As a DIY bride on a budget, I found it necessary to think outside of the wedding box. Ok, I wasn’t planning on having a traditional wedding because I’m not traditional at all. But I did want it to be memorable for both of us and our families. So that meant keeping some of the wedding expectations in play.
What exactly does that mean? Well, I didn’t to go too far off course and scare off any of our guests – lol.
Truly, I’m all about breaking the mold on traditions and like to be in trends and using what’s next. I guess that’s why I was so drawn to the idea of a brooch bouquet. It was different. Definitely not something I or any of our friends had seen before. I mean who goes perusing thru a bridal magazine until you’re planning a wedding. So the idea was new to me and my group.
But outside the wedding box is more than that. Seek things that you wouldn’t normally expect to utilize for a wedding. Some of the most unconventional things can make an awesome impact at a fraction of the price on wedding décor cost.

My own centerpieces

Case and point: My centerpiece vases weren’t actually vases; they were oil warmers from Bath & Body Works that I got on clearance the day after Christmas. I was also tempted to get the matching candle covers. But opted against it since they only had a few in the store and I wasn’t sure how I would use them. But if I had to do it over again, I would have gotten them because they could have been used in a multitude of ways.
I also bought several things before I had a solid theme and had my inspiration board put together because they were on clearance – my favorite word in the English dictionary! I kind of let my clearance finds influence the decorative theme of the wedding. They came mostly from Christmas and New Year’s clearance sales. I know it sounds crazy, but the oil warmers and holiday picture frames I got for 75% off started me on my way to the “Modern meets Vintage Elegance” look that I ended up using.
Being budget conscience also helped me look at items in different ways. I used blogs and other wedding websites to get ideas.

Courtesy WeddingbyColor.com

I’ve seen other DIY brides make paper flowers, use wiffle balls and twig circle things as a base to create pomanders and so many other creative ideas that I’d almost never think of myself. Using them helped motivate me to think that I could DIY some of these items and have them look like a pro did them. I am NOT a person who has ever loved flowers, other than getting them as gifts. Most people are surprised to hear that I made or created the prototype for (my hubby did A LOT of floral work) the boutonnieres, corsages, centerpieces, pomanders and bouquets. And because I didn’t have any prior experience at any of this, I did a lot of things people might consider unorthodox.
For example: I created 2 giant topiaries using coat racks that stood over 6 feet tall. Even I’m amazed that I did this and everyone loved the idea. It was something completely out of left field. Because I didn’t that’s not how you do things, thats what I did. Everyone told me I should have used wooden dowels, but there’s no way they would have gotten the height or looked as nice. So score one for the Out of the Box thinker!