Save On Your Wedding Using Valentine's Day Clearance

Tis the season for love. Not just love. Discounted love. Valentine's Day just passed, which means that a ton of heart-shaped and love-centric items are marked down. And you can save on your wedding using Valentine's Day clearance because hearts don't go out of style.

We have a ton of other budget posts to help you save more (because yup, weddings are expensive).

Valentine's Day just passed, which means every store is trying to clear their shelves.

Goodbye hearts.

Hello next holiday.

And you absolutely can save on your wedding using Valentine's Day clearance. No one will ever know.

Well, your wedding budget will know because there will be more in it.

But none of your guests will know. Or care, honestly.

Save On Your Wedding Using Valentine's Day Clearance

Affiliate links are included in this post and A Bride On A Budget may receive a commission if you use them.

You can look at discounted candy, but almost everything I found does say Valentine's on it.

And although you want to save money, you don't want to look like you saved money.

It's not like Christmas clearance where you can buy bags of candy with red, green, and silver wrappers then just use the ones that match your colors.

Valentine's Day candy always seems to have hearts all over. That's fine. It's the "To:" and "From:" on them (you know, so the kids can hand the fun-sized candy out in class) that makes them unusable for your wedding favors or candy buffet.

So you have to get a little creative. Buying Valentine's items is a great way to save, but unless you are getting married on Valentine's Day, the branding doesn't make sense.

But, there's more than just candy on sale.

My friend Erika found those wooden words spelling out "Amore" and "Love" when I originally wrote this post. Those are super cute for a welcome table, a lounge, or a buffet table.

She loved how they look as is. But, personally, I would use spray paint to make them my colors so they were a little more subdued and didn't take away from the rest of my decor.

But that's what's great about saving money. You have that extra money, then, to buy things like spray paint and glitter.

You could also use Mod Podge to affix scrapbook paper on top of them if you wanted to add some color that way too.

Erika also found fake rose petals.

That's awesome -- and a ton cheaper than actually buying real rose petals (and, small aside: I actually paid for rose petals to be spread at our welcome table and they never made it to the venue, which of course I didn't see until it was too late because, well, I was the bride).

Flowers are so expensive, so any way you can save in that department is something I support.

I found this felt garland,  and I thought it was cute. If your venue has a mantle, this would be awesome. Or at the bar. Or welcome table. Or candy buffet.

Seriously, for $1, you can find a spot for it.

Keep an eye out for small toys too, in case you're having young kids at your wedding.

You are going to want to make goody bags (it helps to entertain kids at a wedding) for them. I'm not sure if those whistles are your best bet, but those spinning tops look great. Plus, an 18-count bag for under $2 is a great way to keep your budget down.

You may have to get creative, and you may have to search through a sea of cardboard cards, but it's worth it.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Did you pick up any Valentine's Day clearance items for your wedding?

How To Use Christmas Clearance To Save On Your Wedding

Christmas is over, which means Christmas items are discounted everywhere. And you can use some of them to save on your big day. Find out How To Use Christmas Clearance To Save On Your Wedding here.

Christmas is over.

For you, that means cleaning up the stockings, putting away the lights, and getting the red and green back into the attic.

For stores, that means getting Christmas items off the shelves and hopefully into your attic.

So to help that happen, there's Christmas clearance sales. That's good for you. Really, really good for you because you can use Christmas clearance to save on your wedding.

Anything seasonal -- ornaments, wrapping paper, gift sets with stockings and snowflakes on them -- is discounted to make room for the next holiday.

If you're creative, you can use those items to save on your wedding.

How To Use Christmas Clearance To Save On Your Wedding

Affiliate links are included in this post and A Bride On A Budget may receive compensation if you use them.

Christmas Chocolate:

Let's start with bags of Hershey's Kisses as an example.

From the outside, they're totally Christmas. I mean, there are usually snowflakes on the bag.

Snowflakes might be bad for your wedding (well, unless it's a winter wedding ... and if that's the case, check out our snowflake wedding favors ideas), but good for your budget.

See, it means that bag, which sold for $6.99 on December 24, is now marked down. No one wants to buy a bag with snowflakes come Valentine's Day, so the stores don't want to waste shelf space on it. So they mark it down to 50%, 75%, or even 90% off.

Open the bag and you'll see there are no snowflakes on the wrappers. Just foil-wrapped chocolates in red, green, and silver.

