Category — Wedding Ideas On A Budget

Brandi Sims

If you’re a chatty girl…aka “Big Mouth”…you may have an advantage as a bride when it comes to getting a wedding discount.

Then again, ANY bride can do this.  You’ve just gotta be talking about the right stuff.  Make sure you download my free report to learn how to use the Bride’s Secret Weapon that will literally compel wedding vendors to offer you a wedding discount.

Here are a few pointers I adopted from this Lifehacker post Top 10 Tips For Talking Your Way Into A Better Deal.

1)  Use the 15-20% Rule. If you’re a newbie when it comes to doing the deal and you don’t know where to start, ask for 15-20% less than your absolute highest price.  (Of course, I know you can do MUCH better than that with a little Diva Dealing training.)

2)  Just ASK. Simply asking for a deal will get you a discount in 3 out of 4 cases.  Really!

3)  Learn To Use the Power of Silence. Know those uncomfortable silences?  Use them to your advantage in negotiations.  Make an offer and then SHUT UP.  Use the pressure of the uncomfortable silence to urge them into a deal.  Remember: he who speaks first loses.

4)  Buy At the Right Time. This is CRITICAL.  Buy your wedding dress in April-May or Nov-Dec for the best deals.  If you’re dealing with a salesperson who has a quote, buy at the end of the month because they’ll offer you discounts to make their monthly numbers.

5)  Commit To Your Maximum Price and WALK AWAY If You Don’t Get It. That puts you in control.

Got a bridal bargaining story to share?  Leave a comment.

Judith Green

Every time I pick up the newspaper RECESSION is blasted across the headlines.  And weddings…traditionally viewed as lavish, extravagant affairs…are getting a recession make-over.  Check out this New York Times article, “A Sale To Benefit Charity and Thrifty Brides-To-Be.”  You’ve gotta love the photo of the bride to be in the red and white beanie with blue horns and stars adjusting her “girls” as she tries on a dress.

Downsize.  Cutting back.  Budget.  Trim.

No matter what you call it, brides are doing it.  The deals to be had right now are phenomenal. You can learn how to take full advantage of these recession deals on wedding gowns in my book.  But for now, take some pointers from these thrifty brides.

Judith Green

One bride snagged an Emerald wedding gown that originally sold for over $1,000 for only $250.  Another bought her dress for only $80.

How do you pull it off?

1)  Know what you want first. Surf photo galleries of wedding gowns on the internet, clip pictures from magazines.  Visit a few stores to try on dresses…shopping for options and not to buy…until you have an idea of the style you like.

2)  Shop the sample and bargain basement sales. Filene’s Basement started the original “Running of the Brides” blowout bridal sale in 1947 and bridal boutiques have been copying them ever since.  Designer dresses typically start at $250 at these marathon events.

Take a cue from thrifty brides and bring a posse with you if you attempt a sample sale.  One person to hold the dresses, one to find the right size, and one to run interference.

Sign up for a free account at Top Button to locate the sample sales near you or try these other sites to locate sample sales.

3)  Visit a consignment shop in an upscale neighborhood. Consignment shops only accept perfect or near perfect items and you can locate one in your area at this link.

4)  Browse the selection at local thrift shops, the Salvation Army and Goodwill.  Beware of damaged dresses, as thrift shop quality typically isn’t quite as high.  Contact them to find out if they’re planning to hold their own bridal event.

5)  EBAY! If you know what you want you can find it at deep discounts here.

6)  Buy used dresses online from Preowned Wedding Dresses or BridePower.

Whatever you do, know that you DON’T have to pay $2,000+ for the wedding gown of your dreams.  Find the option that works for you and work it girl!

How did you snag your designer dress at a discount?  Leave me a comment and share the knowledge.

Carlos Mendoza Lima

There’s a new wedding trend rocking the wedding industry that I am very excited about.

Most brides have been paying 2-3 times MORE than they have to for the wedding of their dreams for far too long.  And finally…they’re fighting back.

Gone are the days of the Bride Wars.  No more petty competition, jealousy, or hoarding ideas and favorite vendors.

