Avoiding the "W" Word
Ever notice how everything wedding related is expensive? One of the ways to avoid paying the wedding mark up is to avoid shopping at traditional wedding stores or for any item with the word wedding in its title. This doesn't mean avoiding purchasing items you need for your wedding just obtaining them in a more creative way.
Note: some people recommend when approaching vendors for quotes to avoid telling them it's a wedding. This isn't a great idea for a few reasons a) how many people regularly throw parties with 100-400 guests? it's fairly obvious a b) you want to make sure you're working with vendors who have expertise in weddings and for them to be fully prepared for the task at hand.
Did you know some of your favorite stores have wedding collections?
Because they're not fully in the bridal industry these wedding collections tend not to have the full price, without sacrificing quality.
Here are some companies that have bridal collections and some of them were quite surprising to me!
Gap Brands/Banana Republic owns Weddingtonway which primarily focuses on ready to wear bridesmaid dresses. Most of their dresses range from $99-$200 and have pockets! From personal experience if you request a free swatch they'll also mail you a $20 off coupon. Originally Weddingtonway was just online but now they have several physical stores in Banana Republic stores in cities across the country, click shops on their website to find a list of their current locations and book an appointment.
Anthropoligie has BHLDN (pronounced beholden) which offers a full line of wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses, shoes, and accessories. They partner with great designers likeWaters and their wedding gowns tend to stay under the $1500. A lot of their looks tend to be more modern but you can also find some more traditional gowns. We ended up falling in love with their Bristol dress in Iris for our wedding. They were $200 each which is more expensive than renting but each of my bridesmaids love the dress and say they will definitely get more than one wear out it. Their sale section is great too- I've recently seen toasting flutes for $10, $300 gowns, and a pair of $8 vow books.
One of the brands I'm most excited about has recently launched a wedding shop too- TJ Maxx!Their tagline is from the engagement party to the big day, let your unique style shine at prices you'll cherish. Their stock will constantly change just like the rest of their items but you can also purchase online. Check out these cute reversible bridesmaid totes below for only $12.99! They also have a Wifey one for the bride.
Plenty of other brands also sell wedding items:
Costco for jewelry, flowers, invitations, and honeymoons
Michaels, AC Moore, and Joanns- not only do these stores sell everything you could ever need to for any DIY projects they also sell ready made wedding items such as favor boxes, arches, veils and accessories, ring pillows, and bridal party gifts. Never shop these stores without a coupon- they're available on their websites, mobile apps, and via their mailing lists. I regularly get 60% off coupons for Joanns and 40-50% off coupons for Michaels and AC Moore.
Amazon/ eBay Everyone's favorite online retailers are a great place to find wedding items and supplies to make any DIYS at great prices. If you or someone you know has a Prime account you can save a ton on shipping. Or hit the free shipping minimum to avoid paying shipping and Prime.
A newer online retailer I've started user is called Wish- it's basically a market place that connects you with direct from China retailers. Because they are direct from China shipping can take a long time so order early, though items with the little orange truck offer expedited shipping. I've heard mixed reviews from wish and each item is sold by different retailers so it's very important to read the reviews before you order. Coupons are often available. I ordered a wooden Mr. and Mrs sign, a bridal hair pin, 10 yards of tulle, and a garter set for a total of $15 with shipping. The items took about 3 weeks to arrive and I was happy with each item I received.
You can use my invite code jwfmgbz for 50% off your order*
*Disclaimer it does not specify if it only applies to first time users or not. Also i will receive 50% off as a bonus for you using my referral code.
IKEA Everyone's favorite cheap home goods store can also be a good source for cheap decor. I've seen lanterns as low as $2.50. In fact, we bought a bunch of purple ones (they were $1.50 less than the other colors) and spray painted them gold to match our wedding colors (gold and blush). More
about this in the DIY posts but gold spray will instantly make anything look ready for a wedding.
Groupon Discount sites like Groupon offer a ton of deals on things you'll need for your wedding- I've seen discounts for wedding invitations; return address stamps/ labels; travel packages for your honeymoon; MC services; limo; beauty and spa services such as facials, mani-pedis, massages, hair removal; gym memberships; and even dance lessons.
Second Hand Shopping: I'll go further into this in a future blog post but a ton of couples buy items for their wedding and use it for one day. After the big day they either re-sell or donate the times. I got a set of beautiful patina plant stands on FB market place for $20, a beautiful cage from a thrift shop that I spray painted and turned into a card holder ($8), beautiful lanterns ($1-$3), and even a bridal petticoat new with tags for $8. If meeting up with strangers for FB Marketplace or Craigslist etc be safe and meet in public. Find some local thrift stores on the National Thrift Directory or if you have a friend who thrifts ask them where the good stores are!
