Are you a "DIY" Bride? — Why DIY & DIY should be fun, not added stress
The inspiration for DIY Bride comes from wishing to create an environment where each couple feels welcomed, respected and appreciated. Today’s DIY Wedding movement is about self-expression and creative control and DIY Bride helps couples by educating them with practical tips and hands-on instructions.
A good example is the recent blog about making a bridal bouquet inspired by Kate Middleton’s stunning bouquet - read blog. Written from the perspective of someone who has never worked with fresh flowers before, the blog provides detailed instructions and tips to ensure a successful project. It informs the reader about timing, cost and all the details so that she can decide whether this DIY project is right for her.
Khris’ favorite project – the “fender-bender” rings! A couple created their wedding rings to celebrate the unusual way they met……in a car accident.
Khris Cochran is working on her third DIY book – An Affair to Remember. This book is organized by themes, to help couples select projects that reflect the look and feel of their wedding, such as a Garden Wedding or a Winter Wonderland. The book will be available in January 2012.
This all began out of desperation and overwhelm. When I became engaged in late-1998, there were very few do-it-yourself wedding resources that were sophisticated and fun and whimsical and unique. Most ideas floating around at the time usually involved something wrapped in tulle. Decidedly not a tulle-loving girl, I (with my non-tulle-loving guy) decided that the only way we could have The Best Wedding Ever would be to have one wedding that totally reflected who we were. The only way we could do that was to go DIY. And, so, we did! Hooray! Ah, but there were some snags along the way. I wasn't very adept at this crafting thing, let alone wedding planning. I made lots of mistakes, wasted a lot of time/money/supplies, and became totally overwhelmed by the whole process. I began reaching out to other brides online and we began sharing ideas and support. These women saved my wedding and my sanity! Soon I was sharing all of my templates and, as word got around, I would spend hours every week emailing people all over the globe with my creations and advice. And that's how DIY Bride began. Nearly 10 years later (how is that even possible?!), I'm still helping out cool couples and loving it. It's been a kick watching DIY Bride evolve and grow.