Why DIY Could Be Costing You More for Your Wedding

We understand the temptation. You scroll through Temu, AliExpress or Shein, find candle holders for a fraction of the price, and think you have just saved hundreds on your wedding styling.

The purchase price is only the beginning. Once you factor in everything that happens between checkout and the morning after your wedding, DIY can end up costing you more in money, time and stress than hiring from a professional. As a Perth wedding planner who also plans weddings in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, we see it happen every season.

Here is what to consider before you click "add to cart".

The Hidden Costs of DIY Wedding Styling

1. You Will Need to Buy Extra

Items shipped from overseas do not always arrive, and when they do, some may be chipped, bent or broken. To be safe you will need to order more than you need. That cheap price per piece quickly climbs once you add a 10 to 20 percent buffer.

2. Have You Ordered in Time?

International shipping can take weeks, and delays are common around peak periods. If items arrive late or not at all, you are left scrambling to find replacements at full retail price, often in the final week before your wedding.

3. Who Is Getting It to the Venue?

A hundred centrepieces will not fit in the boot of your car. Will you need to hire a van or a truck? Who is driving it, and when? Your wedding week is already full without adding a removalist job to the list.

4. Who Is Unloading and Setting Up?

Every item needs to be unboxed, cleaned of packaging dust and styled on each table. Are you asking family and bridal party members to give up their morning, or paying staff to do it? Either way, it comes at a cost.

5. Who Is Packing It All Down?

At the end of the night, when everyone else is celebrating, someone has to stay back and collect every piece. Will it go back into the original flimsy packaging, or will you need to buy storage tubs and containers to transport it safely?

6. How Does It Get Back Home?

That van or truck needs to come back. Most venues require everything removed the same night or first thing the next morning, which means more hire costs and more helpers.

7. Is Your Home Ready to Become a Storage Unit?

This is the part most couples do not think about. Once the wedding is over, the boxes come home with you. Ask yourself:

• Are you prepared to list items on Marketplace or Gumtree and manage the enquiries?
• Will you need to sell in small lots to find buyers?
• Are you happy for your garage, spare room or lounge to hold boxes for weeks or months?
• If no one buys them, will you give them away for free or send them to landfill?

That last question matters. Cheaply made items often have a short life, and many end up in the bin after a single use.

Why Hiring Locally Makes More Sense

For some couples, the DIY process is part of the fun, and that is wonderful. But we see it time and time again: the effort, cost and stress simply are not worth it.

Hiring from a local stylist, hire company or experienced wedding planner gives you:

• A more sustainable wedding. Hire pieces are made to last and are used again and again, rather than bought once and thrown away.
• Support for your local economy. Your money stays with small businesses and the people in your community who do this for a living.
• Expert advice. Professionals know exactly how many pieces you need, what works in your venue and how to avoid waste.
• Delivery, setup and pack down handled. No vans, no late nights, no boxes in the spare room.
• Quality you can see. Hire collections are curated, cared for and styled to look beautiful in person and in your photos.

Luxury Wedding Planning in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide

Vicky Rahmic Weddings & Events is an award winning Perth wedding planner, named ABIA Wedding Planner of WA 2025. While our studio is in Subiaco, we plan and style weddings right across Australia and internationally.

• Perth wedding planner: full planning, design and styling for weddings across Perth, the Swan Valley, Margaret River and regional WA.
• Sydney wedding planner: considered design and seamless coordination for couples celebrating in Sydney and across NSW.
• Melbourne wedding planner: elegant, detail led weddings in Melbourne, the Yarra Valley and the Mornington Peninsula.
• Adelaide wedding planner: luxury planning for weddings in Adelaide, the Barossa and McLaren Vale.

Wherever you are marrying, we work with trusted local suppliers and hire partners so your styling is beautiful, sustainable and handled from start to finish.

The Wedding of Your Dreams, Without the Headache

Your wedding day should be about celebrating with the people you love, not counting candle holders at midnight or wondering where you will store 80 vases.

When you hire from people who do this every day, you get the look you have dreamed of, a lighter footprint on the planet and the freedom to enjoy every moment.

Planning a wedding in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide? Get in touch with our team and we will help you create a beautiful, considered design with none of the hassle.

 

Vicky Rahmic Weddings & Events is an award winning wedding organiser and wedding planner based in Perth, named ABIA Wedding Planner of WA. From our Subiaco studio, we design and deliver luxury weddings across Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and internationally, taking care of every detail so you can enjoy every moment.