This weekend marks our second wedding anniversary (a big congrats for me! I made it!…kidding babe).
Since we got married only a few months after I graduated, with my second degree and loads of debt, I was looking to save molla in every nook and cranny of our wedding so I thought I would share with all of you how I save a few bucks DIYing anything and everything!
1) Invitations.
Although I probably shouldn’t have been, I was astonished at the cost of wedding invitations. For half decent ones we’re looking at minimum five bucks each. People were telling me if I wanted to ”DIY” my wedding invitations I should just buy the pre-made packs at Michaels and print them out. Even at $50.00/box it was out of my range and so my personal mission to DIY started!
I knew the basic colors I wanted and that I wanted a calla lily flower on it but that’s about it!
Here’s what I ended up making in Microsoft Word (these are old photos, sorry for the blurriness!) :
I had them printed at Staples on cardstock (save my ink and better printing quality) for about $20.00 total (110 made). I then recruited my best friends and sister/sister-in-law to tediously cut each one out and glue onto the lighter green scrapbooking cardstock (also measured and cut with straight blade) and tie then ribbon around.
Totals:
-Printing: $20.00
-Green Cardstock: $25.00
-Ribbon: $5.00
Total on Invites: $50.00
Total Saved: at least $450.00
2) Hair Accessories
Again, I’m learning if the word ”wedding” is attached in any way, shape or form, it’s 10x more expensive.
I knew I wouldn’t be wearing my veil all night and knew I didn’t want real flowers because the projected heat and humidity would kill them in no time at all {FYI: Our wedding day was the hottest recorded day of the year. Yup, it was fun. I peed when I woke up that morning and didn’t pee again until 2am the next day. Sweat it all out. Sick}.
I searched everywhere for hair stuff and couldn’t find anything in my price range that I loved. So I made ‘em!
I bought a ‘bunch’ of white flowers from Michael’s floral section with the pearls in the middle already, carefully popped them off the stems and glue-gunned them to bobby pins. 
Total Cost:
-Floral Bunch from Michael’s: $5.00
-Bobby Pins: Free (already owned)
Total: $5.00
Total Saved: ?? Depends but I was looking around $50.00,so I saved ~$45.00
3) Wedding Favors/Candy Bar:
We used our candy bar as our wedding favor(s) by placing an organza bag at each place setting which I personalized by making tags (again in Microsoft Word) to tie onto the bag:
At the Candy Bar I also made this sign out of wooden letters, wood dowels, paint, a basket with floral foam and rocks at the bottom and fake grass to decorate:
Total Costs:
-100 Organza Bags ordered off Ebay: $20.00
-Tags: $5.00 for printing at Staples on cardstock
-Candy Bar Sign: $10.00 total, all supplies from Michael’s
-Candy for the Candy Bar: $40.00 (Bulk Barn)
Feeding Gummy Worms to drunk friends? Priceless.
Total for Favors: $75.00
Total Saved: minimum $125.00 (I couldn’t find any favors less than $2.00 each)
4) Programs/Menus
I managed to score 2 boxes of ready-to-print church programs for $20.00 (100 total programs)!
Again I had them tied with pink or orange ribbon.
I made the menus at home with our printer and glue:
We had a catered summer BBQ for the wedding, so yummy.
Total Costs:
-Ready to print Programs: $20.00
-Printing at home (Program and Menu): Free
Cardstock: ~$5.00
Total Spent: $25.00
Total Saved: ~$250.00
5) Seating Chart
I searched quite a few different places for seating charts but again couldn’t find anything I liked, in my price range. Here’s what I came up with:
I bought a foam board at Staples and printed the charts at home (used Word) gluing onto more green cardstock and using more ribbon to decorate. Even the photos are printed on paper.
Total Costs:
Foam Board: $6.00
Charts, printed at home: Free
Ribbon: $5.00
Cardstock: $4.00
Total: $15.00
Total Saved: $35-$285.00-HUGE price variance depending on what you’re looking for.
That’s how I saved hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on our wedding DIY-ing 
Happy (early) Anniversary Babe! xo
