Guest Blogger: Juliana Whiteside.
In this economy, more and more people are turning to budget-friendly shopping venues. Some surf Amazon or eBay and others venture out into the “real world” for garage sales. Many people love the bargains they can get at a garage sale but just don’t have the time. These are the people who Craigslist.
I, Juliana Whiteside, am a self-proclaimed Craigslist addict. I have been lucky enough to find many, many great things on the site. For example, I’ve purchased two couches, a media tower, end tables, and even a dog! But my extensive use of Craigslist doesn’t stop there.
I’m getting married next month and have a strict budget to adhere to. Like many young brides, I don’t have oodles of money to spend on photography, music, catering, cake, or decor. That’s where Craigslist comes in. As long as you shop wisely and ask the right questions, you can find amazing things on the site.
Here are some of my best Craigslist bargains:
The Officiate. Having just moved to a new town, we didn’t have a family minister to preside over the ceremony. The minister I found for my wedding uses Craigslist because it minimizes his yearly advertising costs and keeps his calendar full. Most wedding officiates will charge anywhere for $100-$200… mine only charges $75!
The Baker. Baking and decorating wedding cakes happens to be just a hobby for the (extremely talented) baker I found on Craigslist. The site allows her to offer amazing prices and make money off of her hobby. Wedding cakes can run anywhere from $500 to $2,000… and that’s not including delivery. The bride AND the groom’s cake (including delivery) only cost me $150.
The Photographer. The photographer I chose works in much the same way. Wedding photography is a second job that she does on weekends. As soon as her kids are grown, she plans to pursue her creative passion full time. My bridal portraits and wedding day photography (with two photographers) totals a mere $400.
The Dress. Okay, so what about the dress? I’ll admit… I definitely had trouble finding THE dress. In fact, I bought two off Craigslist and ordered one from eBay just because I couldn’t make up my mind. Lucky for me, all three dresses only totaled $359.
The Hairstylist. The hairstylist I found has been doing hair for her friends and family - for weddings, homecomings, and prom - for a long time. She wants to eventually turn her passion into a career, but for now Craigslist allows her to set affordable prices. Hairstyling for a trial session and day of cost me $70.
Many brides are also listing their old decorations as a package deal. Talk about one stop shopping! As an added bonus, after the wedding you can resell everything on Craigslist. Who needs 144 votive holders sitting around?
Happy hunting!
1 comment:
=) who would of thought to use Craigslist? I actually just adviced a very good friend of mine, recently engaged, to browse Craigslist as she is also on a tight budget!
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