Bridal Cents: 12 Ways on How to Shop Smartly for Your Wedding

Smart Ways to Shop for Your Wedding

Amidst all the euphoria of tying the knot, there are the realities that couples have to face. A major one is how to keep wedding costs down! But how do you manage this without sacrificing style and sentiment on this most special day of your life? Luckily the wedding world now offers pretty amazing offers and deals to help couples “shop smart”! You just need to know where to look, and how to pin down these cost-saving options. So read on for our helpful tips and “tricks” for wise wedding buys!

Practial Ways to Shop Smartly for Your Wedding

12 Ways on How to Shop Smartly for Your Wedding by Bellenza.

1 – Always look to the web for deals. Follow your favorite retailers on social media outlets like FB, Twitter, and Pinterest. Subscribe to their newsletters because these have specials and discounts that aren’t always published on their websites.

2 – Find two for one specials like if you buy invitations, you get a free wedding website. Or if you book a hotel reception venue, they throw in a free overnight stay for your wedding party and a free airport transfer for your honeymoon.

3 – Consider a budget for gifts for your bridal entourage. Practical items like mugs, t-shirts, amenity kits, and canvas totes come out very practical and budget-friendly. So, consider these as options.

4 – Sign-up for text alerts on wedding specials and deals. Sometimes, these are the best deals because they are offered on a limited basis; sometimes hourly deals.

5 – Get cash back for spending via a cash back credit card. Be aware that when you do this, you have to be disciplined about making sure that you can pay for your bill in full without incurring debt. Many retailers have wedding credit card deals that offer a variety of options like getting cash back, discounts, or both for signing up with their credit cards.

6 – Look for your bridesmaids’ dresses in places other than bridal boutiques. Keep your eye out for gorgeous cocktail dresses in retail outlets or online—especially during the spring and summer seasons. Vary the look of each dress and even color for a unique mismatched look. Lastly, opt for less popular colors or off-season colors.

7 – Visit boutique sample sales and trunk shows to find your wedding dress. What’s the difference, though? Sample sales are events (usually yearly) when a boutique clears out its inventory at greatly reduced prices. Be prepared to take items “as is,” though. Trunk shows are when dresses of a particular featured designer are offered at a discount. So this may be your chance to luck out on a piece from your favorite designer. Often, simply calling a dress “bridal” can up the purchase price, while you could actually accessorize a non-wedding dress for your walk down the aisle!

8 – Consider vintage or heirloom rings offered on online sites. Check sources like Ebay, Tradesy, or Craigslist where you may find a pre-owned ring at affordable prices. Jewelers like Helzberg, Kay, and Zales also carry their own line of previously-owned rings at their outlet stores and on their websites. You may have to sift through many more offers for engagement rings with diamonds or other stones, in order to find a wedding band that’s listed either with or without stones.

9 – Be smart about choosing your wedding flowers. Simple cost-saving secrets are: choosing in-season floral varieties, going with farmers’ market or grocery store flowers for a casual wedding, not overlooking inexpensive (but very pretty) options like baby’s breath or carnations, even using lots of foliage as stylish fillers. Going flowerless is another option with the use of leafy branches that can be used as decor from your table runners to bouquet.

10 – Keep watch for special offers by wedding cake designers, bakeries, and even your wedding venue. You can spot these by bookmarking or pinning sites of such suppliers, so that you don’t miss a discount offer that’s only for a specific cake theme or season. Or simply ask the hotel, resort or restaurant where your reception will be held if their wedding package includes the cake. Hotels typically have a longstanding relationship with various vendors and often negotiate with these vendors for discounts.

11 – Limit the size of your bridal party. This may sound heartless. But do consider keeping your groomsmen and bridesmaids down to maybe just two each. Getting an entourage of 10 or 12 all dressed up for the wedding can add a major chunk to your costs, while two suits and two dresses would be far more affordable.

12 – Get samples of wedding stationery. You can manage your costs more wisely by getting actual samples of various wedding stationery that make up your invitation suite. Places like Wedding Paper Divas offer samples.

Do remember that shopping wisely means staying organized! Keep a handy organizer, binder, and/or notebook to keep track of your planned purchases and other pertinent details. If you will be collaborating with a planner or other individual, it is also a good idea to set up a Google account in order to share lists, documents, and spreadsheets.

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