If your colors are red or emerald, these are perfect. Pair the red and silver and look very similar to our engagement party favors. Pair green and silver if you're going in that direction.

If your colors are anything other than the two, no worries; the silver will work by itself. Then, you can just eat the green and red.

If you're not using any of those colors, just pick up some favor boxes. As long as the box itself matches your wedding colors, no one will care what color treats inside are.

Buy chocolates now, save them (anywhere but the fridge -- chocolate that gets hot then cold then hot will turn a musty shade of brown; it tastes fine, but looks awful), then turn them into favors when it's time for your wedding.

Gift wrap:

White boxes are on clearance all over too because those are seasonal.

If you're planning on giving thank you gifts to your parents and bridal party, and you need a box to wrap those in, pick up the boxes now.

Also, look for colored cellophane. You can use that for your bridal party gifts.

Of course, don't buy wrapping paper with Santa on it, but anything generic works.

Gift sets:

What's great is there are a ton of gift sets on sale too.

Look for ones with mini lotions and perfumes and you can add those to your wedding bathroom baskets. Or break them apart to add to your wedding welcome bags. Or as a get ready station for your bridesmaids.

Even those big gift baskets that are filled with delicious treats are on sale. You can eat the treats now and use that basket itself as your bathroom basket.

You really have a lot of options.

Twinkle lights:

I love that twinkle lights are so popular for weddings right now. You can add them to your gift or dessert table for a little bit of ambiance.

They're really popular for Christmas too.

And stores really want them out. So, if you want to incorporate some into your wedding, buy them now.

Garland:

We have a large green garland that we hang around our banister during Christmas. I always look at it and think about how it would be great incorporated into a fall/woodland wedding.

If you think so too, look for it on clearance now.

If you wait another six weeks, Valentine's Day will be on clearance, which means there will be a lot of heart-shaped candy to choose from. Hearts, wedding, clearance; it's a budget bride's dream.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Where in your wedding would you incorporate clearance Christmas items?

How To Design Your Own Wedding Postcards

Instead of buying a post card to stick in each of your wedding welcome bags (which can add up and add an extra expense to your wedding), you can design your own wedding postcards and print them on photo paper.

Find more tips to save with all of our ways to save money posts.

UPDATE: Now is the time to design your own wedding postcards and print them. You can get 20 FREE 4×6 photos with the code WOW20 at Walgreens on October 16, 2024 from 2 pm to 4 pm EST. Choose instore pickup to save on shipping too.

When my friend Mallory got married in Washington, it was similar to ours in that it was a destination wedding for everyone except, basically, the bride and groom. So she had a similar situation where she had to make a ton of wedding welcome bags for the out of towners.

When I was making our wedding welcome bags, she suggested that I attach a postcard from our town to the bags. Well, quick math told me that at $.35 a postcard for 100 bags would run me $35 plus tax. I had to come up with a cheaper alternative.

And that's when it hit me. I would design my own wedding postcards.

 How To Design Your Own Wedding Postcards

I'm pretty creative on the computer. I mean, I do run two blogs for a living and spend much of my time designing images online.

But at the time, I wasn't that great.

I actually designed two wedding postcards. One from my phone and the other on the computer. The second one was so much better than the first. So, if you have a desktop, use that.

I took a photo when we were at a local beach and was in love with it. Our really eye-catching (yet simple and logo-less) umbrella hangs over the beach on a perfect day, with a bit of waves but not enough for children or surfers. There was a build up of sea junk that makes it look like I placed it there. There's nothing distracting in the background, not a cloud in the sky or a rogue person in the background. It looks, well, it looks sort of like a postcard.

And since our wedding was at the beach, since that's where we live, this was perfect. If you live in New York City, consider going out and taking a photo of the Empire State Building. Getting married in San Francisco? Snap a pic of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Not sure what exactly your town is known for? Stop into a souvenir store and check out the postcards. Figure out what landmarks and shots are used and replicate that on your own.

Then, go to a design website. Both Canva.com and PicMonkey.com are free, so those are good options.

Make sure to start with a 4x6-inch template. I would recommend 800x1200 pixels, at minimum, so you can make sure they don't print grainy. And if you start them at a 4:6 ratio, you can print them as 4x6 prints, which are often free (like right now!).

