If you talk to any bride-to-be about saving money, they will likely nod their head. Just about every bride is looking for creative ways to save money for their wedding.
With the cost of living constantly going up brides and grooms have so many reasons to want to save money. Even with two incomes it costs so much to support a family today. Even before the wedding most couples are thinking about buying a new home and starting a family. If there are children from previous marriages then their will be additional expenses when merging two families.
Fortunately brides and grooms can save money in many different ways. One thing that has become very popular in the last few years is shopping at online auctions such as eBay. You can find a variety of both new and used items for your wedding such as wedding favors, decorations, bridesmaid dresses and even your wedding gown! One man made headlines when he sold his wife’s size 12 wedding gown after his divorce. What made his listing stand out is a picture of him wearing the gown! Not only did this funny listing help him sell the gown but it also got him five wedding proposals!
Keep in mind that there are many other brides doing exactly what you are doing: checking eBay and other online auction websites for things you need for your wedding. Sometimes the bidding can get fierce, especially if you are going after some type of one-of-a-kind item or something for a theme wedding. Know when the price is too high for you and when it is time to walk away. Often when you shop on eBay or other online auction websites you do wind up saving money.
One of the biggest challenges of buying something online is not being able see the item up close or, in the case of clothing trying it on. Before bidding make sure that you read the description thoroughly and ask the seller questions about anything you aren’t sure about. It is also wise to check a seller’s ratings and avoid auctions where the seller has a large percentage of negative feedback. If you do get an item that you aren’t happy with many sellers will work with you because they want you to be a satisfied customer. This is often the case if there is a flaw in the item that was not mentioned in the description. If their is nothing wrong with the item but it just isn’t what you expected then you may not be able to return it. All is not lost though because you could always sell it yourself and perhaps make even more than what you paid for it!
Another way brides have been saving money is by shopping at consignment stores. Consignment stores have been around for years. Some actually specialize in wedding gowns; check some of the larger cities near you to see if there are some of these consignment stores available to you.
A consignment store is a place where you’ll find one-of-a-kind items. This can be a great place to find your wedding dress. The only catch? It is a big one to consider: you’ll need to find someone to alter your dress for you. Many wedding dress stores offer their own alterations. A consignment store most likely won’t. So put the cart before the horse, and actually search for the person to do the alterations before you ever go shopping. A good tailor can take in a dress that is several sizes too large with confidence if they know what they are doing. But someone that is not skilled — will not be able to manage this task. Having this option means that so many other dresses are a possibility for you while consignment shopping.
Another challenge with consignment shopping is that you need to be able to make your decision pretty quickly. You don’t want to take the chance that someone else would take your bridal gown tomorrow or this afternoon. Bring your mother, sister or whoever you want to give input. Be ready to make up your mind. Understand that the minute the gown leaves your hands, it is gone. Another bride can come in and buy it right out from under you. In a bridal store, they can always order another copy of the dress. This is not so in a consignment store.
Either way, shopping on eBay or in consignment shops can save you a lot of money. Your wedding gown alone can end up costing less than half what you would have normally paid. If you are flexible about what you purchase for your wedding and reception you will have plenty of options to save money. After the big day is over you will have plenty of great memories and maybe even some extra money in the bank for your future!