The recession is bringing brides together for savings. As you realize your power…the Power of the Purse, that is…you can band together with fellow brides to create your own wedding discounts and savings.

Here are some creative ways to use the internet to connect with other brides to help each other save:

Bride To Bride Boutique and Recycle Your Wedding - These websites allow brides to purchase discount wedding accessories from brides after their weddings, and resell their own items.  You can find wedding gowns, shoes, jewelry, vases, you name it.  

Trash To Treasure - Even the infamous Knot website is getting in on the act.  The “Trash To Treasure” board links to The Knot’s sister website, The Nest, where brides can list their discount wedding merchandise for resale.

Meetups - Why stop there?  With sites like this one it’s easy to create a local community of brides right in your neighborhood.  You can meet as a group and pool purchases that can be used again, like vases, baskets and accessories.  Heck, you could even barter for services.  A crafty DIY wedding bride could help you out with your centerpieces in return for the candy buffet jars from your reception.

It’s about time brides took back their power from a wedding industry out to rip them off.  Hallelujah!

QUICK NOTE:  If you’re sick of getting taken advantage of and overcharged by wedding vendors, download my free Bride’s Secret Weapon report to learn my method that will turn the tables on wedding vendors and let you create your own wedding discounts.

Got a story about how a bride helped you?  Leave me a comment.

Have you stumbled onto Etsy yet for inspiration and deals for your wedding?

If not, you’re missing out on a GEM.  Like Ebay for homemade crafts, it’s the perfect place for idea wedding inspiration, cool crafts and handmade goods at bargain prices.

It’s a perfect home for the budget bride.

But if you’re pressed for time, now there’s something even better…

Etsy Wedding Blog.

The author sifts through all the Etsy delights for you, highlighting the best Etsy wedding deals and the most unique, distinct treasures that will make your wedding totally you.

Check out these posts for the vintage bride…

For the poetically inclined…

Those seeking handmade wedding dresses under $500…

And more.  Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t spend your lunch hour surfing among Etsy’s delights.

Oh…did I mention that Etsy is a great resource for green wedding favors and accessories?

It only gets better.

Happy Etsying!

SpaceOdissey

The average cost of wedding plummeted to $21,814 in 2008.  This was a 24% DECREASE from the 2007 wedding cost of $28,704.

All throughout 2008 the wedding industry kept predicting the same thing it had seen for the past two decades…GROWTH.  “Wedding prices will keep going up,” they told themselves…and the brides they were trying to deceive.  “It’s inflation.  We have to keep raising our prices.”  And my favorite, “The wedding industry is recession-proof.”

WRONG.

The average wedding cost in 2009 is predicted to DROP another 8%…or more.

Is this a reason for you to get scared?  Should you give up and elope because there’s no way you can plan an affordable dream wedding?

Heck, no!  Now, more than ever…You’ve got the POWER.

Wedding vendors are scared.  They’re scrambling to hang on to their piece of the market…while recession-savvy brides are spending less.

Wedding vendors are dropping their prices to make the sale.

Just last week I learned that one popular wedding venue’s bookings are DOWN with 35 fewer jobs booked than last year.  A wedding planner friend of mine reports that venues are calling her up and begging her to send them jobs.

They’re begging.

All you’ve got to do is give a little shove and those wedding vendors will be slashing their prices to get your business.  Believe me, it won’t take much.  Just hint that you might walk away…and you’ll have them eating out of your hand.

If you’re not sure how to give that little shove to tip your wedding vendors in price slashing mode, download my free Bride’s Secret Weapon Report. 

It’s easier than you think.  It’s up to YOU to make the most of your wedding dollars to plan the wedding of your dreams.

Did you know there is a completely legitimate, legal way to write off the entire cost of your wedding dress?

Yes, you read that correctly.

Donating your wedding dress to a charity after the wedding lets you write off the entire retail cost on your taxes.

You might have done this in the past with the clothes you donate to the Salvation Army, but few brides ever think of doing this with their wedding dress.  When you make the donation, the organization signs a form verifying your donation…and you get to write off the entire retail cost of the dress.

