It’s your wedding, and you want everything to be perfect; but perfection comes at a high price. After you’ve spent tons of money on invitations, your dress, and bouquets for yourself and your attendants, it’s now time to turn your attention to decorating the church.

This could be another costly expenditure if you’re of the mindset that only floral arrangements will create the kind of ambiance you want. However, if you’re willing to think outside the box, there are some unique ways to embellish any church décor that will add the right combination of dignity and elegance that such an important occasion deserves.

To help you create your own decorating scheme for your special day, two design professionals agreed to give TH readers their take on DIY church decorations:

Janelle Steinberg, BA, ASID Allied, Director of Design at J Steinberg Design offered these suggestions:

“Think about the all over look, and execute that — rather than lots of unassociated components. Think about monochromatic schemes, which tend to tie a look together.

“Typically, in a church, you are dealing with dark wood fixtures, like pews, altar, etc. — one color will accent quite nicely. Once you establish the color you will be working with, visit your local fabric store. Purchase a bolt of fabric for an aisle runner. Choose a simple cotton solid. Not only is this cost effective, but also a typical fabric store will carry a wide variety of colors.

“Instead of breaking the bank with huge swags of flowers at every pew, create large tulle poofs. This is sort of like a bow, but it looks full and fluffy since it’s made of tulle. The florist can then attach a few blooms, or one large bloom, if you are using a large flower like hydrangea, to the center of the tulle poof. This can save thousands of dollars in flowers while providing a pew decoration that takes up ample visual space.

“Also, if possible, choose a church with awesome architecture. Great church architecture needs little decoration! People will enjoy the space despite spare decorations when the architecture is amazing and out of the ordinary. If you have to pay a fee to book the church, may as well make the fee count!”

Lisa Green, Founder of Anderson Green Events, says:

“Find out if the church has other weddings that day and then ask to split the cost of decorations. This is a great method as you can get beautiful florals but not spend the full amount.

“Opt for non-floral elements. Instead of large floral centerpieces at the altar, enlarge and frame photos from your parents, grandparents, or anyone of significance in your lives, and place them on the altar. This adds so much more warmth and love to the ceremony than huge arrangements that people barely notice anyway.

“Use faux florals. Guests never get up close to the arrangements, and faux florals are very inexpensive.

“Forgo florals all together. If your church is ornate or beautifully decorated already, you can forgo florals or arrangements altogether, you don’t want to compete!  This will save you the most money in your floral/decoration budget.

“Flip through wedding magazines or books, or look online and create your own decoration from images that you find — garlands made of crepe paper, handmade flowers, etc. — directions are widely available online. Get your families and bridal parties to help create these homemade crafts. It’s a fun way to spend time together and be creative!”

Using these tips to decorate the church will not only save you money, but it will also give you the opportunity to create a design plan that is customized to your individual taste. It’s one more way to make your wedding day the memorable event every bride hopes it will be.