I love creative crafts. I love art projects. I love the feel of personalized items. The imperfect beauty of something made by the hand. Tediously. But always with love. In short, I love DIY.

My fiance, on the other hand, loves mass production. Things that look exactly the same. Cut, colored and done perfectly he same. Although an artist, he’d rather buy than create. He likes the quality of things professionally made. And would rather spend his time earning money to afford them than make them.

So our ideas often clash. Sometimes, they clash real hard.

But being a DIY advocate marrying a DIY non-enthusiast, it allowed me to see the other side of the coin, which gave me a whole new perception on wedding, budget and DIY.

Let’s face it. Going the DIY route, especially for your own wedding, is not for everyone. And it doesn’t mean that because you didn’t lift a finger to craft something for your wedding, it won’t be as personalized. Nor it means that DIY weddings are always friendly on the pocket. Trust me, if you won’t watch closely, having things done by yourself sometimes turns out to be more costly than having it made professionally.

So when are DIY thingies really worth the time and the effort? I’ve listed a few points, hopefully to help you determine whether or not you have the heart for DIY:

1. If you love creating. Nothing beats doing something that you’re passionate about. If time, effort, labor, burnt hands, cut fingers and other DIY pains don’t faze you, then by all means, follow your heart’s desire. A lot of those who DIY do it for the love of doing it and not necessarily to help the budget (it’s just a happy consequence, sometimes).

2. If you have time. If it takes 4 hours for you to finish one craft and all you can really spare is 30 minutes everyday, then it makes perfect sense for you to stop and rethink your DIY career. Time is gold. And if you think you’re wasting precious minutes doing something you’d rather buy, then you are.

3. If you have the skills. Seriously, gauge your skills and the task that you want to impose on yourself first before you undertake a project. If it’s too much hassle, forget about it.

4. If you’re tight on the budget. But be careful. Always include the cost of the materials, your efforts, the time you spent and the quality of your work when you hold your DIY project against something professionally made.

5. If you have the resources. Or you know where to get them inexpensively.

6. If you want something unique and tailor-made to your taste and preference. And you’re absolutely sure that no one else can do it but you.

7. If you know you can do it. You’ve been making your own hair accessories since you were in gradeschool, why not for your own wedding?

And lastly,

8. DIY because nobody else is making and selling it. What choice have you got?

Doing It Yourself is not always easy and not for everybody. But for those who love it, it’s never too hard to do. Enjoy your DIY moments!