Wait…it gets better.

If you donate your wedding dress to Brides Against Breast Cancer, you’ll assist another bride in affording the dress of her dreams, help cure breast cancer and get that killer write off on your taxes.

Brides Against Breast Cancer resells used and new donated wedding gowns to brides across the United States.  Find a Brides Against Breast Cancer charity gown sale in your area on the website.

These aren’t all used dresses.  Many of them are designer samples and discontinued gowns that have been donated by boutique shops across the country.

This is only ONE of the little known write offs for your wedding that I reveal in my eBook, The $10,000 Dream Wedding.

Have a wedding write off story?  Leave a comment.

With all the media attention and focus on the ECONOMY, money-saving, penny-pinching tips and resources are popping up all over the place.

Take advantage of this when planning your wedding. For the next step in wedding budget stretching techniques, check out my ebook.

Do a quick Google search for “wedding discount” or “budget wedding” and you’ll find endless lists of budget boosting savings tips and ideas to make your wedding inexpensive.

Don’t limit yourself to wedding specific sites, either.  Many “frugal living” or “thrifty shopper” principles can be applied to your wedding so that you can keep wedding prices low and still have the wedding you’ve been dreaming of for years.

Try a few of my favorite sites on for size:

Wisebread.com - This group blog gives suggestions for everything from eating healthy on a budget to investing wisely to finding the best deals.  Hang out with these thrifty guys and gals for a while and you’re sure to absorb some budget stretching ideas…just by osmosis.

FrugalLiving.About.com - I am all about About.com.  Ways to make money, save money, invest money and find the best bargains doing it.  From do it yourself to “regifting” etiquette, you’ll find it here.

RetailMeNot.com - Do yourself…and your wedding budget…a favor and check this site before buying ANYTHING online.  Search by store for coupon codes that give you 5-40% off discounts, free shipping and freebies.  Here’s a search of wedding discounts on the site…but don’t forget to check out the “non-wedding” stores, too.

PriceGrabber.com - A must for online price comparisons when shopping for the best deal.

Delio.com - Offers comparisons of Ebay prices with retail sellers, plus tons of online coupon deals.

DealNews.com - Tracks the best deals in the most popular spending categories, plus the lowest price deals they can find.

DealTaker.com - While the home page lists lots of deals, troll the forums for the best unknown deals out there.

Got a favorite internet price buster site I didn’t mention?  Leave me a comment.

One of the biggest questions brides have is:

“How do I ask for a wedding discount?”

The question implies that there is some kind of “proper” wedding etiquette for asking a wedding vendor for a discount.

Know what I think?

(You’re gonna find out in about two seconds…)

SCREW that etiquette wedding crap.

It’s your wedding, and if you’re serious about planning the wedding of your dreams on a tight budget, you can’t worry about being “proper” and following Emily Post’s wedding etiquette guidelines for everything.

So how do you ask for a wedding discount?

I explain the “Soft Pitch” and the “Harder Pitch” approaches in great detail in my eBook on planning your dream wedding on a budget.  But here’s the jist…

#1 - ASK. Simply asking for a discount increases your chances of getting one 75%.  3 out of every 4 wedding vendors offer a discount when asked.  (But most brides never ask!)

#2 - Sincere Flattery Will Get You Everywhere. Be generous with the compliments before you make your request for a wedding discount.  There’s a psychological principle at work that compels wedding vendors to give you a discount.  (Download my free report, The Bride’s Secret Weapon, to learn more.)

#3 - Don’t Feel Bad About Asking! Professional wedding vendors are used to dealing with this question.  They won’t take it personally…or if they do they’ve got deep psychological issues.  Think about it this way: do you take it personally when a sales person quotes their price?  Of course not.  A professional shouldn’t take it personally when you quote the budget you have to work with, either.

Take control.  Take your advantage.  Plan the wedding of your dreams…the way you want it…at the prices you can afford.

If I can do it, so can you!

