9 Perfectly Good DIY Wedding Tips (Really)

    Save money on your wedding with a little DIY magic.

    Joanna Borns
    by Joanna Borns

    BuzzFeed Staff

    1. Music

    Instead of having a live band or a DJ, just fill a bunch of mason jars up with water and have someone from your bridal party clank them with a spoon.

    2. Photography

    Instead of paying a small fortune for a professional photographer, set your camera to rapid fire and place it on top of a colorful tower of macarones. It's your special day, let the macarones do the work.

    3. Releasing Doves

    Releasing doves after you've said your vows is expensive. But you know what's a fun, cheap alternative? Cicadas. Ding Dong! You're married! And out flies a cloud of cicadas. They're much more satisfying than doves because you caught them yourself.

    4. Bridal Party Fashion

    To ensure all your bridesmaids and groomsmen are matching, cover them in a coat of chalkboard paint.

    5. Decorations

    People who think decorations are tricky probably don't realize how easy it is to trace your hand and make it look like a turkey. Voila, you've decorated. People love that.

    6. Flowers

    Floral arrangements are really expensive. They might as well be bouquets of dollars bills. So that's what you're gonna do. Eliminate the middle man (see ya, florist!) and fold all the paper money you would've spent on flowers into beautiful money flowers.

    7. The Cake

    Expensive wedding cakes are for chumps. Just bake a bunch of cupcakes and-- just kidding! Don't do that either. Set out a jar of Nutella and make sure you have enough spoons for all your guests. Done.

    8. Petals/Bubbles

    It's popular to blow bubbles or throw flower petals at the new bride and groom. But where's the personal DIY touch in that? For a memorable wedding, have your guests throw mason jars as you exit the church.

    9. Invitations

    Nothing says "you've been invited to a wedding" quite like a wedding invitation. The only way to make your invites special is to make them yourself. Dip some hardboiled eggs in glitter, wrap them in vintage maps and then splatter with nail polish. Stuff those into envelopes and people should, hopefully, get the idea.