When it comes to planning a wedding, plenty of soon-to-be-married couples look to save by managing the entire affair themselves. While this can be a great way to save on many standard expenses of a wedding, be careful; it’s easy to forget about the little details that help your big day go off without any issues. Use this as a DIY guide to tackling all of the little issues of wedding planning so you can get married without sweating the small stuff.

The More The Married-er

While you’re building out your guest list, it’s easy to get carried away and invite everyone that comes to mind. This is especially true for couples with larger families or multiple friend groups they want to include. Usually, the end result of this is a long guest list; the average number of wedding guests is 136.

Just remember that for every additional person you invite, you’ll need to be ready to DIY more items to account for them. It’s easier to manage a do-it-yourself wedding with fewer guests since you’ll have fewer things you ultimately need to make or plan. Try to keep your guest list in check to simplify the process.

Watch Out For Foul Weather

Summer weddings are generally the most popular, but spring and fall weddings are on the rise as well, with a few adventurous couples also looking at having winter weddings. Regardless of the season, make sure you have backup plans in case the weather takes a turn on you. For example, let’s say you’re planning a summer wedding, but want to have an ice sculpture as a buffet table centerpiece. An ice sculpture typically lasts an average of four to six hours indoors, but what happens if the A/C has a problem or it gets left outside for too long? If you’re planning an outdoor affair, do you have an accessible place for guests to hide from surprise rain? Keep backup plans ready in case things need to change last minute.

Bet On Your Budget

Most couples looking to DIY their wedding are doing so to save money. If this sounds like you, be sure you’ve got a well-constructed budget in mind before you actually start shopping for venues, decorations, and more.

Don’t forget that every little thing you want to do for your wedding is going to add to this budget, even if you’re doing the bulk of the work yourself. Are your friends going to do your hair for the wedding day? That’ll save you from paying a professional stylist, but as the 58.7 million women in the U.S. who use hair extensions can tell you, any seemingly small accessory is going to cost you. Want to do your flowers yourself? Don’t think you can cut out the costs just because you aren’t hiring a florist. Flowers make up 7% to 8% of a typical wedding budget, and while you might save on labor, you still need to pay for the flowers themselves. Be as thorough as possible with your budget to avoid expensive surprises.

How About That Honeymoon?

You’ve got every little detail of your big day planned down to the minute, finally – but have you thought about your honeymoon? Plenty of couples are thorough with their wedding planning only to be left without stable plans for their honeymoon.

Don’t waste your honeymoon looking for things to do; plan some activities in advance that you can both enjoy. Make the most of what your destination has to offer as well. If you’ve found yourself at a tropical or beach location for your honeymoon, why not take a romantic trip out on the water? Over 87 million U.S. adults participate in recreational boating. Up in the mountains? Enjoy some cozy time by a nice, warm fireplace. Every destination has something unique, so don’t forget to plan at least some activities for after the big day.

DIY wedding planning can be tricky, but these tips can help you avoid forgetting any of the smaller details. What parts of your wedding planning are you choosing to tackle yourself, and what are you leaving to the professionals?