I added text that says, "Welcome to North Carolina for Lisa & Pete's wedding" in a large, dark font. I put this right in the middle of the picture because I thought it would get lost at the top or the bottom. To jazz it up a little more, I added the words Post Card at the bottom. And, to personalize them, I added our wedding month and year up top.

I made them up myself, but I'm sure you could find a free wedding postcard template out there somewhere if you didn't feel like you could make them on your own.

Since I made sure to pick a really clutch photo, it doesn't actually look like I made it myself. I mean, yes, it's personalized so you know I made it, but it looks like I ordered them.

If you want, you can add handwritten note onto the back since you have a blank canvas for it.

If you choose to do that, I would recommend a felt tip pen. A regular ball point would run the risk of indentation. If you push too hard, you'll be able to see the lettering from the front of the print. A felt pen would eliminate this issue, however, be careful to let it dry before stacking these or affixing them anywhere. You don't want the ink to bleed. Or, to be perfectly safe, you can just leave the backs blank.

Then, affix them to your wedding welcome bags.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Would you make these wedding postcards?

Wedding Deals And Savings (Updated for August 2021)

As I've mentioned before, I usually don't post deals on the blog. Yes, it's about saving money, but I try to keep deals on Twitter or Facebook because deals expire and posts on this blog last forever. But people were really happy with the wedding deals and savings I posted for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so I decided to put together this monthly post of wedding deals and savings.

It is updated every month with the current deals and coupon codes. The post is separated into three sections: Wedding Stationery Deals, Wedding Deals (for anything other than stationery), and Wedding Freebies.

No matter what you are up to in the planning process, this list is sure to help you out.

Wedding Deals And Savings

Wedding Stationery Deals

Expressionery
Deal: 30% off sitewide; free shipping on $50+
Code: HAPPY30
Til: (no date noted)
Shop at Expressionery

InkGarden
Deal: 25% off everything (includes wedding invitations) when you sign up for the mailing list
Code: (will be emailed)
Til: ongoing
Shop at InkGarden

Magnet Street
Deal: 75% off sitewide and free shipping
Code: (apply on the homepage)
Til: 8/3/2021
Shop at Magnet Street

Minted
Deal: $100 off wedding orders of $500+; $50 off $350+; $20 off $200+

Code: SUMMERWED
Til: 8/2/2021
Shop at Minted

Mixbook
Deal: 50% off $149+; 40% off $99+; or 30% off
Code: JULYFUN
Til: 8/2/2021
Shop at Mixbook

Paper Source
Deal: Free shipping on $50+ orders
Code: (no code needed)
Til: (no date noted)
Shop at Paper Source



Shutterfly
Deal: Save 50% on almost everything
Code: (no code needed)
Til: 8/4/2021
Shop at Shutterfly
*Read about our photo book guest book idea

Swoozies
Deal: 20% off
Code: Join the mailing list for your code.
Til: (no expiration)
Shop at Swoozies

Tiny Prints
Deal: Save 20% on everything plus free shipping
Code: SALE20
Til: 8/3/2021
Shop at Tiny Prints

Vistaprint
Deal: (nothing right now)
Shop through Top Cashback for an extra 6% cash back

Walgreens
Deal: 50% off cards and premium stationery
Code: THERES50
Til: 8/7/2021
Shop at Walgreens' website

Wedding Deals

Alex And Ani
Deal: 15% off
Code: (sign up for the mailing list)
Til: (no date noted)
Shop through Top Cashback for an extra 8% cash back
*See our post about using Alex And Ani as bridesmaids gifts.

Bachelorette.com *NSFW LINK!
Deal: Free shipping on orders of $75+
Code: (no code needed)
Til: (ongoing)
Shop at Bachelorette.com *NSFW LINK!

Beau-Coup
Deal: 30% off your total
Code: YAHOO1
Til: (no date noted)
Shop at Beau-Coup

Blurb
Deal: 35% off
Code: Join the mailing list for your code.
Til: (no expiration)
Shop at Blurb

Bold Loft
Deal: Clearance sale, plus free shipping on $40+
Code: (no code needed)
Til: (no date noted)
Shop at Bold Loft
*Cute couples gift ideas

Cufflinks.com
Deal: 20% off $125+
Code: DRESSUP
Til: (no date noted)
Shop at Cufflinks.com

Dollar Tree
Deal: Everything's $1
Code: (no code needed)
Til: (no end date)
Shop at Dollar Tree
*See our post on why you should always wedding shop at the dollar store.

