Let’s face it, weddings are expensive. It doesn’t matter if you’re planning an elegant modern celebration, or a more casual boho aesthetic – it all adds up! One of the best ways to save money on wedding decorations is to make them yourself. That’s what this bride did to make her Pinterest dreams a reality. Katie, an interior and architectural designer, transformed basic materials from your average home improvement store and thrift store finds into stunning and effortlessly elegant boho wedding décor. Get inspired with her budget-friendly DIY wedding decorations, boho wedding signs, and pro tips so you can do the same!
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Ideas for DIY Boho Wedding Signs
- Boho Wedding Decoration Ideas
- Pro Tips for Boho DIY Wedding Decorations
- More DIY Wedding Decoration Ideas
Boho Wedding Aesthetic Color Palette
Katie’s effortlessly elegant boho wedding aesthetic paired modern neutral textures with bold pops of color and laid back, bohemian style decorations. The result? Stunning boho wedding decorations on a super savvy budget.
Vendors featured:
- Photography – Lindsay Stephany
- Floral – Moonrise Floral Design
- Venue – Jerris Wadsworth Wedding Barn
DIY Boho Wedding Signs
To create the look she was after for her boho wedding signs, Katie chose a cost effective material as her backdrop – simple sheets of plywood. Using Cricut, Katie designed and printed her wedding signs in white vinyl and then applied them to the cut and finished plywood boards. Let’s take a closer look at each one!
Unique Boho Wedding Welcome Sign
After postponing their wedding for over a year due to COVID, Katie created a unique wedding welcome sign to greet her guests.
Unlike most wedding welcome signs that include a short and sweet welcome message, the name of the couple, and the date, Katie’s wedding welcome sign read like a beautiful and heartfelt letter to their guests.
DIY Polaroid Wedding Seating Chart Sign
For Katie’s wedding seating chart sign, Katie used the same plywood and Cricut lettering treatment as she did with her wedding welcome sign; however, rather than listing out her guests names and table numbers, she created something truly unique. Katie hand selected photos of each of her guests, created polaroid style prints, and arranged them in a beautiful photo grid.
When guests arrived at the wedding reception, they found their photo and corresponding table number on this incredible wedding seating chart sign. Many of her guests took their photo home with them and they still talk about this memorable detail to this day!
PRO TIP: To create the perfect grid, you might have to get creative with combining one or two guests in one photo, or splitting them out.
Simple Boho Table Number Signs
Katie kept her table number signs simple and used the same plywood and white Cricut treatment as the rest of her boho wedding signs. This was the perfect choice considering her colorful tablescapes, which we’ll get to in just a bit!
Unique Interactive Wedding Guest Book
Instead of a traditional guestbook, Katie had guests write a letter and drop it in one of three jars. Each jar represented a milestone anniversary – 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years. Guests dropped their letter into the jar of their choice for Katie and Joe to open on that anniversary.
By going with a more interactive guest book idea, Katie created a fun activity for her guests and also a fun activity for her and Joe to do together on their anniversaries!
Boho Wedding Decorations Ideas
DIY and thrifted wedding decorations are a great way to save on your wedding budget. Plus, a more eclectic mix of textures and colors will help bring that boho wedding aesthetic to life.
DIY Wedding Table Flowers on a Budget
Katie used thrifted items to DIY and save on her wedding table flowers. Instead of elaborate floral arrangements, Katie created arrangements of small potted plants and mismatched thrifted bud vases, each with 2-3 colorful floral stems.
These whimsical and boho-style tablescapes of vibrant florals paired with thrifted glass bud vases, and earthy potted plants was a fraction of the cost Katie would have paid for traditional wedding table flowers. As an added bonus, some of the guests walked away with the potted plants!
Boho Wedding Ceremony Decoration Ideas
Another unique detail that Katie thrifted for her wedding was several vintage rugs. These were layered over top of each other to create a stunning aisle runner. Use of these mismatched vintage rugs also helped bring a boho aesthetic into the ceremony.
Tips for Boho DIY Wedding Decorations
Katie and Joe’s wedding was one to remember. Not only for the gorgeous aesthetic that balanced modern structural materials with organic and vibrant elements, but Katie infused her and Joe’s personality into everything.
And, because Katie is such a generous and helpful human, she provided some of her top tips for boho DIY wedding decorations, so you too can create all the magical things for your own wedding.
How to DIY Boho Wedding Signs Using Cricut
If you’re a DIY enthusiast, you’ve probably heard of Cricut. Cricut is a machine that can cut out intricate designs and patterns on a variety of materials, such as vinyl, paper, and fabric. Cricut has a wealth of learning materials, but here are a couple tips Katie learned the hard way that she wanted to pass on to fellow wedding DIYers.
- Start Early! Especially if you’re new to Cricut, it’s best to start testing and learning on the machine as early as possible. With any new software or tool, there’s a bit of a learning curve. So, don’t put added pressure on yourself by trying to learn while you’re in a time crunch. Give yourself some breathing room!
- Consider Your Designs Carefully. After much testing and learning, Katie found that small or skinny font was much more difficult to weed and apply. Instead, opt for larger lettering, where possible, that will be much easier to execute than highly intricate and detailed designs.
- Consider the Application. In some cases, Katie felt as though the white lettering on top of the light plywood was a bit hard to read. Though the light tone on light tone had a beautiful effect, you might consider having more contrast in your materials for greater legibility.
How to Find Thrifted Boho Wedding Decorations
Thrift stores are a treasure trove of unique and affordable items that can be used as wedding décor. But, there are definitely some best practices for finding the best thrift store finds for your boho wedding decorations.
- Start Early and Go Often. Begin your search for thrifted décor as early as possible, so you have plenty of time to find the perfect items. Thrift stores are always acquiring new items, so plan your trips frequently if you have specific items in mind, as it may take a while to piece together all the items you need. Also, be sure to check the sale stickers! Sometimes if there is an item that catches your eye, but it’s not on sale that week, you can return another week to take advantage of the deeper discount. Just know that it may be gone… so, it’s a bit of a risk if it’s something you really, really want.
- Set a Firm Budget. One of the primary reasons to thrift is to save (hello!), so keep in mind how much the décor you’re planning to thrift would cost if you were to purchase it new or rent. Your goal is to spend a fraction of that. For example, Katie knew that to rent bud vases from her florist, it was going to cost her $2/per, so with that in mind, she set a max budget of $1/vase from the thrift store. If anything didn’t fit that budget (within reason), it didn’t make the cut!
- Mix and Match. Don’t be afraid to combine different styles and colors. As long as the items generally fit your overall aesthetic, the combination of different items can come together to create a cohesive and personalized look for your wedding décor.
More DIY Wedding Decoration Ideas
Before you go, be sure to check out these additional resources for DIY wedding decorations ideas, and subscribe to get the free DIY wedding planning checklist.
I hope you’ve been inspired by Katie’s beautiful and ingenious DIY wedding decorations. I know I was! And as a result, you should feel confident that creating stunning DIY wedding decorations on a budget is easier than you might have thought. By using DIY projects, thrifted items, and a little bit of creativity, you can make your special day truly memorable without breaking the bank. From DIY wedding signage to thrifted table décor, there are endless possibilities for creating a unique and personalized wedding that reflects your style and personality. Best of luck!
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