The title of this article is once something that would have given me nightmares whenever I used to work in Paid Search Marketing. We would begin talking about Holiday with clients in usually July or August and it was always a crazy busy time to be in that industry. It took a while for the words “Black Friday” to not give me a headache.

Despite the headaches, I look back on the time I spent in SEM as an experience I would never trade for anything. I gained a lot of knowledge from people far smarter than myself, acquiring skills from them that I still use today. I learned a tremendous amount about Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the holidays in general. I also learned a ton about the shoppers’ experience and how that translates to brands ROI in the end. It was all very fascinating and something I still can find myself paying attention to during this time of year.

Because of this fascination, I am always on the hunt for the best deals (for myself or others). I later have to unsubscribe from many brands’ emails, using that convenient little “Unsubscribe” button in Gmail come January. Given this slight obsession, I’ve put together a list of 6 ways you can save money on your wedding during the holidays.

1. LIGHTING: You can always rent lighting from a company but we actually found some bistro lights at Target for significantly cheaper than renting. The plus side? We own them so we can use them whenever we want! We’ve been able to string these over a patio in out backyard and still have some leftover for friends to borrow whenever they need them for an event. 

Try sites like: Target, Walmart

2. LINENS: Tablecloths, ribbons, etc. Some sites may not have a huge discount however you can always take advantage of Free Shipping. If your venue doesn’t provide linens and you’d like to avoid renting, much like lighting, this is sometimes far cheaper to buy. Try reaching out to rental company now to get a quote for rentals. That way, whenever you are shopping around during the Holidays, you can compare prices.

Try sites like: CV Linens, Linen Table Cloth

3. PAPER/STATIONERY: This can be a great time to purchase invitations or save the dates on sites like Minted.com. Black Friday is often their top discounted day. In addition, if you’re going the custom route and need to buy envelopes, this can be a great time to buy those as well. In fact, Matt and I went custom. You can view our entire invitation suite here.  You can also purchase your Thank You cards (you’ll need a ton of those) or even cards for the letters you may write to your bridesmaids. My personal favorite is Rifle Paper Co for any cutesy cards!

Try sites like: Paper Source, Anthropologie, Rifle Paper Co, Target

4. WHITE DRESSES: You can never have enough white dresses during your engagement. I struggled to find them in store in the Fall because many places no longer carry white dresses in the cooler months. A great resource is online shopping instead. If you plan ahead, this can really work to your advantage – I was just always a last minute shopper for showers so I was scrambling at the last minute for an outfit. A great option for any of these events is also Rent the Runway! They have holiday deals as well!

Try sites like: Lulus, Asos, Rent the Runway

5. WEDDING FAVORS: If you live in the South, your go-to favor and quite honestly, one of my personal faves is koozies. We went the custom cup route with our first dance lyrics on the cups since we tried to intertwine song lyrics throughout our wedding day. Regardless of your favor, you’re buying a lot of them so take advantage of the sales!

Try sites like: Discount Mugs, Custom Ink

6. BRIDAL PARTY GIFTS: Have an $80 robe you like for groomsmen gifts? Or a $95 set of pajamas for your bridesmaids? Okay, now multiply that by 10 for your entire wedding party. Everyone wants to get their wedding party a truly meaningful gift however NO one wants to spend a fortune. If you’re unable to purchase during the holidays on more expensive brands like LL Bean or J Crew, try checking out Target for a matching set of pajamas. I’ve seen several brides, including myself, go this route! You can then take these to a local seamstress for monogramming to personalize them. If you’re still having a hard time coming up with gifts, check out this article by Brit.co. I also purchased a really pretty pair of earrings for each bridesmaid from Anthropologie – they were a hit and I still see some of my bridesmaids wearing them today.

Try sites like: LL Bean, J Crew, Target, Anthropologie

DID YOU KNOW?

• This may be a no-brainer but if you’re unsure about purchasing an item, check the return policy on the site! You can always take advantage of the deal and return later if you’ve changed your mind!

• Just an extra little tip: My friend Mary got me HOOKED on this. Take advantage of sites like Ebates with all of your online shopping! You will literally get cash back for each purchase you make – some sites pay up to 10% cash back. Use this referral code if you sign up: https://www.ebates.com/r/LAURAJ3052?eeid=28187. I’ve added the Chrome extension to my browser and I’ve earned $10 just this week.

HAPPY SHOPPING!