Expressionery
Deal: 30% off sitewide; free shipping on $50+
Code: HAPPY30
Til: (no date noted)
Shop at Expressionery
*Read our post about 5 Times You'll Wish You Had A Stamp During Wedding Planning

Frecklebox
Deal: Free shipping over $45
Code: (no code needed)
Til: (no date noted)
Shop at Frecklebox
*Perfect gift ideas for ring bearers and flower girls.

Indochino
Deal: Up to 70% off
Code: (no code needed)
Til: (while supplies last)
Shop through Top Cashback for an extra 2% cash back

Julep
Deal: Free shipping on $29+
Code: (no code needed)
Til: (no date noted)
Shop at Julep
*We've used this nail polish before and loved it. It would be great for at home manicures.

Men's Wearhouse
Deal: 40% off
Code: (no code needed)
Til: (no date noted)
Shop through Top Cashback for an extra 4% cash back
*Find out how to get a free tuxedo rental from Men's Wearhouse

Michaels
Deal: 20% off all regular price items
Code: 20MADEBYYOU
Til: 8/31/2021
Shop at Michaels' website

My Wedding Favors
Deal: 25% off your purchase
Code: MWFSALE25
Til: (no date noted)
Shop at My Wedding Favors

Napkins.com
Deal: Save 20% off $200+ when you join the email list
Code: (will be emailed)
Til: (no date noted)
Shop at Napkins.com

Paper Source
Deal: Free shipping on custom print orders of $75+
Code: CUSTOM75
Til: (no date noted)
Shop at Paper Source

Personal Creations
Deal: Up to 50% off everything
Code: (no code needed)
Til: (no date noted)
Shop through Top Cashback for an extra 20% cash back

Pura Vida Bracelets
Deal: Free shipping on $45+ orders
Code: (no code needed)
Til: (no date noted)
Shop at Pura Vida Bracelets
*Bridesmaids gift ideas starting at $5

Shutterfly
Deal: Save 50% on almost everything, plus free shipping on cards
Code: SHIPYAY
Til: 6/9/2021
 Shop at Shutterfly
*Read about our photo book guest book idea

Tiny Prints
Deal: Save 20% on everything plus free shipping
Code: SALE20
Til: 8/3/2021
Shop at Tiny Prints

Walgreens
Deal: 50% off cards and premium stationery
Code: THERES50
Til: 8/7/2021
Shop at Walgreens' website

Wedding Freebies

Amazon
Deal: Wedding freebies when you create a registry
Code: None needed
Til: Ongoing
Create your registry at Amazon.com

Bridal Guide Magazine
Deal: Free two-year subscription
Code: None needed
Til: Ongoing
Request here

Exclusively Weddings
Deal: Free wedding invitation samples
Code: None needed
Til: Ongoing
Request at Exclusively Weddings

Minted
Deal: Free wedding sample kit
Code: None needed
Til: Ongoing
Request at Minted

Target
Deal: Wedding freebies when you create a registry
Code: None needed
Til: Ongoing
Create your registry at Target.com

The Wedding Shop By Shutterfly
Deal: Free sample kit
Code: None needed
Til: Ongoing
Request at The Wedding Shop By Shutterfly

Things Remembered
Deal: Free personalized silver keepsake heart
Code: Join the mailing list for your code/coupon
Til: Ongoing
Join the mailing list here

Wedding Paper Divas
Deal: 5 free samples of wedding stationery
Code: 5WEDSAMPLES
Til: Ongoing
Request at Wedding Paper Divas

Wedding Paper Divas
Deal: Free wedding website
Code: None needed
Til: Always
Request at Wedding Paper Divas

*Be sure to check out all our free wedding printables too.

Note: Deals are subject to change. A Bride On A Budget is not responsible if they do.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What are you looking for savings on?

Every time I'm in the dollar store, I check out the wedding aisle. Even now that we're coming up on our seven year wedding anniversary. I still always look. And, if you're currently wedding planning, you should always go wedding shopping at the dollar store.

Each time, I'm there, I find a gem. I wouldn't call them dollar store wedding hacks (that would be a completely different post). But, there are just good wedding deals at the dollar store.

Why You Should Always Go Wedding Shopping At The Dollar Store

You can find cheap programs and stationery products

Do you need wedding programs? No. People always know the order of the wedding. On a hot day, people only use your wedding programs to fan themselves. And so many programs get left behind at the end of the ceremony.

