Wedding DIY has two faces: the kind that genuinely saves budget for a reasonable amount of time, and the kind that turns into a string of stressful evenings two weeks before the wedding, for a result not that different from something you could have bought.
What is usually worth it
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Signage (seating chart display, directional signs): little material, quick result
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Place cards and table numbers, printed or hand-lettered
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Small simple favors (seed packets, mini jars) in bulk but repetitive, so fast once you find your method
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Reusable decor (garlands, paper pom-poms) prepared well ahead
What is better left to a vendor
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The cake: professional technique and equipment are hard to match as an amateur
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Fresh flowers in bulk: preservation is tricky without experience
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Sound and lighting: amateur gear rarely gives a professional result
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Anything that must be ready at an exact time on the day with no room for error (food, attire)
The real hidden cost of DIY: time
A project that looks like "one evening" in a video tutorial often takes double that once multiplied by 80 or 100 units. Before committing, test a small batch (ten pieces) and actually time it, then multiply by the full quantity you need.
Fitting DIY into your timeline
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Start DIY projects 3 to 4 months before the wedding, not in the final weeks
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Build in margin for a project that does not work out and needs redoing
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Reserve the last week for final assembly, not building from scratch
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Ask for help (bridal party, family) on repetitive tasks rather than doing it all alone