Pro-tip if you can get more than one day's use out of that item then your cost per use is less and it can be easier to justify spending more on one item. For us we decided we want to buy as many items as possible that we can reuse in the future such as our decor- we intend to keep most of this for our future house.
When to Use the W or H words.
Of course, the only time you want to break this rule is when traveling and booking travel for your honeymoon. Let EVERYONE know it's your honeymoon- the hospitality industry wants to help you celebrate and will often give you upgrades or offer special packages.
Note: some people recommend when approaching vendors for quotes to avoid telling them it's a wedding. This isn't a great idea for a few reasons a) how many people regularly throw parties with 100-400 guests? it's fairly obvious a b) you want to make sure you're working with vendors who have expertise in weddings and for them to be fully prepared for the task at hand.
Did you know some of your favorite stores have wedding collections?
Because they're not fully in the bridal industry these wedding collections tend not to have the full price, without sacrificing quality.
Here are some companies that have bridal collections and some of them were quite surprising to me!
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| Credit of :https://aclassyoccasion.com/blog/ |
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| My MOH Jenna in her dress |
Anthropoligie has BHLDN (pronounced beholden) which offers a full line of wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses, shoes, and accessories. They partner with great designers likeWaters and their wedding gowns tend to stay under the $1500. A lot of their looks tend to be more modern but you can also find some more traditional gowns. We ended up falling in love with their Bristol dress in Iris for our wedding. They were $200 each which is more expensive than renting but each of my bridesmaids love the dress and say they will definitely get more than one wear out it. Their sale section is great too- I've recently seen toasting flutes for $10, $300 gowns, and a pair of $8 vow books.
 |
| Bridesmaid tote |
Plenty of other brands also sell wedding items:
Costco for jewelry, flowers, invitations, and honeymoons
Michaels, AC Moore, and Joanns- not only do these stores sell everything you could ever need to for any DIY projects they also sell ready made wedding items such as favor boxes, arches, veils and accessories, ring pillows, and bridal party gifts. Never shop these stores without a coupon- they're available on their websites, mobile apps, and via their mailing lists. I regularly get 60% off coupons for Joanns and 40-50% off coupons for Michaels and AC Moore.
Amazon/ eBay Everyone's favorite online retailers are a great place to find wedding items and supplies to make any DIYS at great prices. If you or someone you know has a Prime account you can save a ton on shipping. Or hit the free shipping minimum to avoid paying shipping and Prime.
A newer online retailer I've started user is called Wish- it's basically a market place that connects you with direct from China retailers. Because they are direct from China shipping can take a long time so order early, though items with the little orange truck offer expedited shipping. I've heard mixed reviews from wish and each item is sold by different retailers so it's very important to read the reviews before you order. Coupons are often available. I ordered a wooden Mr. and Mrs sign, a bridal hair pin, 10 yards of tulle, and a garter set for a total of $15 with shipping. The items took about 3 weeks to arrive and I was happy with each item I received.
You can use my invite code jwfmgbz for 50% off your order*
*Disclaimer it does not specify if it only applies to first time users or not. Also i will receive 50% off as a bonus for you using my referral code.
IKEA Everyone's favorite cheap home goods store can also be a good source for cheap decor. I've seen lanterns as low as $2.50. In fact, we bought a bunch of purple ones (they were $1.50 less than the other colors) and spray painted them gold to match our wedding colors (gold and blush). More
 |
| Our Ikea lanterns |
Groupon Discount sites like Groupon offer a ton of deals on things you'll need for your wedding- I've seen discounts for wedding invitations; return address stamps/ labels; travel packages for your honeymoon; MC services; limo; beauty and spa services such as facials, mani-pedis, massages, hair removal; gym memberships; and even dance lessons.
Second Hand Shopping: I'll go further into this in a future blog post but a ton of couples buy items for their wedding and use it for one day. After the big day they either re-sell or donate the times. I got a set of beautiful patina plant stands on FB market place for $20, a beautiful cage from a thrift shop that I spray painted and turned into a card holder ($8), beautiful lanterns ($1-$3), and even a bridal petticoat new with tags for $8. If meeting up with strangers for FB Marketplace or Craigslist etc be safe and meet in public. Find some local thrift stores on the National Thrift Directory or if you have a friend who thrifts ask them where the good stores are!
Pro-tip if you can get more than one day's use out of that item then your cost per use is less and it can be easier to justify spending more on one item. For us we decided we want to buy as many items as possible that we can reuse in the future such as our decor- we intend to keep most of this for our future house.
When to Use the W or H words.
Of course, the only time you want to break this rule is when traveling and booking travel for your honeymoon. Let EVERYONE know it's your honeymoon- the hospitality industry wants to help you celebrate and will often give you upgrades or offer special packages.
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