But still, programs are nice to have. Especially if you can get them for $1.

I found Brides magazines programs, usually $40, for only $1. At that price, you can add wedding programs into your budget without actually breaking and barely increasing your wedding budget.

Look for other wedding stationery products too. You may be able to find table cards, thank you cards, or even invitations.

If you find paper products, they're going to be print at home products, not something incredibly fancy. But if you're on a budget and you're not picking about wedding invitations like I was, buying your wedding stationery at the dollar store is a great way to save some money.

You can find cheap bridal shower favors

Once, I found bridal-themed cookie cutters at the dollar tree.

I found a ton of the now discontinued Lady Cookie Cutters by Gartner Studios, which came in a pack of three (lips, high heel, and a dress) for only $1. 

If I was planning a bridal shower, I would buy these, print a cookie recipe on a sheet of card stock, punch a hole in it, and attach it with a ribbon. Bridal shower favors are done.

Simple, easy, and cheap. Very cheap. They would end up being $.33 each, assuming you have ribbon and card stock at home already (which I just feel like every bride-to-be has in the closet).

To be perfectly honest, this is inspired by a bridal shower favor I received years ago. My friend was a pastry chef at a local restaurant and loved shoes. So her family bought cookie cutters in the shape of high heels and attached one of her cookie recipes to it.

I lost that cookie cutter in one of the three times I've moved since her shower, but I still have her sugar cookie recipe and use it all the time.

You can get cheap bubbles

If you're having a receiving line and you want to have your guests blow bubbles, there are always wedding bubbles at the dollar store. Pick them up, pick up a cheap wicker basket, and display them at the exit of the church or reception venue.

If people forget them behind (which -- true story -- happened to all the vases my bridesmaid's bouquets were in), you won't be out a ton of money.

And if people don't use them, which happens a lot, you won't really worry.

The dollar store has cheap favor boxes

I'm not a fan of purchasing food at the dollar tree. And I'm not the only one who says don't buy food at the dollar store. So, I wouldn't pick up any of the candy for your wedding favors at the dollar store.

But, the favor boxes to hold the favors, those are a great low price at the dollar store.

If you don't want to wrap your favors in boxes, you can also pick up really cheap gift bags at the dollar store. We actually wrapped our thank you gifts for our bridesmaids, groomsmen, and readers in gift bags from the dollar store.

We picked up three nice bags for only $1 total, so that was perfect for me. You can buy tissue paper at the dollar store too, which is what we did.

You can find cheap novelty items there too

My friend Michelle was at her local dollar store recently and found "bride" and "bridesmaids" wedding party flip flops. Of course, they're only $1 there.

This very similar pair of Mrs. flip flops is almost $20 online. Which is just nuts. You're probably only wearing them for photos and your honeymoon. And, let be honest, your bridesmaids are probably tossing them in the back of the closet after your wedding. So you shouldn't spend a ton of money on novelty items like that. If you can find them at the dollar store, that's perfect.

Something to keep in mind about wedding shopping at the dollar store:

The stock at most dollar stores rotates quite frequently. When items are gone, they may never come back (the pepper grinder we used to buy there exclusively was only ever available sporadically).

So, each time I'm in the dollar store, I check to see what new items are available. I only ever saw the aforementioned cookie cutters once, and I never saw them again.

So, when you find items that you like in the wedding section, grab them.

The same goes for anything that seems like it will be available forever, like non-seasonal items like platters. You might want to buy charger plates for your rehearsal dinner's buffet. Cool. Buy them when you see them. Those are actually an item dollar store crafters pick up to use as home décor, and you might not be able to grab them when you actually need them.

Also, different stores have different stock. So if you see something at a dollar store when you're out of town, grab it.

If you do miss it, you can actually shop certain dollar stores (like Dollar Tree and Daiso) online. Those stores may have a minimum on things you can buy when you shop online, though. So even if you want one picture frame, you may need to order a case of 24.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What wedding items have you seen at the dollar store?

Get Bridal Guide Magazine For Free

As soon as I got engaged, one of my mom's best friends told me she had a few bridal magazines for me. And almost at the very same time, someone purchased me a gift subscription to Bridal Guide.

I didn't think I needed magazines. I had the Internet, and that was good enough. So I thought.

