DIY wedding decorations - It sounds like a good way to save, but what resources and skills does wedding decoration really require? In order to dispel the myth that the services of a wedding decorator are expensive and some of the work can be done by the bride herself, let's find out whether it is possible to save by decorating yourself, what costs of decorations and how cooperation with a decorator is formed. Let's also look at ways to reduce decoration costs - choosing aesthetic rooms and renting wedding decorations.

Is it possible to save money with self-made wedding decorations?

It is impossible to predict whether it will be possible to save, because it is very likely that without prior experience and in-depth knowledge, various failures will occur, for the repair of which you may even have to pay twice as much. Money for materials will be issued, but the intended decoration may fail due to lack of skills. It is worth considering whether the little financial resources saved are worth the effort and energy that would be better spent enjoying the wedding day.

We also asked this question to wedding decorators and they tell us about their experiences in such situations when couples plan or choose to do some of the decorating work themselves.

Kristīne Mateviča from Flowerselement clarifies that decoration consists of many different elements, color range, style, taste must be kept. To become a decorator, you must first become a florist, and both of these professions involve a wide variety of knowledge and skills needed to successfully create decorations. Kristīne Mateviča admits that, of course, not all cases require a decorator - if there is a small family wedding, then the bride can decorate the environment with her friends and relatives. On the other hand, if there is a large wedding, in which a group of specialists is involved - caterers, musicians, the host of the evening, and if the wedding takes place in a manor, a palace or a guest house, then she would definitely not recommend decorating it yourself, but trusting professionals, then the result will be successful and you will spend less money than if you did it yourself.

The bride and groom are worried at the wedding and if they have to do some decoration work at the last moment, it causes additional unnecessary stress. Agate from Treya Deko has also experienced that often brides take on the wedding decoration themselves due to financial reasons, but this does not always turn out to be the best solution. Brides usually get their inspiration from Pinterest, but in reality, it's hard to replicate what you see in the beautiful pictures without the knowledge. Agate explains that decorating a wedding takes both time and energy. It is necessary to define the general concept of decorations - if you put together everything you like from countless pictures, each of which has its own style and mood, the result can be motley. In addition, decorating is not exactly a one-day job, because the necessary decorations and flowers must be procured, found in stores, and rental items transported. Flowers also need to be prepared, cleaned and smelled. Agate adds that she does not advise brides to take on the decoration, so that the bride and groom, who will be in the center of attention throughout the wedding day, have enough strength and energy to enjoy it all.

Wedding decorator Madara Berg explains - although brides think that it will be cheaper to decorate themselves, it is not, because the decorator has a circle of contacts and knowledge of what and where to find, buy or rent. Planning everything yourself, looking for materials and creating decorations is very time-consuming and tiring. In addition, a wedding decorator will help you find and create the best option according to your budget.

Linda Laurīte from Pieneneart shares a case from experience. A couple wanted her to make the decorations for the ceremony place, but they would order the decorations for the table themselves, bringing them flowers that they would put together right before the celebration. Unfortunately, very poor quality flowers were brought and as a result the decorations failed. If you choose to decorate yourself, talk to a florist or decorator who will advise which flowers will be more durable, how flowers should be properly prepared before making arrangements. Linda usually shares these mistakes with couples who want to do some of the decorating themselves, but most couples like to make their own mistakes rather than learn from others.

However, I would like couples to realistically weigh their skills and opportunities, so that the wedding day is not spent in disappointment and tears due to decorations that do not match the plans. Linda Laurīte has had many cases when the bride calls the night before, because she realized that she would not be able to do everything herself. Therefore, she advises the young couple not to take risks, because there are many other worries on the wedding day. The main thing is to trust the chosen decorator and enjoy the day.

What is the cost of wedding decorations?

It seems that couples are sometimes afraid to choose the services of a wedding decorator because there is no understanding of what constitutes the cost of a decorator's service. Kristīne Mateviča from Flowerselement emphasizes that wedding decoration is not just about pinning flowers on the wedding day. It is a long-term work that consists of communication with the couple, development of several options, cooperation from the first ideas to realization and picking up the decorations after the holiday.

Kristīne Mateviča says that the cost of decorating depends on the size of the room to be decorated, the number of guests, and the format of the event. Another big cost item is flowers, their prices depend on the varieties, shades, quantity of flowers. Of course, also arches, podiums and other decorative elements, as well as crockery and tableware, if they are not offered by the caterer. There are many cost items, therefore, when you see the final amount, you should not be afraid that the decorator is interested in cheating or concealing something, but rather go deeper and think whether you will really have enough time, energy and knowledge to organize it all yourself. It is probably more profitable to pay this one amount to the decorator and not think about the additional costs that could arise if you did it yourself and the additional costs would arise in the process due to ignorance. Kristīne Mateviča emphasizes how important it is to choose a decorator whose work you really like and who you can trust in terms of both financial and aesthetic issues. For everything to work out, the main foundation is trust.

How to build cooperation with a decorator?

