Hi friends! I love a little luxury in my life, but there were several wedding details that I DID NOT want to spend an exorbitant amount of money on (who wants to blow $500+ on name cards?!). Here are 9 easy DIY wedding decor ideas that look expensive and won’t break your bank.
Step One: Buy a monogram on Etsy. We purchased from this shop and the owner was fantastic. You’ll receive high-resolution, vector files that can easily be converted (think: change colors, add wreaths, etc.). I monogrammed 99% of our decor — such an easy way to create a uniform look for less.
Project #1: The Painted Mirror Look. My experience pre:wedding with decals was non-existent, and I have to say I’m a borderline pro now (not sure if I’m proud or embarrassed by that). We made 3 separate decal mirrors — one with a large white monogram for cocktail hour decor, one welcome sign that sat outside the ceremony room, and one for our guest seating chart. For inexpensive mirrors, try Habitat for Humanity Restore (the hours are a little strange so be mindful if you go!), or go the Bed Bath & Beyond Coupon route (I found this gorgeous one for our welcome sign). I messaged this store on Etsy and they were able to create a custom decal monogram for under $35. These mirrored signs are cheap, easy (for the most part — read the instructions thoroughly!) and look incredible.
Project #2: Faux Wax Seal Name Cards. Ah, name cards. Ah, WAX SEALS (did not realize these were such a high priced delicacy). These were certainly expenses I did not account for in our initial budget, and when the time came to purchase I was shocked by the price tag. I took the DIY route on these (thanks to help from my older sister!) and was so happy with how they turned out. Use this template on Etsy and get them printed at a local Kinkos. So easy, so beautiful.
Project #3: Bar Signs. Again, I was not excited to shell out hundreds of dollars to have these custom made, and the DIY route was SO easy and incredibly affordable. The Etsy template we purchased had an impressive selection of gorgeous sketches to choose from of every drink imaginable, and these Michael Frames were the ultimate find (shoutout to my Mom on this one).
Project #4: Menu cards and ceremony programs. Zazzle really came through on these two — they were stunning. For added flair, we punched holes in the top left of the programs and tied small, gold ribbons. I LOVED how these turned out.
Project #5. If you haven’t planned for this already, you need a card box — I almost forgot this detail and I’m so glad I pulled the trigger last minute. Bring on the DECALS one last time for this little craft! This looked gorgeous and fit our theme perfectly.
Project #6: Welcome Bags. As a guest at many weddings, I knew I wanted to maintain the thoughtfulness of welcome bags (I always think they’re so sweet and love to receive them!), but I wanted to avoid spending a fortune. I loved how these turned out and loved how the monogram made everything look uniform.
Project #6: Our Guest Book. This was less DIY, but we asked this Etsy seller to print our monogram in gold foil on a white guest book and I was THRILLED with how this turned out. This was not a detail we had planned on including, and I’m so thankful we ended up purchasing – reading ours was such a treat, and we will cherish the notes forever!
Project #8: Another Etsy find — our $10 cake topper that was such a beautiful touch. We asked the seller to create a simple “C,” and I think it turned out so elegant and matched our theme well.
Project #9: Table signs for less. Instead of traditional numbers, we labeled each table with cities we had visited together. It was a fun conversation starter, and I thought it incorporated a unique element of our relationship. The seller mistakenly printed these in rose gold (I didn’t see until wedding night and It was too late to care at that point!) vs. yellow gold. Make sure you specify and respecify correct color if you do purchase!
I really hope this lists helps a bride-to-be, and please share any DIY ideas!
Coupon queens but make it glamorous! Happy planning.
