Where to Find Deals on DIY Wedding Items (Local)
Online shopping is a fantastic place to purchase wedding items in bulk. Google & Ebates have made it simple to find wedding deals & have them delivered right to your doorstep. However, shopping locally has its benefits.
Maybe you are looking for something unique. One-of-a-kind.
But you don’t want to pay the shipping costs which are often associated with handmade sites like Etsy (I love Etsy but when buying from multiple sellers shipping costs can add up).
Many times you can find EVEN BETTER DEALS buying certain items locally than you can online?! Especially if you know where to look. Here are five places to find hidden gems for your wedding nearby.
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5 Places to Find Local Wedding Deals
1. Thrift Stores
- Your local thrift is sure to have something for your DIY wedding. In my experience thrift stores offer better wedding deals than the dollar store. Lower prices & better quality.
- Things I like to look for at thrift stores:
- Dishes, utensils, baskets, vases, large picture frames and/or mirrors, fabric, serving trays, and anything metal (platters, teapots, etc.)
3. Garage/Yard Sales
- These can be hit or miss but luckily the internet has made it possible to vet upcoming garage sales & you can even find ‘virtual’ garage sales. Check to see if the sale has the type of wedding deals you’re looking for.
- Some places to look for sales in your area are:
- Craigslist>[Your City]>For Sale>Garage Sale
- Classified Section of your local paper or ‘online’ paper (yes, people still post in the newspaper)
- The Yard Sale Search website
- Facebook ‘garage sale’ groups
- The Spruce has more tips on finding & shopping yard sales.
- Make sure you look at some of the photos before heading out.
*TIP* Note the types of items being sold and/or the homeowners ‘style’. If the photos have tons of kitchen pics it might be a good place to grab tableware, if all you see are images of stuffed animals it might be one to skip. */TIP*
2. Estate Sales
- Estatesales.org…is awesome!
- Start by signing up on their website. Enter your location, and what items you’re looking for. Subscribe to their email list & they will send updates straight to your inbox when sales matching your search are listed in your area.
- Remember at estate sales CASH IS KING!
*Tip* Most give everything away for free the last day of the sale (we found all our lace curtains for pipe & drape, tons of China, random sewing & craft supplies, etc. for FREE during the last hours of sales */Tip*
4. Facebook Marketplace (Join Selling Groups Early!)
- Wedding Resale Groups
*Tip* Find things you like and “Save” them. Wait a week and look at your saved items. If it is still available then make an offer for what you can afford (they will usually take it).*/Tip*
- Virtual garage/yard sales (See #2 above)
- Sell your own items after the wedding
5. Dollar Stores
- Dollar stores are last on this list because often times you can find items for LESS THAN A DOLLAR shopping at the previous four outlets.
- If you do like the dollar store route try looking online & order in bulk.
*TIP* Sites like Dollar Tree & Dollar General offer bulk online ordering so you can buy everything you need and it is delivered to your door. (+ EARN CASH BACK with your Ebates) */TIP*
