Sometimes your family just doesn't understand. Are you being pressured to avoid using DIY elements in your wedding? Khris Cochran, the author of The DIY Bride: 40 Fun Projects For Your Ultimate-of-a-Kind Wedding and its companion website diybride.com, offered to dispell some of the myths about DIY for the Handmade Wedding Series. Khris is also the contributing editor of the paper crafts blog at CraftStylish.com, is slavishly devoted to Etsy, and is a long-time supporter of the crafting community.

Congratulations! You’re engaged! Now, what will you buy first? The mass-produced generic stationery, the “couture” gown that 500 other brides are wearing this season or the pre-packaged theme-wedding-of-your-dreams from your favorite amusement park?

These, my newly engaged friends, are just a few of the homogenized options that will be marketed to you over and over and over again throughout the entire wedding planning process. Weddings have become more about the marketing reach of the wedding industry rather than the creative collaboration of the bride and groom. For a fun, creative couples with a budget less than the GNP of a small country, finding unique (and affordable) products and services is a challenge.

Many crafty couples are opting to go the do-it-yourself route while others are relying heavily on the creative genius of small, independent crafters to do the work for them. It’s a fantastic time for that. The DIY and handmade markets for wedding crafts is growing by leaps and bounds, offering more creative, unique and crafty options than ever before. Still, there seems to be some lingering stigma and misconceptions in the wedding world about handmade weddings.

I get a lot of couples coming to me at DIY Bride who are nearly (or clearly) embarrassed by the mere suggestion of going DIY or handmade. They’ve been led to believe that handmade equates poor quality and that DIY is for those micro-budgets or for the uber-crafty. And none of that is true.

Dispelling the myths and misconceptions of handmade/DIY is one of my favorite topics and I’m thrilled to share my evangelical glee for handmade, handcrafted do-it-yourself weddings with the Etsy community.

Myth #1: Handmade Is Poor Quality
Above and beyond all other things I hear about handmade/DIY weddings, I hear “Handmade is poor quality” the most — and it kills me!

While there are varying degrees of skill and quality control in the crafting world, most artisans and crafters take great pride in their work and put forth their best efforts for their customers.

The diversity of handmade products available to consumers is truly astounding. A creative couple can find nearly any wedding-related item in a plethora of styles available nowhere else in the handmade community. Etsy is a testament to that!

Handmade goods are (often) far superior to mass-produced, machine milled items in both quality and style. Not only is the handmade item getting personal attention and care, it’s the direct result of someone’s skill and craftsmanship. That’s not something a machine can ever give you.

Myth #2: D.I.Y. Equals Disaster
This is, oddly, one of the most common myths I hear from prospective DIYers. This one usually comes courtesy of some of the more fear-mongering wedding industry people who try to dissuade do-it-yourselfers. This myth is a favorite of mine to dispel.

Usually accompanied with stories of tragic consequences (death, physical harm, eternal embarrassment) of handmade weddings gone wrong, the DIY doomsayers maintain that crafty couples are incapable of creating a fun, fabulous wedding without professional intervention.

The fact is that anyone can have a happy, harmonious handcrafted wedding. Pro help is wonderful when a couple has the need, the budget, and can find the right vendor but it’s not an absolute necessity to pull of a fabulous wedding day.

To be fair, DIY isn’t for everyone and, yes, problems may indeed arise. However, the possibility of problems does not a disaster make. (Remember: even professionals make mistakes.)

Myth #3: Handmade Is For Low Budget Brides or Tacky, Tacky, Tacky
With nightmares of favors wrapped in endless balls of tulle, garishly outdated 1990’s décor, and an abundance of doe-eyed children tchotchkes, some couples have expectations that handmade/DIY is well, tacky.

The face of the DIY/handmade wedding has changed dramatically in the last few years. Once relegated to those that had lower-than-national-average budgets, handmade has gained tremendous momentum in all budget ranges. At DIYBride.com, I’ve worked with couples with less than $5,000 to some in the $40,000 - $60,000 range in the last few years. And none were anywhere near tacky.

As more DIY projects are shared in our crafty communities and as couples strive for more individuality, handmade objects are more accepted and appreciated as part of the wedding experience. DIY/handmade weddings are now stylish, unique, fun, and totally representative of the couple.

Myth #4: D.I.Y./Handmade Is Always Less Expensive

One of the biggest myths about going DIY or handmade is that’ll be less expensive than off-the-shelf and pre-packaged options. Not true!

While couples can save big bucks by buying through indie artists or making things themselves, that’s not always the case.

The adage “you get what you pay for” is pretty accurate. You want quality? Be prepared to pay for it. Time and effort, tools and supplies, and skill and expertise all cost money whether you DIY or hire a pro.

Further Resources:
diybride.com

http://whipup.net

CraftStylish.com

http://www.getcrafty.com

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