Sure, you want a dreamy wedding, but before you price yourself into debt when you've yet to get a jump on married life, you might consider shopping for all things wedding at a yard or garage rummage sale.
In other words, brides-to-be might want to take notes from brides who have been there, bought those and are desperate to unload them.
I'm not suggesting that you go schlepping from one neighborhood garage or yard sale to another. You don't have to crisscross through Georgia's back roads for those wedding necessities, you simply have to point and click.
That's right, I'm talking about online yard and garage sales that specialize in wedding paraphernalia -- including dresses, shoes, candelabras and even used faux wedding cakes. After all, there's absolutely nothing you can't get for your wedding online -- even the groom.
Isn't this similar to eBay?
The key differences between online yard sales and eBay or national online consignment stores is that you don't have to pay a fee to buy or sell, and you can choose to shop locally. After all, you might want to try on those beaded Jimmy Choo heels before you seal the deal.
Here are two popular online rummage sale venues to get you started.
Bridal Garage Sales
Bridal Garage Sales was created by The Springs, a family owned company offering rustic event venues.
"Every year, several of The Springs' venues hosts two bridal garage sales each.
We've seen firsthand just how much time and effort goes into planning your dream wedding (not to mention the cost), and these garage sales have proven to be a great place for vendors and brides alike to connect in one convenient, set location," according to The Springs website.
The next logical step for The Springs was to offer a constant virtual garage sale allowing former brides to get rid of their used items while giving brides-to-be the opportunity to save money.
The site is user friendly. Simply click the location in which you're interested; in Georgia you can select from Atlanta, Augusta, Warner Robbins, Macon and Savannah.
Then you can select from a wide variety of categories ranging from catering supplies, decorations, centerpieces, dresses and shoes -- for men, women and even children. There's accent furniture, dinnerware and linens, too.
You can look at items in other states, but before you fall in love with those Badgley Mischka heels with the pink tulle roses, note that they're located in Texas. And the owner doesn't ship. However, you can find some sellers who will gladly mail items.
Facebook has your back for wedding needs.
The social media platform offers a slew of online yard sale groups, and several specialize in used wedding items. Some of these groups are closed, meaning you have to request a membership through the administrator but others, like Wedding Online Yard Sale - Northwest Georgia Public Group, are open to anyone.
You can find some rock-bottom prices on bridal and shower items. And it's not unusual to spot wedding dresses that have never been worn because the sellers decided to purchase other styles. Like any good rummage sale, these pages are loaded with items, and some more useful than others. You can snap up anything from a used $1,400 wedding dress from David's Bridal for $900 or best offer, to a box of 138 pink cloth napkins for $145.
And, sometimes, even the wedding rings -- men and women's -- have to go. You'll find those on the page, too. If you don't spot what you need, just post an ISO (in search of) message, and wait for the item to pop up.
Note that Facebook is not responsible for any of the items sold on the site. According to Facebook, any purchase made through a Facebook sale group is between the buyer and seller. So, as with any online transaction, buyer beware at all times.
And, once your wedding is but a memory, you can turn around and go from buyer to seller and recoup a bit of that wedding hoopla dough yourself.
About the Author
