One of the best pieces of advice I received while planning my wedding was that I should prioritize certain things in the budget over others. For me, the wedding attire was critical. I wanted everything else to be pretty too, of course, but I wasn’t as concerned with the bouquets being high-end roses or having fancy centerpieces.
So, I focused on the most important things I couldn’t make myself, then I did a lot of DIY for everything else to help keep my budget in check.
If you’re like me and want to prioritize your hard-earned money for the most important things but still want unique, beautiful touches, these DIY accessory ideas might just help you do it.
Arrange Your Own Bouquets
Once you have chosen your flowers for the special day, you can create your own bouquets pretty easily. You can use foraged flowers, florist flower singles, flower stand flowers, local grocery store flowers, pick them from your own garden, use artificial flowers, or do a non-floral bouquet of buttons and ribbons or artificial butterflies. You can even carry a candy bouquet if that’s what you’re all about.
Admittedly, not everyone can do this DIY well. You do need a bit of an artistic eye. But if you don’t and one of your bridesmaids does, you can easily work together to create the perfect arrangements for your Virginia wedding day.
Create Your Own Boutonnieres
One place you can save a little money is making your own boutonnieres. Grab some simple supplies like flowers, of course, or greenery, and some unique pieces that really pull together your theme for the big day. If you’re going with an old-style garden theme, for example, or a Derby-esque theme, you can use old wooden pipes in the boutonnieres. If you’re going xeriscape you can add some artificial succulents. Marrying a writer? Use a quill pen as part, then they’ll make a lovely gift to the groomsmen, too, afterward.
Or, if you’ve got the time and interest, you could make each boutonniere distinct for each guy wearing one.
Make Your Own Floral Crowns
Whether you’re thinking old-world floral crowns to go with your veil or to have your bridesmaids wear, or if you’re thinking of fairy flower crowns for the littles, these beautiful touches can make the special day super unique. Find artificial or dried flowers in your color or flower scheme and find some YouTube tutorials on how to whip up a floral crown or twelve. They’re easy, fast, and absolutely beautiful!
DIY Your Pet Collar
If you can’t find the right pet collar for the big day, you can easily make one yourself. You’ll just need a little bit of scrap fabric (easy to grab from Walmart or on Amazon), maybe some ribbon, fabric paint, flowers, or rhinestones to create your own pet collar in the color and style that best fit your wedding’s theme.
You can even easily add a ring bearer style pillow to the collar for that perfect touch. I would recommend using artificial rings, though, and giving a human the responsibility of carrying the actual rings!
Decorate Your Own Flower Girl Basket
Finding the right basket for your flower girl could be a challenge. But if you do it yourself, you’ll have the perfect elements easily and inexpensively. Grab a basket in a shape you like (and a size she’ll be able to carry easily!) and use flowers that match your motif. Or make it sparkle with some glitter paint. Attach ribbons, greenery, or anything else you like. The world is your inspiration!
Bedazzle or Glitter Up Your Wedding Shoes
If you have a pair of uber-comfy shoes you’re dying to wear for the big day but they just don’t sparkle enough, you can always bedazzle them for yourself. Grab some hot glue and rhinestones or look for a bedazzler gun on Amazon or a similar site.
Similarly, if you’d prefer glitter, floral appliques, or anything else, those are so easy to do and don’t cost much time, energy, or money.
Thrift and Upgrade Your Purse
If you’re planning to have a clutch for the big day but don’t want to spend a small fortune on the perfect one, you can grab a pretty or generic clutch from the local thrift store and doll it up. Want glitter? Easy. Want jewels? Easy. Dip dye? Easy. There are so many unique ways to upgrade an old clutch or other purse, making it your perfect accessory for the day. You could get a collection of them and do them up for the bridesmaids as well as a gift.
