Wedding Blog
I was recently contacted by a fellow Bungalow bride, whose wedding is 2 months after ours. She very sweetly explained that she had happened upon my blog, and loved our design ideas so much that she offered to share most of the decor and split the cost. I was healthily humbled and flattered to be approached this way, and saw it as a fortuitous money saving opportunity: Brideshare, the carpool of wedding planning!
The best part? We’re not only saving money with this mutually beneficial arrangement, but we’re also getting to reuse or recycle almost every extraneous purchase that we’d have no use for after the day. Eco and budget friendly? Somebody pinch me. I’ve heard about brides splitting costs of Chiavari chairs or tents over a weekend, but this is so much more!
I met with my brideshare buddy on Saturday for drinks at the Bungalow Club, and gabbed for hours about colors, details, and plans over mojitos and martnis. It was so fun to connect with a bride who had such similar vision and sense of style! It will be really fun to go through the process together over the coming months. We may even have a gocco party together!
I’m so glad she contacted me. I’ve heard brides complain about people borrowing from their wedding design or ideas, but to me it’s the ultimate flattery…. and I’ve made a fun new friend in the process.
Try it yourself! Scan the web to see if you can find a blogger who shares your venue and reach out. You might just be able to tap into the bridal karma honeypot, and help each other out in a big way!
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Share this post: Brideshare Brilliance
Bravo! This is the most brilliant wedding idea I think I’ve ever read! I hope this becomes a trend.
That is awesome! and I love how you two are saving two-fold w/ money and the environment 
Maybe with this post, we’ll find another Bungalow bride after me and we can pass on the goods that will have been already blessed by two great weddings!
XOXOXO - your brideshare buddy!
The bride using the room after me said she didn’t want to split chiavari chairs, but then on our day I ended up seeing her use them! And the hotel planner said the bride said she hadn’t thought of using them until I had the hotel ask her about them. So be aware of people not being so friendly about it! Her loss tho, she paid full price and cheated another bride out of the chairs!
I shared the cost of tall centerpiece vases with 2 local brides I also let my friends reuse my portable PA system and candle holders and anything else they needed for free as their wedding was only 5 weeks after mine.
that is so incredibly awesome! Let’s hope this catches on… sounds like an entreprenuerial web opportunity to me
You should take this idea and run with it! Id love it if I could split the costs with another bride, but I would have no idea where to start.
I went on a forum and found a bride that is having a wedding the day after me at the same venue. We have the same bridesmaid color, want eco-friendly weddings, have eerily similar family situations (not so close to dad, same name for sibling). We have been in contact since I found her a month ago and it’s been wonderful. We will likely share more than just ideas and we might even pick the same caterer and save on stuff like rentals. I think this idea is great, flattering and will save some $$!!
LOVE IT! It’s like carpooling for brides! I had always thought of reselling my decor, but never to share the initial cost! Great idea!
OMG that is so awesome! I would brideshare in a heartbeat. I mean who’s gonna be at her wedding that’s gonna be at mine?? Umm….yeah that’s right, NO ONE!
I’m jealous :-/
That is a wonderful idea! I’m so happy for you and your brideshare buddy for being so willing to reuse! Shasha is exactly right - chances are no one is going to be at both weddings and if they are, they probably won’t even notice!! OR they’ll think you both are the smartest women ever.
@ brendalynn: I totally agree with you! Miss Meatball this is your golden opportunity to turn this into something bigger than just you and the other bride.
So I’m no Bungalow bride but I am getting married in L.A. in May 2009 and I would love to swap tips (and maybe decorations) with you, especially since I have to plan the whole thing long-distance from Berlin! Send me an e-mail.
@Brendalynn, wolff2be: funny you should say that…. I have been cooking something up to that effect!
@ Anniebelle: What is wrong with people? That’s just inexcusably obnoxious of that bride! Bad bridal karma, that’s for sure!
@Slim: Awesome! Good job!
@Casey: I’ll email ya
I think, I have fallen in love with this idea. It sounds fab and in your words it is indeed ‘ultimate flattery.’
As Miss Dumpling said, i would also take this idea and run with it! But I would have no idea where to start. After all it is going to be an Asian wedding and I don’t think people are willing to share despite spending a fortune on weddings.
That said, my sister is no Bungalow bride but like Casey I would love to swap tips with you as i certainly haven’t heard of anything DIY in Asian/desi/Pakistani weddings. Send me an e-mail, please.
Sorry for the late post, but I’m trying to catch up on the Bees after a long weekend last week!
Anyway, I’m doing some BrideSharing as well! At this point it’s just chair covers, but those things can get expensive! Our reception venues are the same. The other bride is actually marrying the son of my parents very close friends!
@Casey: I’m also planning a US wedding from Germany, my wedding will be on the East coast but I’m curious how you are handeling other things like guest accomodation and transportation and dressing the bridal party (I assume you have a GErman-American mix of guests). Would love to swap ideas.
[...] weekend, I’m going to experience some very happy wedding deja vu. My Bride$hare buddy is getting married, and Mr. Meatball and I are thrilled to go back to the Bungalow Club for [...]
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Mrs. Meatball, Hollywood
Age and Occupation: 30, Actor/Writer/Office Maven
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Actor/Writer
Engagement Date: October 7, 2007
Wedding Date: May, 2009
Blogging Since: September 16, 2008
Venue: Private Garden/The Bungalow Club
About Me: I love melty cheese and diet coke almost as much as I love my man. I'm from Chicago, he's from NYC, and we both miss public transit and great pizza. We have an adorable muppet dog called Paco. I'm part hippie with a healthy dash of hip hop superstar, have excessive empathy for animals, and have not one, but two bionic eyes (long story). We're broke and it ain't no joke. It can't stop us from planning the bold and whimsical wedding of our dreams, but we've had to get pretty creative to make it work, yo!
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