10 DIY wedding ideas for 2025 – budget saving ideas for the creative bride
DIY weddings are always popular and I’m sure this trend will continue into 2025. Whether you’re looking to make all your decorations yourself, or just add one or two hand-crafted elements to your day, then my top 10 DIY wedding craft ideas for 2025 is worth a read. As a wedding photographer, I get to see first-hand the lovely crafts and projects that my couples make to decorate their wedding. All of the DIY projects featured are from real weddings that I’ve photographed in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset so they are realistic and achievable! I hope my little blog post will give you some inspiration to get creative and save money!
As we start look ahead to the 2025 wedding season, there are a few factors that make DIY weddings popular. Recent surveys show that more of us are working from home these days either some or all of the time. Cutting down on commuting time gives us more time for hobbies – including crafts. On the other hand, due to the cost of living crisis, lots of couples are looking for ways to save money on their wedding. That’s where budget-friendly, DIY wedding crafts come in! From table plans to wedding favours, there’s always an alternative that can save you money as well as adding that personal touch to your day.
10 ideas for DIY wedding crafts
- Wedding table names
- Unique wedding table plan
- Home made wedding favours
- Upcycled pallet wedding signs
- Home made confetti
- Our story photo display
- Home made bunting
- Decorate with ribbons
- Wedding guest welcome bags
- Crafty wedding place name cards
1. Wedding table names
Choosing a theme for your wedding table names gives you a chance to tell your guests a little more about you. It could be places you’ve visited, your favourite albums or quotes from your favourite books. Spend a day playing old records or going through your bookshelf for inspiration. Go through your travel photos to find places that bring back great memories or even childhood photos that you might not have shared with each other before. Once you’ve decided on a theme, think about how you’d like to display the names on your tables. Mini chalk boards or inexpensive photo frames can look really effective. If you’d like to keep it simple and number your tables then you can still get creative. How about some embroidery or watercolour illustrations?
2. Unique wedding table plan
Once you’ve decided on your table names and overall theme of your day you can set about creating your seating plan. Guests will look at this as they are finding their seats so why not make it a talking point? Large mirrors and old gilt picture fames are great for an elegant feel, suitcases are ideal for vintage themes and pallets can be upcycled for a rustic look.
3. Home made wedding favours
Making your own wedding favours keeps costs down and your guests will love the personal touch. I’ve seen lots of lovely ideas at the weddings I’ve photographed including home-brewed beer, personalised gin shot bottles and home made jam. You can even make some of these ahead of time as they will keep for a while. If you fancy something other than food and drink, how about pretty flower pots or plants that guests can take home?
4. Upcycled pallet wedding signs
If you want to add a rustic touch to your wedding then a pallet is a great starting point. They can be painted, stained or turned into a chalkboard. You can then add the detail with chalk or paint. If you’re not confident with keeping your writing neat then you can always use a stencil or order some decal lettering. They are a great way to display the order of events so that your guests know what’s coming up or to display your seating plan. And what’s more, they’re often available free!
5. Home made confetti
Spring and summer is the perfect time to collect petals and make your own confetti. Most venues don’t like paper confetti so home made is perfect as it’s biodegradable and eco-friendly. And again, it’s free! I’ve found that mums and grandmothers are happy to help with this too and they often have lovely gardens. After you’ve collected your petals you need to let them dry out. You can lay them our on a sunny windowsill or even pop them in the oven. To complete the look, make some cute little confetti cones from recycled paper. For a personal touch, order a stamp of your initials that can be used on stationery throughout your wedding.
6. ‘Our story’ photo display
Set aside a day to go through all your photos together. If they are still stored on your phone or laptop choose the ones you’d like to print. It will be lovely looking back at all those memories you’ve made so far and choosing the moments that made you laugh or those that marked a special birthday or even your engagement. Include the special people in your life too. Once you’ve had the photos printed it’s time to get creative!
7. Home made bunting
Bunting works with so many styles of wedding – vintage, country, festival, rustic, boho – the list goes on! Choose fabric that matches the colour theme of your wedding. (One of my brides sourced all of her grey and yellow fabric from charity shops!) You can mix up the textures to suit your style too; try mixing cotton prints with some lace or hessian. Even simple white bunting can add a little something to a plain ceiling.
8. Decorate with ribbons
Ribbon is a cheap and versatile material to use in your wedding décor. From ceremony backdrops to chair décor, ribbons can be used to complement your colour scheme. You can even have ribbon wands for you ceremony exit, which is especially useful if your venue doesn’t allow confetti. Gemma & Sophie chose a rainbow of colours that were perfect for their LGBT wedding.
9. Wedding guest welcome bags
Some of my lovely brides are so thoughtful and provide essentials for their wedding guests. I often see care boxes in the toilets containing everyday essentials like plasters, mints and body spray. One of my brides even made ‘hangover kits’ for guests to take home at the end of the night! Another cute idea is a little care pack to leave on the seats for when the guests arrive at your ceremony. You can print off a copy of the order of the day or a little thank you note and add some tissues and confetti. Guests always appreciate these little touches.
10. Crafty wedding place name cards
Last but not least, number 10 in my DIY wedding ideas. The little details at a wedding all add up to create the overall feel and theme of the day. Some guests might want to take their place name home as a little keepsake so why not add some special detail? Name cards can be bought cheaply from craft stores ready for you to customise. You might be able to make use of leftover bits and pieces from the other items you’ve made.
Thank you for reading this blog post! The photos featured were taken at the following Devon wedding venues:
Bickley Mill | Berry Head Hotel | Dartington Hall | Deer Park | Holne Park | Trevenna Barns | Rockbeare Manor | Upton Barn & Walled Garden | St Elizabeth’s House | Sidmouth Harbour Hotel
I hope you’ve enjoyed my 10 DIY wedding ideas for 2025!
Why not check out my 10 tips for an eco-friendly wedding!
