Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Budget Wedding: The Dollar Store

Your Wedding and The Dollar Store. Sounds funny doesn’t it? You’d be surprised the treasures you overlook every time you walk through a dollar store. I decided to pay attention one day to what mine offered to aid in wedding planning in general, and this is what I’ve found.

Tableware. In every color imaginable. Paper plates with matching napkins, cups, silverware, tablecloths, even salad bowls. Perfect for that outdoor or backyard bridal shower. Match your wedding’s color theme!

Silk flowers. The list could be endless what you can do with silk flowers. Use the silk flowers in your centerpieces at your wedding or shower. Use them in crafts for give a ways at your shower, or in your favors at the wedding. In decorating your site, use them all over, drape them around the edge of your flower table, or in vases also found in the store.

Crafts. They have straw hats, silk flowers, hot glue and hot glue guns. Hot glue the flowers around the straw hats, add pretty ribbon bow. Makes a beautiful wall hanging. You could even use colors to match each bridesmaid’s home! I found bags of sand with seashells, and clear fish bowls and candles. Add the three together and viola! Instant centerpieces for under $4 each. I also found bags of iridescent stones you could substitute the sand and shells for. I discovered an entire half aisle dedicated to candles. From pillars to votives, in every shape size and color. What better idea to romanticize a room than with soft candlelight. They also make excellent gifts. I found wire baskets that I bought and stuffed with candles and bath goodies for my bridesmaid gifts. Total less than $7 each. I also found tulle circles for favors in about 3 or 4 different colors. Excellent for wrapping up bunches of the potpourri on the bottom shelf. That always makes anyone’s dresser drawers smell great!

In the kitchen supplies aisle, I found excellent ideas for door prizes at the shower. I saw potholder sets, adorable dishtowels, cutting boards and even mini butcher blocks! I brainstormed with craft ideas for the shelves and shelves of pretty wine goblets and champagne flutes. Some were even colored or hand painted!

Down the office supplies aisle, I found loads of different colored tiny notebooks, crayons, and markers. Excellent idea for gifts for the flower girl(s) in your wedding. I saw organizers, calendars, folders, notebooks, journals, and pretty colored pens. Everything you need to get yourself organized for the planning process. I found mini and full size photo albums or even photo frames you could customize for gifts with just pictures of you and that person through the years, or use it in addition to the journal you start during your planning process. I even found packs of Thank you cards and invitations in about 10 different styles!

They also had sunglasses, perfect for those funny posed pictures of your bridesmaids or groomsmen. They had a tower with ribbons and buttons that said things like “Groom to be” or “Bride to be”. I saw #1 Dad, Best Sister, and Awesome Mom. How about handing those out at the rehearsal to be worn?

Down the toy aisle, my list became endless for gift ideas for flower girls and ring bearers. I found a plastic ball and chain you could jokingly wear at your rehearsal dinner or walk down the aisle with it on at your ceremony rehearsal.

To sum up my visit, I actually found an array of actual wedding items such as bubbles in tiny plastic champagne bottles, bubbles in regular bottles, white honeycomb bells in 2 sizes, just married confetti, congratulations banners and gift bags galore with pictures of wedding things on the front such as a bride and groom, congratulations, or wedding bells. I also discovered sets of white Christmas lights to decorate your reception hall, ceremony site, shower or rehearsal dinner.

All in all, I was very impressed with the wide variety of items usable in the planning of the smallest to the grandest of weddings. On your next visit to the Dollar Store, just use your imagination, and find yourself surrounded in ideas!

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