Weddingbee Blog

The Starfishes love saving. Over the course of our wedding, we’ve looked for ways to save on everything. I don’t like to bargain with people or ask for discounts, so I looked for other ways to find savings. I found ways to save on almost all of our DIY projects, wedding attire, wedding bands, thank you gifts, favors, OOT bag supplies, bathroom basket supplies, decor, videography… pretty much all the miscellaneous items that go into planning a wedding.

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Here were our best ways to save:

1. E-mail notifications

Sign up for e-mail notification for specials. Many sites send out coupons via email. I got savings from Vistaprint, For Your Party, PaperSource, the Knot and more! The Knot sometimes sends discount and specials—for example, we got an e-mail with a special for $1,000 off a RI videographer’s packages. Ww were already interested in him and this put him in our price range. For Your Party sends emails randomly with different discounts; I’ve gotten free shipping and 25% off on different purchases.

2. Coupon Codes

Google “store name/website” and “coupon code” before making any online purchase—often time deals come up such as free shipping or a percentage off. Many people who receive discount emails post them on  sites like Retailmenot.

3. Website Coupons

Many craft stores have weekly circulars online, as well as printable coupons. At A.C. Moore you can print off weekly coupons from their website. Most weeks, you can get at least 40% off one item. Michaels even accepts competitors coupons, so you can use these there, as well!

4. Circulars

You can also find coupons and deals through weekly circulars. I always find coupons for Michaels and A.C. Moore.

5. Magazines

Many Bridal Magazines have coupons for Michaels (20% off your entire purchase), as well as online promotional codes for different online companies.

6. Family Discounts

If you have a friend or family member who works at a store you plan to use, see if they can extend their family discount.

7. Annual Sales

Once a year Old Navy has a flip flop sale in June where the flip flops are each $1.00. We got a bunch for our guests last year. It’s usually held in June.

8. Holiday Sales

Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) is awesome for sales. Many stores open as early as midnight and offer crazy deals! Coach offers huge discounts at outlet stores, which is a popular place for bridesmaids’ gifts. In the past I’ve gotten really cute wristlets for as low as $20.00!

9. Tax Free Weekends

MA usually does a “Tax Free Weekend” once a year (although it was skipped in 2009). Most items under $2,500 can be purchased without sales tax. You can Google to find out if your state does this, too! Many stores even coordinate and have big sales going on, and offer extended hours.

10. Shopping in NH

This doesn’t really make sense unless you live nearby, but NH has so many outlets and the state is tax-free. I purchased my wedding gown and veil in NH.

Did you take advantage of sales and coupons to save on your wedding? What was your best deal?