Do you like DIY?

At this point in your in your planning process, you have probably already selected general themes and colors for your wedding reception. Now, it is time to focus on all the little details that pull your theme together. Sign in table, escort cards, favors, candy station, cake table, signage—these are all opportunities to show off your unique personality and tell the story of your relationship

And of course, you can’t talk about wedding details without considering DIY (do it yourself) projects. In our many years of wedding experience, we have seen DIY details that were so beautiful, unique, clever or cool that they blew us away, and we’ve also seen projects go horribly awry. We have also heard countless horror stories of brides spending the night before the wedding trying to finish an impossible DIY project. That’s time you should be connecting with family, friends and your future spouse—not with a glue gun.

So, before you spend 16 hours on Pinterest getting DIY inspiration, we suggest you take a look at yourself in the mirror and ask, “How crafty am I, really?” The best approach for you depends on your answer to that question:

• I am so crafty everyone at my local Michael’s knows me by name

If you’ve been scrapbooking since age five, there is no doubt you are capable of creating incredible DIY details. For you, the most important thing is time management. Start early, and be willing to skip anything that isn’t done a week before your wedding.

• I am somewhat crafty and would really like to try something

Instead of building something entirely from scratch, think about starting with something simple and adding embellishments. For example, select a simple clean invitation (like This One) and then personalize with a monogramed stamp. You’ll get the fun of DIY, without the stress.

• I am not at all crafty, unless you count the coloring I did in 2nd grade

If you’ve never owned an X-Acto knife (and, if you’re being honest, you aren’t entirely sure what an X-Acto knife is) DIY might not be for you. Instead of DIY, why not try WWDIFM (Wedgewood Weddings does it for me). You can still show off your personality by choosing items that can be personalized, like these Favor Bags.

Whether you consider yourself crafty or not, here is some advice from the Wedgewood Weddings team about making your wedding accessories the best they can be:

“Incorporate family photos, childhood photos, and/or photos from throughout your relationship. They bring an extra layer of meaning to your wedding.” – Michelle

“Make or buy more favors than you think you’ll need! I can’t tell you how many times a couple has brought favors and not had enough for each place setting. We end up leaving a table blank or placing them at every other place setting. If you have leftovers, you can save a few for a keepsake and send some to friends and family who couldn’t make it to the wedding.” – Julia