In May 2004, my future husband and I used Ebay to plan our entire wedding.  Then, in December 2004, both of our grown daughters announced their engagements as well.  They were both marrying within 6 months of this unexpected news!!  From beginning to end, we purchased all of our wedding items for all 3 weddings using Ebay.  By the time we had to start planning our daughter's 2 weddings, we were absolutely "Ebay efficient", thanks to our own wedding planning!  It is amazing what can be obtained from the comfort of your own home without having to scramble from store to store, wasting valuable time.  I will tell you, the mail carrier was not pleased for the 6 months she was appearing at our door with Ebay packages!! 

On Ebay, purchases for our weddings included the wedding invitations, candy wrappers, personalized dinner/cocktail napkins and plates, garters, silk floral bouquets, bouttonieres and corsages for all of the wedding party, silk flower petals, candles and holders for the reception tables, decorations for the reception, cake knifes, toasting glasses, thank you gifts for the ushers (engraved pocket watches), jewelry for the bridesmaids and bride (me!), bridal shower invitations and decorations, thank you notes, reception favor tulle, ribbons and cards, shower and wedding gifts for the personalized brides & grooms and so much more!  In fact, all 3 bridal gowns, 2 veils, 2 tiaras and shoes along with all the 3 groom's and thier usher's tuxedos and accessories came from Ebay!  The flower girl dresses, floral hair crowns, baskets and the ring bearer pillows all came from Ebay. 

WHEW!!   Can you imagine the time and expense it would have taken to go from shop to shop to find and purchase all of the items I purchased for my 3 weddings?  The personalized attention you recieve from the Ebay sellers will far exceed what you might receive in local shops.  My daughters often joke that I should start my own wedding planning business with Ebay's help because of the money and time we saved planning our own weddings! 

The following are a few pointers and suggestions I used in my search for the ultimate wedding bargains and purchases on Ebay.  Just remember, the most valuable tool on Ebay is SEARCH.  You can type any word or words related to your search for wedding items, right down to specifics such as "red silk" or "size 10 bridal shoes".  The more specific you are, the narrower and easier your results will be.  Also, don't be afraid to use the ability to contact the seller before making your purchase or bid.  If you are looking for a particular color of something they have listed, contact them and ask if they might have the color you need in the item listed.  They will be happy to list your particular item for you to purchase.  I have also found that knowing what the shipping costs will be is a determining factor in your purchase or bid.  If the seller does not have the shipping costs posted in the listing, do not be afraid to contact them first and find this out before you buy.  There is nothing worse than getting a great price on an item and then finding out the shipping is twice or three times as much as you thought it would be.  Have you really saved money after all?  This only happened to me once, before I became smart enough to ask for the shipping cost before purchasing items.  You can also save a large amount of money on shipping if you can purchase or bid on several of your needed wedding items from the same seller.  Most are kind enough to combine shipping on multiple purchases.  I utilized the same seller for many of the wedding items I purchased.  Also remember, using Paypal for payment is the easiest, fastest, most convenient and safest way to pay for your Ebay purchases.  Your items will arrive in a flash!

My daughters often joke that I should start my own wedding planning business using Ebay as my supplier, because of the savings and success of our 3 weddings.  Thanks to Ebay, I don't doubt for one moment that it could be done!

We are proof positive that.....whatever you need and whatever you desire for your wedding planning......IT can be found on Ebay!