What to DIY vs Hire a Professional For

So I feel like I have a very particular understanding of both sides of this argument. I’m in the wedding industry, so obviously that’s how I make my money and keep my fat cats fed, but I’m also planning a wedding, too. However, my personal belief is: if you can't do it yourself, or if you shouldn't do it yourself, you should hire somebody for it.

Photo & Video

Obviously this is the big one. Obviously can't do that yourself on your wedding day (trust me, I tried to figure out how haha). The visuals from your day are going to stand the test of time – those are the things that you're going to keep well beyond the wedding day. So those are worth investing in hiring someone for!

Decoration

When it comes to what to DIY, a lot of it is going to largely be decor, like your table top decor at your reception, for example. If it’s not in the budget to hire a rental or design company, this will end up falling to you if you want to see your reception space all decked out. A specific example of this would be instead of renting lanterns for your centerpieces to decorate with florals, you could make them using materials from the dollar store! There are tons of resources on TikTok. A lot of brides are showing how they DIY fake lanterns that they put candles into, and it looks good! And it only cost them about $6 instead of renting an item for $12 that you have to return. Then, those brides were able to resell those items after the wedding day as well. You can also DIY a photo booth backdrop if you’re planning on having one of those.

Florals

When considering your florals, the work that a florist can create is just magical, and that ends up being a huge part of the day. If you have a ton of florals (like worn or carried florals, ceremony arch decor, and reception tabletop decor), I’d recommend hiring someone for at least a part of it. We’ve talked about when to use real vs. fake florals in a previous blog, but if you are going to DIY your florals, I would recommend using Trader Joe's or Sam's Club. Trader Joe’s gets fresh shipments of florals daily, so if you don’t find what you need on one day, check again! And get there right when they open so you have the best pick of inventory.

Signage

This is such an easy DIY! If you don't give out ceremony programs (which are, frankly, a waste of paper), you can put a up sign, listing what's happening in the ceremony, who’s involved, and any other details you would include on a program. That's something that you can easily do yourself. You can thrift an old mirror, give the frame a fresh coat of paint, and write on the mirror yourself. You can also do this with a picture frame. This technique can also be used in place of food and drink menus or table top numbers.

Music

You can take this in a couple different directions. If you’re not planning on hiring a DJ, grab a friend who knows good music, get them a Spotify Premium account, and let them do their thing during the reception. I’ve also seen couples ask their friends to play live music during the ceremony, rather than lugging speakers out to the ceremony spot. This is also key if you’re eloping, where it isn’t as feasible to bring a lot of equipment out into nature.

All in all, if you’re able to DIY things and you want to spend that extra time and energy doing so, I say go for it! But there are certain things you should prioritize hiring for. If you’re like me and you don’t have time to micromanage your wedding, you’ll end up hiring for most of it. But personally, I feel better knowing that I’m completely taken care of by a team that works together so well and so often! Plus, I get to support even more small businesses!

Ready to hire your own professional photo team? Hit that button below and let’s do it!