After a wedding, it’s very common to have leftover centerpieces, fake floral arrangements, decorations, card holders, baskets/pillows, clothing, jewelry, etc.

You can save the items for sentiment’s sake, but eventually you’ll probably need the space.

So what do you do? Why not sell or donate your items for future brides?

With the average cost of a wedding in the US being $25,200, the thought of spending 50-90% less for an item that someone previously used has obvious benefits for brides. And there’s no shame in it: all these items were literally used ONCE!

Where to Find a Previously Worn Wedding Dress

Sabrina Ann Once Worn and Never Worn Bridal in Admore, PA may be your best bet for finding used wedding dresses in the area. They carry dresses for the bride, flower girl and mother of the bride. They buy dresses less than 2 years old.

There are also countless websites dedicated to selling and buying dresses and décor like Preowned Wedding Dresses, Wedding Recycle, Smart Bride Boutique, etc. Of course, you can always buy, sell or donate at any local thrift store.

Where to Find Used Bridal Decor

If you’d like to consider buying or selling your wedding clothing or décor, search for bridal swap shops or garage sales in your area.

You can also try:

• Philly Thrift Stores:
• Tradesy.com
• BravoBride.com
• BorrowingMagnolia.com
• Craigslist
• Ebay

If you have a lot of friends who are engaged, you might even want to consider throwing a bridal swap party!

Getting together with a bunch of girlfriends and going through their used items with a glass of wine in hand might just be the best way to plan a wedding,

Buying used doesn’t just benefit your wallet. What are the environmental benefits to buying used?

4 Sustainable Benefits of Buying Used

So why should you buy used? Here’s 4 environmental reasons:

1. Resources: All manufactured items use resources, like cotton, trees, metals, oil, etc.

Cotton farming is a dirty business considering its heavy use of insecticides. Deforestation forces species out of their natural habitat . Mining for metal disrupts ecosystems and releases contaminants.

The overall picture? The less resources we use new, the less overall damage we’re doing. Got it? Good.

2. Energy: Manufacturing requires energy that is typically from natural gas, coal or oil – so the less energy we use, the less carbon dioxide we disrupt.

3. Packaging: Pretty much anything you buy comes with plastic, cardboard, foam or shrink-wrap. Ask for your used items sans packaging and save the stress of recycling or disposing of it.

4. Economy: Buying used goods locally benefits your town’s economy, rather than a large corporation’s.

We’re good with buying used now, right?

Readers, tell us: What have you bought used for your wedding?

Megan Hawkey is the co-founder of AlternativeBrides.com. She is a 32-year-old photographer. She recently decided to retire from wedding photography and focus on concert photography, but she wanted to pass her knowledge of weddings along to future brides. 

Photos: Megan Hawkey

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