How Thrift Stores Helped Me Create the Perfect Wedding Decor
This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s summer editorial intern Jenna Wirtz. Find her on Instagram at @jennamindel. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
As an eclectic bride on a budget, thrift stores have been the place I have returned to again and again during the process of planning my wedding. So, if you are like me and want to have unique wedding decor, I recommend that you stick around and see what you can (and should) be thrifting for your big day. It has saved me so much money and helped me gather a lot of pieces that I love and that I know I will use long after our wedding day.
I was lost at first for how I would decorate my wedding because I felt like I had so many ideas but not one specific vision I was passionate about. So, I encourage you to put together a Pinterest board of everything that stands out to you decor/aesthetic-wise, and then see what each thing has in common. This will serve you as an informative guide as you shop. Wedding thrifting can be difficult if you do not have an established vision before you go out exploring your favorite local second-hand store.
I would also recommend going with a friend, so that you can bounce ideas off of somebody else, along with having a second pair of eyes looking for exactly what you want! With that being said, here are a few things I thrifted for my wedding that I had never heard of other brides doing.
Candle holders
This was what started my thrifting journey with all of my wedding decor! In all of the pictures of tables I had saved, they all had one thing in common, a mix of candle colors and holders. I looked online for different candle holders but knew that I wanted to have a variety of heights, textures and colors. So, I thrifted about 70% of my candle holders, each being between $1-3. In the end, I still needed more so I ordered a pack, but I am going to mix them with all of my thrifted holders which I know is going to look perfect.
Do not feel pressured that you either have to thrift or buy new when it comes to your wedding. I encourage you to do a mix. The most important thing is that you are obsessed with everything you have!
Also, I grabbed a couple of really cool pink spiral candlesticks at one thrift store I found. So you can even go as far as thrifting candles.
Tablecloths/linens
You can sense a pattern here with my taste! I did not want all of my linens to be the exact same shade and texture. That is the most important distinction when it comes to assessing what you want to thrift for your wedding. Do you want things that complement each other or things that match exactly?
The cost ranges for these, but I paid between $4-7 per linen. I love the variety that you can find at the thrift store. If you are going this route, depending on how many tables you have, you will want to start early to ensure you will be able to have all of the tablecloths that you need.
I got so much really high-quality lace at GoodWill which I would not have thought to buy to add some texture to my tables as well. So, be sure to look around the linens at the thrift store and not just strictly in the tablecloth section.
Vases
This was by far my favorite thing to get for my wedding. I did not realize how cheap vases were at the thrift store. I believe the most I paid for one was $7, which felt expensive. Most were between $2-5! Vases are something super practical that you will be able to use after the wedding as well, so make sure they align with your taste as well. As I was shopping with my mom, she helped me select a variety of shapes and colors to add dimensions to my tables.
Wedding thrifting was one of my favorite parts about wedding planning because I knew everything I got was going to be unique and reflect my fiancé’s and my taste. If you love second-hand stores and sustainable shopping, I highly recommend you shop for these three things, along with anything else fun you can find to make your day that much more special.
What else are you going to thrift for your wedding? Let us know in the comments below.