
160 -DIY Wedding Mistakes to Avoid (A Wedding Planner’s Cautionary Tale)
Is a DIY wedding really cheaper? Sometimes, but the hidden costs of DIY can catch you off guard. After 20+ years and 500+ weddings, I'm talking through the cautionary tale of a DIY wedding teardown that went very wrong, plus the DIY wedding projects that are absolutely worth it and the ones I always tells couples to leave to the pros. You’ll learn my three simple rules for deciding what to DIY, how to budget for the costs you can’t see yet, and how to plan setup and teardown so your family isn’t stuck cleaning up on your wedding night. In this episode: The DIY teardown story that cost one couple their security deposit (and a lot more) What actually counts as DIY: decor, florals, food, bar, photos and music DIY wedding projects worth doing: invitations, signs, favors and welcome bags Why fresh florals, catering and bar service are best left to professionals The real cost of Amazon and Temu backdrops, arches and votives Hidden DIY costs: tools, samples, returns you never made, U-Hauls and venue overtime fees Why a friend with a nice camera or a Spotify playlist isn’t the same as a pro photographer or DJ Kate’s 3 DIY rules, plus how to pack and label by table so setup and teardown go smoothly Kate’s 3 DIY rules: Skip anything that can’t be done in advance. Skip anything that needs heavy setup or teardown on the wedding day. Skip anything that has to be done on the wedding day itself. Mentioned in this episode: The Wedding Planning Blueprint: planningcollective.com/membership Free Wedding Planning Happy Hour, Nov 18: planningcollective.com/happyhour Past episodes: Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday wedding shopping, and what day of coordination really means