DIY weddings can be more personal, save you a lot of money, and be exactly how you imagine your special day to be! These are the basic suggestive steps to preparing a Do-It-Yourself wedding!

1. Find the dress.
2. Reserve your desired ceremony/reception location
3. Plan your decor.
4. Order the flowers.
5. Book the music.
6. Make it picture perfect!
7. Hire hair and makeup stylists.
8. Get those invites out!

Pick out your desired dress. Check out online websites that may offer discounts and look through shops such as David’s Bridal who offer reasonable prices. Do not be afraid to bargain for that perfect, dress either!

Traditionally, weddings and ceremonies are held in churches, outside of a home, or at a park. Think of these ideas and others, and plan ahead to ensure that it is an available spot open for your desired date(s).

For decorations, you can look through creative DIY YouTube videos and even check out inspirations from DIY catalogs. Shop and look for deals where you can order in bundles. You don’t have to go all crazy with decorations, either. Keeping it simple can look just as beautiful and neat.

Order flowers that are in season as they tend to cost less during their time of blooming, and have your mom, aunt, grandma, or whomever you wish to help arrange the flower pieces the way you want them to be. More so than not, they’ll be more than happy to help you prepare for the special day. They can also help with decorating!

If you have an iPod, mp3 player, or blank CDs, great! You have a DJ. Know that uncle that is always the center of attention? Well, he’ll be a great MC. Consider creating your own playlist. That way, the music selection is customized to yours and your soon-to-be bride/groom’s taste. However, if you prefer to have live music, consider hiring local college students and/or local vendors. These options are great when it comes to saving money, and you can have the bands sample some of their music to ensure they’ll be a great fit.

No one wants to compromise when it comes to wanting good quality wedding photos, and there’s no need to settle. If you are not 100 percent confident in having your trusted friend take your pictures from their iPhone, don't it. You can also hire student photographers from a local college or you can do some research for independent photographers near you. Both options are worth considering and just like the student musicians, you can have the student photographers (and student videographer) show you their portfolio of their latest work.

Know any relatives who can do hair and makeup well? A friend? If so, you know have a stylist! If not, not to worry! Search around social media for stylist and beauty gurus around your area. They usually post a lot of their work on their accounts, and you can book an appointment with them right then. Most makeup artists are able to also do your hair so that you won’t have to worry about going to a separate person for the job. Ask if they’re willing to travel to meet you at your location!

You do not want to invite (if you decide to invite anyone) at the last minute. And by last minute, I mean three months away from your wedding date. Traditionally, you can send out wedding invitation cards, and if you are like myself who practices calligraphy, you can even create them yourself!

Of course, you can rely on any relative or friend to help you send out invites. You can also find affordable vendors who provide a reasonable price for you, or you can simply call those who you wish to attend yourself!

Before you know it, the big day has arrived, and you can look back and be glad of how you’ve saved a bunch of money by switching to a DIY wedding.