Styling your own wedding can initially feel like a daunting task, but with some planning and inspiration, you can save serious money and have a lot of fun.

My husband Olly and I found the perfect venue for our wedding in August 2019. It ticked all the boxes: woodland ceremony, large open field for reception, big barn for the wedding feast – tick, tick, tick! As a vintage shop owner with a background in visual merchandising and creative styling, I knew I wanted to decorate the venue myself, but it was a big challenge. With three separate areas to dress, the space was vast, so I gave myself a full year of collecting props, furniture, fancy dress and decorations. I did my best to source second hand, eco-friendly items to bring our vision to life. I learnt a lot along the way and feel proud we had a wedding very true to ourselves. You can do it too!

It’s important to first have a clear vision of what you want your wedding to not only look like but feel like too. Is your vibe a relaxed and bohemian? Bright and colourful? Eccentric, kid friendly, or low-key minimal? Pinterest is obviously a great place to start. Begin by putting together mood boards which are cohesive in style to help you visualise how things might come together. Try not to get too obsessed with it though! Some of the things you find and pin may be totally unrealistic to make in reality, or very expensive when you add up the cost of materials needed! Set a budget and pick two or three decorative elements are most important to you.

Start Small (From £1)

Wedding favours and things to entertain your guests need not cost a fortune. Simple things like a lottery scratch card start from only £1 each and add a bit of excitement (imagine if someone won £100,000 on your wedding day!) or small hessian bags with chocolates or fortune cookies inside won’t cost a lot. Handmade soaps and candles add a personal touch, so why not invite your mates to a crafty party to pitch in before the big day? Another simple yet effective idea is to print your menus or place cards on seed paper. Guest can then take them home, plant them, and watch their flowers grow!

For younger guests, pre-made kids activity packs are available on Etsy and eBay from as little as £2 which will save you the time and money needed to make them yourselves. You could also set a photo challenge with disposable cameras to keep them entertained and when you develop the film, you get to see your day through their eyes.

Creative Centrepieces (approx. £10 – £30 each)

Incorporating flowers and plants always ties your wedding theme together, but cut stems can be expensive. Collecting things like retro tins, mason jars, brass vases or vintage coloured glassware is an inexpensive way to showcase your blooms (style tip: an odd number always looks better) rather than needing to fill large vases with lots of flowers. Use varying heights and shapes to give you more options and texture. Candles create instant atmosphere, but if your venue doesn’t allow them then LED ones look just as effective. For a rustic style, try wooden logs/ slices as bases, or add a mirrored tray for some glamour.

Don’t be afraid to include elements of you and your partner’s personalities, too. They make great conversation starters! You could display nostalgic vintage toys, wooden cotton reels or biker belt buckles – whatever your unique interests might be.

Create a mock up centrepiece at home and photograph it to check how it looks when viewed from all angles, allowing enough room for crockery, cutlery and condiments.

Embrace Mother Nature (free!)

Forage in nature for décor to match your wedding’s season (respectfully, of course!) Twisty branches make excellent chandeliers, pinecones add a rustic feel, whilst dried grasses tucked into napkins are a subtle way to bring the outside in. Pressed flowers are delicate and beautiful details for signage or table décor. Waxy, flat green leaves make excellent place names, using white or gold pens to write names on the night before so they stay fresh. Alternatively, large flat pebbles could add to a seaside vibe.

For the ultimate biodegradable confetti, make your own! Rescue the petals dropping from bunches of flowers in the months leading up to your wedding, pop them between two pieces of kitchen roll and microwave for 30 to 60 seconds until dry and store in a sealed box. You’ll end up with a lovely mix of natural colours.

Fabric is your friend (approx. £50)

If you are dressing your own venue, a little fabric can go a long way. It can have multiple uses; draped around an altar, used a backdrop for a photo booth, to hide an unsightly doorway or to protect bare legs from prickly hay bales!

Plain muslin is an affordable option for table runners and arches, whilst vintage fabric can be sourced from most charity shops for an absolute steal. You can pick up fabrics to suit your specific colour scheme relatively cheaply on the high street or why not put together a basket full of cosy blankets for chilly nights if you have an outdoor venue?

All the flowers (approx. £100 – £300)

Flowers and foliage are a key part of styling a wedding but there’s no denying it can start to get pretty pricey. Whilst it’s always best to rely on the expertise of florists, there are some tweaks to make savings.

If you can, find a sustainable florist, as many offer a ‘DIY’ option, allowing you to purchase buckets of fresh seasonal cuttings for collection the day before to style however you choose. This can be time consuming though, so be confident you have help on hand to arrange centrepieces or a green fingered friend to pull together bouquets. You can also order stems online at trianglenursery.co.uk (be sure to arrange for them to arrive a few days before the wedding as they may need time to ‘open up’) or you could go to your nearest flower market.

Making your own buttonholes and bouquets is easier than you might think with plenty of tutorials on YouTube, but do practise prior to the day! If in doubt, place your budget and trust in a florist and have them do them.

Alternatively, you could use dried or fake flowers and greenery. If decorating a ceiling or high beams, no one will notice fake leaves and faux florals can really be used everywhere – on chairs, pinned to a seating plan or welcome sign, wrapped around tent poles and even to jazz up porta loos!

Props (£250 upwards)

When it comes to props and furniture more is more! Especially if your venue is vast, small items will get lost in the space so save the biggest part of your décor budget for items that showcase your scheme and can be used in multiple ways. Furniture has a practical function but can also be used in your photographs too (such as chairs/ sofas, neon signs, retro lampshades and backdrops).

Creating ‘zones’ can help too. You could have a kid’s corner with a tent, comfy cushions and games, or a fun photo booth area with fancy dress and comical props for less formal snapshots.

When looking for items, look at hiring or buying second hand. Not only is it good for the environment, but it’s better for your budget. Flea markets, car boot sales and antique fairs are perfect places to hunt for affordable treasures. Practice your haggling too, most sellers are open to offers. Scour local charity shops to unearth items such as mismatched china, rugs, vintage suitcases and stylish old books. Set up alerts on eBay and Facebook Marketplace for specific things you are looking for.

About the Author

Nicki Dashwood is owner of online vintage shop ‘What Alice Found’, Virgo mum and freelance creative stylist. A charity shop addict and artistic soul living by the sea.