Why DIY should stand for DONT INTERFERE WITH YOUR wedding!

You have dreamt of your wedding day for years. Beautiful gown, fabulous venue, your favorite flowers everywhere. With today's economic times, you are surely hoping to save money on making your big beautiful dreams your low cost reality.

Today there are loads of resources for finding information on how to get the products you need to "Do it Yourself". Martha Stewart sure makes it look easy. You can get vases, candles, favors, invitations, decor, and even flowers right online, delivered to your door. Maybe you are a crafty gal, or even have had some design classes. Perhaps you even worked at a flower shop growing up. You have read all the magazines, studied the Knot.com for hours, built a bridal binder that would knock a planner's socks off.

Here's a couple of questions to ask yourself before you DIY.

*How long does it take to set up the average reception with flowers, favors, etc?
*How far in advance of the reception can I get into the venue? Will this interfere with plans for photos, etc?
*Who is available to help me? Are they essential for anything else at the time I need them to be setting up? What are they like under pressure?
*What do I do if the flowers you order come in damaged, wilted, or the wrong color?
*What do I do if something breaks during set up?
*Where and how do I store, process, and set up the flowers from time of delivery to time of reception? Which flowers need to be kept at 40 degrees, which flowers need to be warmed for opening?
*Will these arrangements look like I did them myself? Will they be good enough?
*Will I be able to handle the stress of having "work" to do during the few days before and the day of the wedding?

Sometimes, good intentions go into doing it yourself. You may save money in the long run, but you will pay for it in time, headaches, problems, and execution. Hire a good florist. Tell them about your budget concerns and they can help you save money:

*You can rent containers instead of buying them

*They will be able to handle any replacements you may need due to damage

*They will have ample time and resources for setting up and delivery of your flowers

*You can have martini's the night before and have a manicure the day of :)

Tiffany Mullen

www.circlecitydesigners.com