In the midst of wedding planning? We’ve rounded up our best bridal advice from our real DIY brides to give you their real-life do’s and don’t’s to help make your wedding planning and big day even easier! Don’t miss all of their valuable insight as you know, they’ve been there!

“Try not to get caught up in what your wedding “should” be, and instead think about what you and your groom want the day to be like. We skipped a lot of the traditional aspects {e.g. bouquet toss, dancing, champagne} because they just didn’t feel like us. Instead, we spent the reception drinking beer and playing board games with our guests, which was a blast.” –Sweet Rustic California Brewery Wedding

“I think it is important to remember you can’t do EVERYTHING and you definitely don’t want to being DIY’ing it during your wedding. You want to be floating on cloud nine soaking up every moment.” –Whimsical DIY Backyard Beach Wedding in Rhode Island

“In the end, my approach with vendors was giving them a good idea on what we like and what we don’t like and let them have creative freedom. They ran all their final ideas by us and I we were very pleased with the final product! It reduced unnecessary emails and stress on our end and it allowed the vendors to focus and do their thing – trust them, they are the professionals!” Dreamy DIY Wedding at the Ebell of Los Angeles

“Save money where you can! Instead of paying for a huge cake buy a small cake for cutting and get sheet cake from a big box store for the rest. No one can tell the difference and most people don’t end up eating the cake anyway.” –Romantic Handmade Wedding at the Holly Vault

Photo: Stephanie Kaslly Photography | Wedding: Romantic Handmade Wedding at the Holly Vault

“If you’re planning everything on your own like we did, find an already made wedding timeline to use as a guide for when things should get done and try your best to stay organized with those deadlines.” –Stunning Handmade Affair at the McHenry Mansion

“Ask for help if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Wear flats if that’s what you’re used to, “pain is beauty” doesn’t apply since you can’t even see your shoes. Facebook market and Etsy might be your best friend during the planning process. “Don’t sweat the small stuff” is VERY true on your wedding day, it’s not worth the stress. Time really does fly by, so take it all in. EAT, please eat – breakfast, lunch and dinner!” –Modern Handmade Rhode Island Beachside Wedding

“Instead of starting with searching for “wedding venues” online, start hitting the pavement and think creatively about turning your favorite park, brewery, restaurant, art gallery, etc into your perfect venue. Chances are you will have more freedom to bring in your own vendors and you may save quite a bit of money.” –Begyle Brewing Tropical DIY Wedding

Photo: Jeff Frandsen Weddings | Wedding: Gorgeous Backyard New Jersey Wedding

“Choose a location you love, invite those who make you happy, and only spend time and money on things that you and your husband care about. This is your big day! Have fun with it!” –DIY Celestial Themed Wedding in the Redwoods of Santa Cruz

“Breathe, be present and enjoy every single precious moment. It goes by so quickly and no matter what it will be absolutely perfect!” –Gorgeous Rustic DIY Wedding at Fontainebleau Inn

“Delegate family members and friends with tasks. Those that are eager and helpful will probably assist with more than you even expected!” –Whimsical Nature Loving Backyard Wedding

“If you can afford it, I HIGHLY recommend hiring a wedding coordinator. Plenty of things went wrong at my wedding including a homeless person trying to crash our wedding but thanks to my coordinator and her assistants, we never knew about the things that went wrong until after the wedding!” –Dreamy Handmade St. Augustine Florida Wedding

Photo: Meredith Black Photography | Wedding: Dreamy Handmade St. Augustine Florida Wedding

“Enjoy the planning together! My husband and I have so many memories about all of our planning days and we feel that our wedding day was much more rewarding because we saw everyone enjoying everything we put together and appreciating everything and that made us enjoy our day even more!” –Adorable DIY Wedding at the Springs Event Venue

“My best advice would be to start planning early so you can enjoy the process and really let your personalities shine through personal touches. If anything doesn’t feel right or feels unnatural, don’t do it.” –Dreamy Boho Handmade Leonard Lake Reserve Wedding

“If you are planning a destination wedding, hire a wedding planner. This was probably the best investment we made and in the long run, it saved us money, headaches and stress.” –Dreamy Los Tamarindos Destination Wedding

Photo: L. Hewitt Photography | Wedding: Stunning Inn at Perry Cabin Outdoor Fall Wedding

“Trust the people you hire and know they are going to make your wedding day the most special day for you. I knew what colors I wanted, and the vibe I wanted, but I wasn’t sure of all the details, like the flowers for example, but I trusted our florist {who is one of my mom’s best friends}, because I knew she would work her magic and make our wedding absolutely beautiful!” –Stunning Handmade Santa Barbara Suken Gardens Wedding

“Hire a day of coordinator. Even if it’s just someone to help you set up and tear down all of your amazing DIY projects. That way you and your family and friends can all enjoy the day.” –Stunning Handmade Raleigh Wedding

Photo: Melissa Maureen Photography | Wedding: Stunning Handmade Raleigh Wedding

“The key is to remember the day is about you and your partner coming together as one. Do not sweat the small stuff. If anything goes wrong, and something will, you will be the only one who knows. Stay in the moment!” –Stunning Handmade San Francisco Affair

“The best advice I received for he day of was to take ten minutes with my new husband, find a quiet place, and revel in what just happened. I’m so thankful we did that because hours went by in seconds after that – with the dancing and catching up with family and friends, the night was over in a blur, but I remember taking those ten minutes to celebrate with my husband vividly.” –Romantic Handmade Denver Wedding

“When you’ve made a decision, stick with it and believe in yourself!” –Dreamy Handmade United Kingdom Wedding

“Use an organization system that works for you. Work as a team. Stay true to who you are as a couple. Set a budget and keep everything in perspective. Make decisions and move on. Remember the most important tip: stay present during the process and have fun!” –Snow Filled DIY Wedding at the Fields Reserve

Photo: Kassie Ana Photography | Wedding: Snow Filled DIY Wedding at the Fields Reserve

“Be in the moment! It goes so fast and can be so chaotic that there’s things I can barely remember! If I could go back and do it again I would relax and just take it all in.” –Stunning Winter Wedding at the McGranahan Barn

“Strive to have all of your DIY projects finished a few months before your wedding. The earlier you are able to get those done, the more relaxed you will be. As you complete projects, box them up and put a label on the box describing where the box should go, such as “Ceremony site” and what is inside.” –Gorgeous Handmade Purple and Gold Wedding in Durham

“We used Asana to make to-do lists and calendar out tasks we knew we’d need to do in the months leading up to the wedding. It kept us organized and feeling on top of things, even when wedding stuff started getting hectic.” –Dreamy Wedding Day at the Darlington House