It's not.

Google is a great place to start, but magazines are so amazing and worth the cost. There is so much information, ideas on ways to save money, how to address invitations, check lists, and a ton of ads for wedding products.

Yes, we have these all on A Bride On A Budget. So you should definitely keep us bookmarked all through your wedding. But you should supplement us with a wedding magazine subscription ... especially if it's free.

Bridal Guide is amazing, but it's $5.99 an issue at the newsstand. That's way too much to pick up at the store every month. Right now, though, you can get a free Bridal Guide magazine subscription.

You can easily get a free digital subscription of Bridal Guide magazine. Just click that link, enter your info, and your first issue should arrive soon.

I requested all the free wedding magazines I could find. They were all so helpful for me. I was able to flip through them when I had a few minutes and look at the dresses (bridal magazines are very ad heavy, but I never minded), read an article, and just feel like I was on the right track with my planning. That confirmation is worth it.

And brides, they really need a lot of confirmation.

Until you start planning your wedding, you don't even know what you have to plan. And you always feel like you're on the wrong track, no matter what you're doing. So having a magazine is just a big help as far as reassurance goes.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Are you reading any wedding magazines?

Recently engaged?

Check out our So you're engaged ... now what? (What to do before you say "I Do") post.

Black Friday Wedding Deals (Updated for Black Friday 2020)

Update: This list of Black Friday Wedding Deals is updated for November 2020. We'll be updating for Cyber Monday 2020 as the deals roll in.

For our monthly wedding deals and freebies link, check out our list, updated monthly, here.

I usually don't post deals on this blog. Yes, it's about saving money, but I'll usually just post deals on Twitter or Facebook because, well, deals expire. And I don't want you to come to a blog with a bunch of expired deals. That's sort of useless. But with Black Friday 2017 and Cyber Monday 2017 around the corner, so many stores are having really hot deals. Plus, this is engagement season, so now might be when you're planning wedding stuff. I put together a list of the best Black Friday wedding deals for 2016 and have been constantly updating it so you can get the best deals.

The deals are split into three categories: Black Friday Wedding Stationery Deals; Black Friday Wedding Deals; and Wedding Freebies.

Black Friday Wedding Deals

Black Friday Wedding Stationery Deals

Artsy Couture
Deal: Up to 40% off prints, wall decor, books, and more
Code: (no code needed)
Til: 11//29/2020
Shop at Artsy Couture
*Check out our review of Artsy Couture Save the Dates.

CafePress
Deal: 25% off sitewide
Code: (no code needed)
Til: 12/2/2020
Shop at CafePress
*Check out our review of wedding items at CafePress.

Expressionery
Deal: 30% off sitewide; free shipping on $50+
Code: HAPPY30
Til: (no date noted)
Shop at Expressionery

Magnet Street
Deal: 75% off and free 2-day shipping
Code: (apply code at the top of the homepage)
Til: 12/1/2020
Shop at Magnet Street

Minted
Deal: 20% off $150+, 15% off everything
Code: BF2020
Til: 11/27/2020
Shop at Minted

Mixbook
Deal: Up tp 55% off your favorites
Code: BFGIFTS
Til: 11/30/2020
Shop at Mixbook

Paper Source
Deal: Up to 50% off Paper Source favorites
Code: (none needed)
Til: (no date noted)
Shop at Paper Source

Shutterfly
Deal: 50% off almost everything
Code: (no code needed)
Til: 11/29/2020
Shop at Shutterfly
*Read about our photo book guest book idea

Snapfish
Deal: 75% off all photo cards
Code: CHEERCRD75
Til: 11/27/2020
Shop at Snapfish

Swoozies
Deal: 20% off
Code: Join the mailing list for your code.
Til: (no expiration)
Shop at Swoozies

Tiny Prints
Deal: 50% off premium cards, 30% off everything else, plus free custom envelopes
Code: GIVETHANKS
Til: 11/29/2020
Shop at Tiny Prints

Vistaprint
Deal: Up to 60% off almost everything
Code: SALE60
Til: 12/2/2020
Shop through Top Cashback for an extra 6.3% cash back

Walgreens
Deal: 60% off all cards and premium stationery
Code: HIFALL60
Til: 11/28/2020
Shop at Walgreens' website

Black Friday Wedding Deals

Alex And Ani
Deal: 40% off full priced styles, 20% off sale prices
Code: (no code needed)
Til: (no date notes)
Shop through Top Cashback for an extra 3.15% cash back
*See our post about using Alex And Ani as bridesmaids gifts.

