I definitely respect DIY couples, but there are certain things you should definitely rethink before choosing the DIY route.
CAKE
Even if you are an amazing at-home baker, I would consider a few factors before deciding to make your own wedding cake. To taste its best, the cake should be made really only a day in advance. That’s a lot of pressure to make an amazing cake in one shot the day before your wedding. In addition to the time and effort required, you also have to consider some logistics. Do you have the cooling space to store this large wedding cake? The average refrigerator cannot fit a wedding-sized cake. Also consider transportation. You don’t want to risk the cake getting damaged or misshapen during the drive to the venue. Speaking of venues, most venues do not allow homemade food for health code reasons. Most require the cake be baked by a licensed baker in a commercial kitchen. Your venue or caterer may also charge cake cutting fees whereas it would likely be included with the baker. Unless you are a professional, commercial baker, making and serving your own wedding cake may be more trouble than it’s worth.
FLOWERS
Making your own bouquet and floral arrangements have similar obstacles as the DIY wedding cake. Homemade floral arrangements need to be made no more than a day or two in advance and they take a decent amount of time to create. You also run into the issue of storage and transportation and risking damage. You also may underestimate the number of arrangements you will need to make. Bridal bouquet, bridesmaids’ bouquets, mothers’ corsages, groom’s boutonniere, groomsmen’s boutonnieres, table centerpieces, venue décor, the list goes on. And, fresh flowers are not cheap; you likely will not get your flowers at the same wholesale price the florists do. Add that with the costs of vases, ribbon, and time, it may not be worth it to DIY. Unless you are a professional florist, I do not recommend creating all your own floral arrangements.
DJ
You can and probably will create playlists for a lot of the music segments for your wedding. However, I do not recommend opting out of using a DJ. A good DJ does more than push play, they are essential in controlling and maintaining the atmosphere and vibe at the wedding. They are also essential in assisting in direction and keeping the day on schedule. The DJ is largely responsible for guiding the guests and making sure everyone’s attention is where it should be. If there is no DJ, who will announce the first dance, cake cutting, last call for bar, etc.?
FOOD
Providing home cooked food is usually not allowed by the venue for health code reasons. Like the cake, all food must be prepared in a commercial kitchen by a licensed person or company. Also, logistically, having the bride and groom or their family provide the food is honestly just a mess because it is never thought out completely. It isn’t as simple as cooking the food and bringing it. You have to transport the food in a hot box, bring chafing dishes to keep it warm, and on-site finishing cooking is usually needed which requires mobile cook stations. You’ll also need to provide plateware, silverware, serving utensils, water glasses, and napkins for all guests. Renting or buying all the equipment and supplies in addition to the food costs, time, and stress really is not worth it.
COORDINATING
I absolutely do not recommend coordinating your own wedding. To clarify, planning and coordinating are two different things. Planning is all the beforehand preparation like selecting vendors, design creation, guest management, etc. Coordinating is managing everything the day-of. The coordinator is the contact person for all vendors, ensures the day stays on schedule, manages any unexpected hiccups, etc. Believe me, you do not need the added stress and pressure the day of your wedding. I am a coordinator myself and I planned my own wedding, but even I hired someone else to coordinate it the day-of.
