We live in the age of Pinterest , where we can find inspiration for all kinds of celebrations and events, including wedding decorations. Although there is no shortage of great decorators in Latvia, there are still couples who want to decorate their wedding themselves, involving their friends and relatives. And this is definitely possible - this is indicated by industry experts and brides who have not hired professional decorators for their wedding.

Do everything, but rest the night before the wedding

Wedding decorator Līga Jansone / Dudū Deko , who not only decorates weddings for other couples on a daily basis, but also organized and decorated her own wedding this summer, points out that you don't need to be a decorator to be able to decorate your own wedding - half of the victory is good taste and a vision of what kind of wedding you want to conjure up.

"The bride can organize and plan everything, but one thing, in my opinion, should not be done - run around the yard the night before the wedding, hanging lamps or other props. The night before the wedding is intended for the bride to relax and spend time with herself,"

is convinced Līga, who also took this suggestion into account at her own wedding. When it comes to decorations, she points out that there can never be too many different lamps, lights, candles and flowers or greenery at a wedding and they are often things that are much more easily available. "If you decorate the wedding yourself, then I recommend that you think about all the resources that are already available at home. Of course, many things can be rented, but even in this case, you should carefully evaluate whether it will not be more profitable to buy things, especially if they are intended to be used in the future.

The young couple can think creatively, for example, the decorative draperies used at the wedding can be turned into living room curtains after the wedding. Smartly purchased wedding decorations (candlesticks, vases, carpets, etc.) will remind you of the special event for a long time. But if the new couple has no idea where the decorations will be used after the wedding, then it is better to rent them. Rental prices for props can vary, I definitely recommend looking for the most advantageous solutions," decorator Līga Jansone shares her recommendations.

A wall of 4,500 napkins and a groom making his own bouquet

Rūta Medne, who married her husband last year and decorated her wedding herself, also agrees with her. She points out that the biggest reason for this was the love for the preparation process itself, which is often enjoyed more than the holiday itself. "Looking back, the most difficult thing was that, as always, there was not enough time for everything. I wanted to and did many things myself, for example, even the night before the wedding, I braided mint strings for the decoration of the car and mint wreaths for the flower girls.

I didn't participate in decorating the church and guest house the night before and in the morning, friends and family did it all. We often remember the preparation process with our friends, for example, how we created the green napkin wall decor over two days.

It's a great way to spend time together, preparing together for a big event," says Ruta.

She admits that she hasn't even considered hiring a decorator. "Of course, one of the main reasons why we tried to do everything ourselves and involve family and friends in everything was financial considerations, so that we would have to spend as little as possible where we can't do it. I think it's important to think of everything in time, plan it, stick to a single style and then just do it. We also had great ushers who never ran out of ideas, and there were several surprises from them on the wedding day as well. Both the photo corner and the guest book at the church and the bed made in the middle of the forest – it was the host's idea, as a result they found the bed themselves, painted it and brought it to the forest

Our ushers also prepared the wedding newspaper, and the hostess prepared the wedding logo and all other visual materials - designs for invitations, champagne bottles, table cards," says Ruta about the decorations. "After our wedding, the bridesmaid started her own brand Fox creates, which is another reason to dare and do things yourself at your wedding and your friends' weddings. It can be a push for someone else to take a step forward."

The most impressive decorations at both weddings were definitely the wall decor - the green wall, made of about 4,500 paper napkins embedded in a net. The last name Medni was also cut out of foam board by his own hands. Also, Ruth painted old wooden hangers white and personalized them for wedding dresses with black writing.

"Our wedding consisted of details. After the wedding ceremony, a treat was prepared for the guests in the church garden. We allowed parents and grandparents to participate in its preparation as well.

We decorated the wedding car with blueberry mint garlands and bouquets. On the other hand, the wedding logo was drawn on the back glass with a white board marker.

Our guides had prepared a very beautiful photo corner and guest book. Everyone could take a picture with a Polaroid camera and stick the picture in the guest book. There were already pages prepared in it, which should be filled in by answering questions about the joint experience or by writing down a wish. Our wedding guest book was well received and filled. It's no secret that they often remain empty at weddings.

We used a lot of natural materials, thus reducing the cost of decorations to a minimum. Also in the photo session, the main decoration is the forest!" says Ruth. However, one of the most special and beautiful decorations was the bride's bouquet, which this time was not made in a flower salon, but was made by none other than the groom himself.

"It is very important that the future husband is also one who is ready to help and get involved, otherwise it would all be too difficult," Ruth assured.

Gallery photo: DIANA WEINBERG, JUSTINE BOROZDINA