Artsy Couture
Deal: Up to 40% off prints, wall decor, books, and more
Code: (no code needed)
Til: 11//29/2020
Shop at Artsy Couture

Bachelorette.com *NSFW LINK!
Deal: Free gift with every order
Code: (no code needed)
Til: (ongoing)
Shop at Bachelorette.com *NSFW LINK!

Beau-Coup
Deal: 30% off sitewide
Code: FRIDAY
Til: 11/27/2020
Shop at Beau-Coup

Blurb
Deal: 35% off
Code: Join the mailing list for your code.
Til: (no expiration)
Shop through Top Cashback for an extra 2.1% cash back

Bold Loft
Deal: Up to 50% off
Code: (no code needed)
Til: (no date noted)
Shop at Bold Loft
*Cute couples gift ideas

Cufflinks.com
Deal: 20% off sitewide
Code: BLACKFRIDAY
Til: (no date noted)
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Dollar Tree
Deal: Everything's $1
Code: (no code needed)
Til: (no end date)
Shop at Dollar Tree
*See our post on why you should always wedding shop at the dollar store.

Expressionery
Deal: 30% off sitewide; free shipping on $50+
Code: HAPPY30
Til: (no date noted)
Shop at Expressionery
*Read our post about 5 Times You'll Wish You Had A Stamp During Wedding Planning

Frecklebox
Deal: 30% off everything

Code: JOY

Til: (no date noted)
Shop at Frecklebox
*Perfect gift ideas for ring bearers and flower girls.

Indochino
Deal: Up to 70% off
Code: (no code needed)
Til: (while supplies last)
Shop through Top Cashback for an extra 2.1% cash back

Julep
Deal: Get 15% off when you join the email list
Code: (will be emailed)
Til: (no date noted)
Shop through Top Cashback for an extra 8.4% cash back
*We've used this nail polish before and loved it. It would be great for at home manicures.

Men's Wearhouse
Deal: $15 off $50 with store pickup
Code: (no code needed)
Til: (no date noted)
Shop through Top Cashback for an extra 8.4% cash back
*Find out how to get a free tuxedo rental from Men's Wearhouse

Michaels
Deal: 20% off all regular-priced purchases
Code: 20MADEBYYOU
Til: 11/28/2020
Shop at Michaels' website

Minted
Deal: 20% off $150+, 15% off everything
Code: BF2020
Til: 11/27/2020
Shop at Minted

My Wedding Favors
Deal: 230% off
Code: GIVETHANKS
Til: (no date noted)
Shop at My Wedding Favors

Napkins.com
Deal: 40% off sitewide
Til: BCM40

Til: (no date noted)
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Paper Source
Deal: Free shipping on custom print orders of $75+
Code: CUSTOM75
Til: (no date noted)
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Personal Creations
Deal: Up to 60% off sale items and 20% off everything else
Code: (no code needed)
Til: (no date noted)

Pura Vida Bracelets
Deal: 40% off sitewide, free gift with purchase, and free shipping
Code: (no code needed)
Til: 11/27/2020
Shop at Pura Vida Bracelets
*Bridesmaids gift ideas starting at $2.50

Shutterfly
Deal: 50% off almost everything
Code: (no code needed)
Til: 11/29/2020
Shop at Shutterfly
*Read about our photo book guest book idea

Snapfish
Deal: 75% off all photo cards
Code: CHEERCRD75
Til: 11/27/2020
Shop at Snapfish

Sole Serum
Deal: Free shipping on orders of $30+
Code: (no code needed)
Til: (no date noted)
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*Read our review Sole Serum review.

