Bride Turns Shipping Container Lid Into Amazing Wedding Decor for Under $3 - Newsweek

With the average U.S. wedding now totaling around $33,000, it comes as no surprise that some of those about to say "I do" are coming up with inventive ways to reduce the cost of their big day.

Hannah Fox is due to get married to her long-term partner, Joe, in July. To cut the cost of their nuptials, Fox and her fiance have turned to DIYing some of their wedding decorations.

The bride-to-be, known online as @hannnilyx, took to TikTok on May 8 to share her latest creation—a wedding sign, which she had crafted from a wooden shipping container lid for less than $3.

"We're having a beautiful back garden wedding at Joe's family home," Fox told Newsweek. "It'll be Hamptons and Italian-themed with a hint of Nancy Meyers! We're on a tight budget, so we are making and DIY-ing lots of the wedding ourselves."

Nancy Meyers is an American filmmaker, known for the soft blue hues and comforting white shades that she drapes her sets in. She has produced several movies that incorporate her signature "coastal grandmother" color palette, namely The Parent Trap, Father of the Bride, It's Complicated and The Holiday.

While Fox and her fiance have found inspiration in Meyers' plush sets, they soon learned that they can be costly to replicate and began putting their upcycling skills to work instead.

Fox's May 8 video—in which she is seen coating an old slab of wood in white paint—showed viewers how she transformed a shipping container lid into a wedding sign that fits in with her aesthetic vision.

The video's almost-400,000 viewers were able to see that the sign featured the text: "Welcome to the wedding of Joseph and Hannah."

Fox then chose to adorn the sign with a few floral finishing touches, and filmed herself painting dusty-blue hydrangeas onto the corners of the poster.

"I used the lid of a wooden shipping container, some cheap acrylic paint and some odds and ends lying around the house to make the sign," Fox, who is based in the U.K, said. "Weddings are renowned for being super-expensive, so I'm here to show everyone that it can still be beautiful on a budget!"

Fox had mentioned in the caption that she had only spend £2 to revamp the wooden lid, which amounts to around $2.50.

"Looks rustic but do you know what, for the price you can't complain," she added.

Of the thousands that watched Fox's speedy tutorial, some viewers went on to share what they made of the bride-to-be's hack in the comments section of the post.

"I showed this to my sister who is getting married this fall, I am now her artist who is making her one! Love it," one user, known on the platform as Maddie G, wrote.

Another, @user1439411681089, added: "So beautiful! I love it."

A third, @kipnuggetlover, commented: "My toxic trait would be that I think I could do this too for my wedding."

Fox and her partner have been together for 12 years, and will be tying the knot in England, after getting engaged in April 2023. The pair live with their golden Labrador, Baslow.

Do you have any funny wedding videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to [email protected] and they could appear on our site.

Melissa Fleur Afshar is a Newsweek reporter based in London, United Kingdom.

Her current focus is on trending life stories and human-interest features on a variety of topics ranging from relationships, pets, and personal finances to health, work, travel, and family dynamics. She has covered current affairs, social issues, and lifestyle stories extensively.

Melissa joined Newsweek in 2023 from Global's LBC and had previously worked at financial news publication WatersTechnology, tmrw Magazine, The Times and The Sunday Times, Greater London-based radio broadcaster Insanity Radio, and alongside other journalists or producers for research purposes. Since joining Newsweek, Melissa has been especially focused on covering under-reported women's health and social issues, and has spent a large part of her time researching the physical and mental impact of both the contraceptive pill and abusive relationships.

Prior to that, Melissa had been specialized in reporting on financial technology and data news, political news, and current affairs. She has covered data management news from industry giants like Bloomberg and Symphony, alongside the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the U.K economy's 2022-pound sterling crash, multiple National Health Service (NHS) strikes, and the Mahsa Amini protests in Iran.

A show that she produced and presented at the Greater London-based community radio station, Insanity Radio, was awarded 'Best Topical News Show' and the runner up award for 'Best New Radio Show' on the network.

She is a graduate in MA History from Royal Holloway, University of London.

Languages: English, Persian.

You can get in touch with Melissa by emailing [email protected].

You can follow her on X or Instagram at @melissafleura.

Melissa Fleur Afshar is a Newsweek reporter based in London, United Kingdom.

Her current focus is on trending life stories and ...Read more