Cooperation with a wedding decorator begins with listening to the wishes of the couple and, taking into account the parameters of the venue, creating a sketch of the wedding decoration, a visualization and, accordingly, an estimate with costs. this is the stage where misunderstandings, misunderstandings and cost shock often occur. Therefore, already at this stage, couples should be as open as possible and clearly explain their options to the potential decorator. Kristīne Mateviča says that recently there are often situations when couples ask to make a decoration and a cost proposal, but when they ask for the desired budget, the brides avoid answering. Maybe there is a feeling - if the budget ceiling is revealed, then the decorator will use this entire amount, but it is not the case at all. Rather, it helps the decorator to orient himself and understand the price category and the scope of decorations to fit into.

Looking for your wedding decorator here: WEDDING DECORATIONS

Another scenario is that brides have looked on Instagram and Pinterest, send many different examples and wishes, unable to settle on one style, but when estimating, the cost turns out to be too high, they start rejecting things, reducing the volume and the overall view is broken. Speaking of both scenarios, it is important to add that the decorator invests time and work in the preparation of the proposal and visualization, so it is sad if the decorator has prepared the proposal without knowing the real possibilities of the couple, and the couple does not even respond upon receiving it. Kristīne Mateviča invites couples to address only their favorites, because finding the holiday mood, visualization and preparing an estimate is not an easy task. In addition, it is impossible to do this without deeper conversations with the couple and specific information about the place of celebration.

It is completely unacceptable when the bride receives an offer and visualization from a decorator, but forwards it to another decorator with the comment that something like this is needed, only cheaper.

Kristīne Mateviča says that there have been situations where other decorators recognized her work and informed that they received her sketches with a request to realize them. Good decorators have their own signature and industry professionals will recognize each other's work. She also comments that there are currently many decorators in Latvia, but not all of them have the talent, sense of style and skill to create compositions. As a result, they see each other's ideas, copy and imitate. However, what is also important here is the approach of the young couple - whether the couple perceives the decorator as an artist to whom to give the main guidelines, trusting his vision, or as a service provider to whom only specific things are sent to be imitated. A mistake that couples sometimes make is the desire to save on decorator transportation costs. Kristīne Mateviča works in Kuldīga, but decorates all over Latvia. It has happened that she draws up an estimate where the travel costs are also included at the end, but the couple thinks that it would be better to find another option on the spot instead of paying the travel expenses. However, this is followed by disappointment and regret for the saved travel expenses but the unsuccessful result.

Theoretically, there is a possibility to form cooperation with the decorator in such a way, where the decorator helps in the development of the concept and overview of the wedding decorations, creates individual central elements, while the bride creates a part herself. Kristīne Mateviča says that she cooperated with couples in this way - she helped choose decorations, gave recommendations and developed an overview and overall mood, made bouquets, flower pins and car decorations, while the bride took it upon herself to make the rest. However, usually in such cases, brides realize sooner or later that they will not be able to do it physically or emotionally the day before the wedding. Girls want to save money and want to decorate the wedding themselves, but considering that brides should be beautiful, harmonious and calm on their wedding day, Kristīne would recommend entrusting the decoration and organization to professionals.

If you manage to find the right person who will conjure up festive feelings at your wedding, then the cooperation can turn out to be truly special. Kristīne Mateviča shares the following special story - five years ago she decorated the wedding of Evita and Kārļas and this year she was invited to decorate this couple's five-year wedding anniversary. Cooperation based on mutual trust turns out to be successful and memorable. Kristīne says that he goes into the decoration of every wedding with his heart and soul, and if the couple also appreciates the decorator's work and trusts them, then everything will work out.

How does choosing a wedding venue affect the cost of decorations?

Kristīne Mateviča emphasizes the importance of choosing a wedding venue and celebration rooms. The environment determines how much and what kind of decorations will be needed, and if you want to reduce their costs, it is preferable to choose a room where a smaller amount of decorations will be enough to create the mood. She says that often, when she goes with the couple to see the place of the celebration to agree on the layout of the decorations in the room, it turns out that it is necessary to cover up an ugly wall, to divert attention from the flaws of the interior, and as a result, a large part of the decoration budget goes to cover up various imperfections.

If you do not want to invest a lot of money in decorations, then you should look for a room that has its own character, which has beautiful interior elements, such as festive chandeliers, as well as appropriate lighting that will not have to be adjusted to the needs of the event. However, even if the room is in perfect condition, you will probably want to create a more festive atmosphere and will need to choose some party decorations. They don't have to be grand if the wedding is held in a modern minimalist style. Also, a lot can be achieved with lighting.

Do you rent wedding decorations?

event agency Bon Event , says that buying or creating decorations yourself is definitely not profitable, but there are other ways to reduce costs. Some solutions to make compositions cheaper are to use artificial flowers or to make a lot of small-scale decorations, for example, to put flowers in small vases. Bon Event offers a wide range of ready-made decorations for rent. They say that this year not only flower arrangements are relevant, but also various thematic decorations, such as disco balls.

Author of the article: Renate Berga

Story: Kristīne Matevica (Flowerselement) / Bon Event / Treya Deko / Pieneneart / Madara Berga