Make your own adorable wedding wagon for a bargain
Make your own wedding wagon for a fraction of the cost of those lovely ones you see online.
My infant daughter and another baby were a huge hit in the wedding wagon I made for my nephew’s wedding. I was going to order one of those magical, beautiful white wagons off Etsy for the babies to ride in during the ceremony. But then I saw the price online.
After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I decided to make my own for a fraction of the price.
When I saw the price online for white wedding wagons, I gasped. The magic ended and I quickly decided to make my own for much less. Many of those wagons sell for $250- $350 online.
That wasn’t in my budget or even close to my budget. So DIY wedding wagon here I come!
How do you make your own wedding wagon the cheap?
I’m glad you asked.
First, I looked online on Nexdoor, Ebay and those mama swap sites. I wanted to see if anyone was selling a used panel wagon that I could just paint. No luck. My first choice is usually to get something used and refurbish it. I coudn’t find anthing for sale in my area. That actually ended up workign in my favor because I think it was easier to paint unassembled. If you can get a used or free one though that’s always a bonus. Especially since you’re going to paint it anyway.
First – buy the wagon
After I couldn’t find a used wagon online, I headed to Harbor Freight Tools for a Bigfoot Panel Wagon. I paid about $50 for it since I found a coupon online. I suggest googling to see if you can find a coupon tool.
Next – paint the wagon white
Since it came in the box unassembled, It made it simple to paint the individual pieces white. I just used some white paint we had left over from another project I put two coats on all the pieces that weren’t black.
Then- cut out a piece of wood for the sign
I then had my husband cut a piece of wood to use for the sign. We had some excess wood panels from another project so we just used that which was great because it didn’t cost any money. I painted the sign the same color white as the wagon.
My hubby put it together the wagon for me and screwed the sign onto the back of the wagon.
I added the phrase, “Cousin Abe, here comes your bride!” So cute right?!? If you don’t have pretty handwriting maybe enlist a friend to help who does. You could always use a stencil as well and there are lots to choose from online as well.
We took it to Georgia for the wedding. To make it comfortable for my baby girl (8 months at the time) and another family baby (7 months), I used two nursing pillows. They’re U-shaped for breastfeeding and they fit nicely in the wagon.
I just covered the pillows with a white sheet and then set the babies inside with the pillows surrounding them. If you don’t have nursing pillows you could probably just use whatever pillows you have.
Lastly- assemble your wagon and decorate
You can decorate your wagon however you like, but I added a little Babies Breath flowers to the back and just tied it on with a little brown twine. The babies rode down the center aisle during the wedding before the beautiful bride walked down the aisle. They were pulled by my then 2-year-old son who took the job very seriously. If you see the pic you can tell just how seriously he took it! I mean the guy was all business.
Photo credit: Hillary Leah Photography
Luckily he finally loosened up. Ha!
It was such a fun moment in the wedding and made everyone laugh! They nearly stole the show but the bride didn’t mind!
The wedding backstory
My nephew Abe and his bride dated for six years before the wedding so we felt like she was already part of our family. When they asked my then 4-year-old to be the flower girl and my then 7-year-old to be the ring bearer we were all over the moon excited! The kids were jumping up and down and I’ll admit I was giddy too.
I just love weddings and any celebration of love. The way they asked them was really cute too, they sent these picture cubes that featured memories and moments of all of them together. When you open the paper cube, confetti comes out and the question is written, “Will you be our flower girl?”
Funny side note, when we were picking out my son’s ring bearer suit my daughter asked when his “bear” costume would arrive for the wedding. At first I was baffled and then I realized she thought he’d be wearing a “bear” suit because he’s the ring “bear-er!” Adorable.
The wedding was in August at Brasstown Valley Resort in the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains. They’re both from Blairsville, Georgia, just a few minutes away so the location was perfect. The resort is rustic and classy at the same time. You walk in and are immediately greeted by large stone fireplaces warming up the room and large antler chandeliers.
It felt like such an intimate family affair. The ceremony was in the outdoor pavilion and the reception was a mixture of awesome dancing and celebrating in the ballroom. It was an absolute blast! It was the perfect blend of family time and a fun celebration. My kids said their only complaint was that it went by too quickly. I felt that too.
I had little snacks like Cheerios on hand if either of the babies got upset or didn’t want to be put in the wagon but I didn’t end up having to use them. The babies were great and I think they enjoyed seeing all the people staring and smiling at them during the ceremony.
All in all, it probably took me about 4 hours and about $50 to make the wagon and sign. I paid about $50 total for the entire thing, basically it was just the cost of the Big Foot wagon since I already had the paint and the extra wood for the sign.
I like the sound of $50 much more than the $350 one I was eyeing up on Etsy. I highly recommend doing this to add some cuteness to your wedding especially if you have adorable baby relatives that you want to include in your wedding party.
After the wedding, we brought the wagon home so the kids could play in it. It’s a good size for going on walks and pulling kids or baby dolls. And should another relative decide to get married soon, we’re already ahead of the game! We’ve got our “something borrowed” all ready to go!
Hi I’m Erica! TV news anchor and mom to 4 littles. I’m obsessed with creating those “wow” moments in life through crafting at home, cool travel adventures and special celebrations with loved ones. Thanks for joining me on this adventure!
