the trial and error stage getting your project perfect, the week before your wedding is not the time to suddenly decide you want to make 200 pom poms for your marquee!
Many of our crafting cousins with their gorgeous businesses have spent years at Uni or working at a very high standard, their gorgeous delights don’t just manifest themselves overnight! Working with a professional will allow you to bring your personality into your wedding without looking like my 2 year old was involved.

My Top Tips:

Meet local suppliers that can help turn your ideas into magical creations which are personal to you and look totally awesome. We can recommend Oh Abigail, What Katy did Next, some awesome stationery designers here, Daisy Blue Buttons.
Try a workshop and turn it into Hen Party #1 we know a lovely place in Guisborough where you can meet with friends and plot your DIY projects, natter and have some expert tuition thrown in.
Keep it simple! Here is one of our fave DIY tutorials… so simple there is really no need for instructions! Beer Bottle Magnets – What can go wrong with this and can be used on a table plan or as favours for guests.