Photo by Julie Ray

There’s no question that David’s Bridal has risen to the top of the stack (or the top of the search engines, at any rate) when it comes to selling elegant wedding gowns for less.

But the gossip and rumor about DB seems to be unending.  Some brides swear to god they’ve found both great bargains and great treatment…others just swear and spread their list of complaints.

What’s the truth about David’s Bridal?

The Pros:

• You CAN find a great gowns discount.  They run frequent specials with dresses that start at only $99.  Will this fool you into thinking it’s a designer gown?  No.  Will you still look beautiful if you choose the right style?  Yes.
• One stop shopping for inexpensive wedding gowns and all the trimmings.  Check out these four wedding gowns looks including accessories from head to toe for under $800.
• When you register on the website, you get entered into a contest to win a free wedding dress in a monthly drawing.  You can opt NOT to receive any offers and promotions, but I still recommend creating a specific “wedding” email account with Gmail or Yahoo.  (Unless you want tons of spam, this is highly recommended for all your wedding related email inquiries.)
• Accessories, favors and invitations are available all in one place, many at reasonable prices.  They even have green wedding favors.

The Cons:

• Service varies from store to store.  Some get great reviews…others don’t.
• Alterations are not included in the price.  Most brides recommend hiring an independent local seamstress to minimize the stress.
• You can get lured in by the $99 dress deal…and end up spending A LOT more on various accessories and “upsells.”

The Verdict:

Like anything else, YOU have to decide what’s right for you.  If you’re dying for a couture designer wedding gown…this probably isn’t the place for you.  If you’re looking for an affordable option on a great dress…check it out.

Do your research.  Have an idea of what you like…and what you can spend…BEFORE you go to DB.  Have a definite plan of action.  Being a smart bride means being a prepared bride. I teach you exactly what to do and say to snag your dream dress for less in my eBook.

What’s your take on the debate?  Leave me a comment.

When it comes to weddings, green is the new June.  I’ve been seeing the phrase “green wedding” batted about everywhere.

But when you’re planning a wedding on a tight budget, an eco friendly wedding might not even make your priority list.  I mean, you’re more worried about saving your green…CASH, that is.

The good news: planning a green wedding that’s good for the environment is also good for your pocket book.

Green weddings are all about conserving energy, making environmentally friendly choices, using local and organic products whenever possible.  But it turns out that many of these eco friendly wedding options will also save you money.

REDUCE.  REUSE.  RECYCLE.

Those three words embody the task of the budget bride…and go hand in hand with planning a green wedding.

Green Wedding Dress Savings - A green wedding dress uses eco friendly, all natural fibers and no imports, like these selections from Threadhead Creations.  Unfortunately, these green options often come with a high price tag.

The answer: buy a used wedding dress.

You can buy a designers wedding gown at a steal AND help save the planet by reusing a dress that otherwise gets worn only ONCE.  Find your used wedding dress at the links in my previous posts on Used Wedding Dresses and Discount Designer Wedding Gowns.

Green Invitations Savings - Buy invitations made out of recycled paper and request that your guests RSVP by telephone or email.  You’ve just saved a bundle on reply cards, envelopes and postage.

Take it to the next level of green wedding planning by skipping physical invitations altogether.  Send email wedding invites through a site like Evite.com…FREE.

Green Wedding Flowers Savings - Have your florist use local, in season flowers for your wedding.  Local blooms are the most economical option and they require much less in travel and delivery costs.

Green Wedding Favors - Ideas for green wedding favors can be found online with a quick search on Google.  Wildflower seed wedding favors are available for less than $1 each.

Go one step further and SKIP your favors altogether.  (You know I’m a big fan of this one!)  Make a donation to your favorite eco friendly charity instead.

Green Wedding Venue - An eco friendly wedding venue or caterer uses local, organic ingredients as much as possible in the menu…and they can prove it.  It doesn’t cost any extra to hire a green business; you just have to seek them out.

So even if you don’t consider yourself a “green” bride, consider these options to plan an affordable wedding.

Got a green wedding idea?  Leave me a comment.