Everyone is looking for ideas to save money on their wedding, and one of the best ways to do so is to do as much of it as possible yourself. Most people think that they have to go to wedding professionals for their cake, flowers, and other decorating needs, but they will typically be the most expensive. You might be surprised to realize how many terrific things you can find for your wedding at your local supermarket at a fraction of the cost.
If you think about it, your supermarket has a department to handle many of the items that you will want for your wedding. Of course, you can’t get everything there; they don’t carry bridal gowns and fancy jewelry at the Safeway, for instance (for a good deal on your bridal jewelry, try shopping at an online retailer), nor can you get musicians in the produce aisle. You will find, though, that grocery stores carry an amazing array of useful and money saving items for a wedding.
Did you know that many large supermarkets have an in-house florist? When you think about getting wedding flowers at the grocery store, don’t think that you are limited to what you see on display in the coolers. Many stores can order special flowers for you, just like a regular florist, and the cost is going to be much lower. This is a great idea if all you want is the loose flowers and you have a friend or relative who can arrange them in simple centerpieces for the reception. You probably should not expect the floral department at your local market to replicate the elaborate arrangement that you saw in Martha Stewart Weddings.
Every supermarket also has a bakery department. There can be some fairly wide variations in the quality of the baked goods and the talent of the cake decorators from one store to the next, so it is important to shop around. A supermarket cake could be a great idea if you are having a small wedding, and are not looking for an overly large or elaborate cake, as many grocery stores expect you to handle the delivery and set up of the cake at the reception site.
Another fun idea for the wedding dessert is to have a couple of mini-cakes on each table instead of one large one on display. Just today, I saw some adorable little cakes at my local market that were festively decorated and only cost about five dollars for a cake to serve four. Add a couple of fresh flowers on top on the morning of the wedding, and you would have an attractive dessert at a minimal cost.
Many grocery stores also carry all sorts of other things that can come in useful for a wedding. You can find everything from beautiful candles to stationery to elaborate fruit platters. Even if you do not use the supermarket as your primary source for all of these things, it is great to know that they are there in a pinch. If you wake up on the morning of your wedding and realize that you forgot to order decorations for the guest book table, you can send someone down to the market to pick up some votives and a flowering plant in a basket, and presto! – problem solved.
So many supermarkets have an incredible selection of things that you will need for your wedding that it can be a great resource. Particularly if you are having a simple wedding or plan to do a lot of the decorating yourself, you will find that shopping at the grocery store can be a great way to keep costs down. As we all know, anything that makes planning a wedding easier and more affordable is a good thing!
Finding the whole process of weddings and all the planning that goes into one fascinating, Laura writes about many of the considerations that brides have to deal with. Bridal jewelry can be as affordable as it is beautiful when you shop for it online.
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