Tiny Prints
Deal: 50% off premium cards, 30% off everything else, plus free custom envelopes
Code: GIVETHANKS
Til: 11/29/2020
Shop at Tiny Prints

Visible Interest
Deal: Free shipping on all orders
Code: (no code needed)
Til: (no date noted)
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Walgreens
Deal: 60% off all cards and premium stationery
Code: HIFALL60
Til: 11/28/2020
Shop at Walgreens' website

Wedding Freebies

Amazon
Deal: Wedding freebies when you create a registry
Code: None needed
Til: Ongoing
Create your registry at Amazon.com

Bridal Guide Magazine
Deal: Free two-year subscription
Code: None needed
Til: Ongoing
Request here

Exclusively Weddings
Deal: Free wedding invitation samples
Code: None needed
Til: Ongoing
Request at Exclusively Weddings

Minted
Deal: Free wedding sample kit
Code: None needed
Til: Ongoing
Request at Minted

Target
Deal: Wedding freebies when you create a registry
Code: None needed
Til: Ongoing
Create your registry at Target.com

The Wedding Shop By Shutterfly
Deal: Free sample kit
Code: None needed
Til: Ongoing
Request at The Wedding Shop By Shutterfly

Things Remembered
Deal: Free personalized silver keepsake heart
Code: Join the mailing list for your code/coupon
Til: Ongoing
Join the mailing list here

Wedding Paper Divas
Deal: 5 free samples of wedding stationery
Code: 5WEDSAMPLES
Til: Ongoing
Request at Wedding Paper Divas

Wedding Paper Divas
Deal: Free wedding website
Code: None needed
Til: Always
Request at Wedding Paper Divas

*Be sure to check out all our free wedding printables too.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Are you shopping on Black Friday?

Note: Deals are subject to change. A Bride On A Budget is not responsible if they do.

Should You Take Engagement Photos?

When we were living in New York, Pete and I went to Wave Hill , a gorgeous park close to his house. We walked around the gardens, through the woods, looked at the bridge and the river, and at the end, we both said this is where we'd take our engagement photos.

That was just wishful thinking at that point because we weren't engaged then. 

We did get engaged (obviously), but we ended up not taking our engagement photos in Wave Hill because we moved to North Carolina before he proposed. We did take them at a beach close to our home in North Carolina.

But they question remains: Should you take engagement photos?

My friend Mallory, who got married in July 2012, got hers done too, and I borrowed some of hers for this post.

Should You Take Engagement Photos? 

The Pros For Taking Engagement Photos:
Engagement photos are a really nice way to capture how you look at the time of your engagement. In ten, twenty, fifty years, it will be so sweet to look back and see how in love and how young you were. Pictures are a great way to capture a moment and for that, I'm always for them.

And there are a lot of fun engagement photo ideas out there now: from a beach to a park to just showing your personalities. So it could actually just be a fun day to spend together.

Even better, taking engagement photos is a good excuse to test out your photographer. It also helps you get comfortable with them, which could do wonders for you being comfortable around them on your wedding day.

Reasons For Not Doing Engagement Photos:
If you take engagement photos, you can then use them for your Save the Date cards. But, realistically, you use one photo for the save the date and that's it. So to spend about a hundred bucks on one photo, that's silly to me, especially if you're planning your wedding on a strict budget.

So, if it doesn't fit into your budget, you should skip them. Or, do what we did. To save, we actually ended up taking them with a new photographer who was looking for photos for her portfolio. She didn't charge us, but we did tip her because I didn't feel right not giving her any money for her time.

We ended up using just one photo from the shoot for our save the dates and on a canvas print to hang in our bedroom. Other than that, I'm not sure what engagement photos are for, to be honest. I made wedding confetti out of a few of them, just to get more use out of our photos. You could put together our DIY photo banner with them. But other than that, you're just pushing it.

When Should You Take Engagement Photos?
There's no strict timeline for when to take engagement photos. We took ours seven months after we got engaged, mostly because we didn't want it to be freezing cold on the beach when we took our photos. That was 14 months before our wedding.

You just want to make sure you take your photos after you get engaged, but before you need them. If you are planning on using them for your save the dates (which you mail out a year beforehand for a destination wedding and six months before a local wedding), use that as a factor for when you should take them. Also, double check the photographer's turn around time before booking them because you don't want to wait three months for these, like you can wait for your wedding photos.

Do You Need To Take Engagement Photos?
You don't need to do anything.

We took a selfie the day we got engaged, and that's what I used for our engagement party invites. Good enough for me.


And, if you did take your photos already, you're in luck. Right now, you can get a free 8x10 at Walgreens. You can upload a photo, add it to your cart, and enter the code EIGHT10 at checkout. Choose in store pickup and your photo will be completely free. The code is valid through today, November 18, 2019, so don't miss it.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Did you get engagement photos professionally taken?

Need help with your engagement photos?

Check out our Engagement Picture Tips post.