Can budget and vintage go together?

princess74 · May 2010

I think my wedding is not so much vintage as it is 'rustic'. But I am trying to incorporate as much vintage items as I can, without breaking the bank (I'm pretty cheap!!). ie. clear ball jars versus the blue ones.. or vintage furniture outdoors - like what do you do with it afterward? I don't like to buy decor for the wedding unless I can use it afterwards instead of it collecting dust..

Is anyone else struggling with this? How do you balance budget and vintage?

Nukke · May 2010

Like you, I've been trying to purchase things that I'll use again. When I think I won't use it again, I at least try to purchase items that I can SELL again. I feel I can definitely sell most of the things I don't plan on reusing.

I find vintage and budget definitely go together. It's also super eco-friendly to purchase second-hand things and usually cheaper than buying something brand new.

princess74 · May 2010

I don't know if it's because I live in a huge urban area or if I'm not looking in the right places or at the right times, but it's really hard finding the "good" or "pretty" stuff! I've been getting similar items cheaper brand new, unfortunately. In the beginning, I would stalk a bunch of thrift stores and our local swap meet (got some good stuff here actually) but I felt like it was becoming almost a wasted effort given how much time I was spending.

Nukke · May 2010

I definitely understand what you mean there. Finding nice second hand things is definitely a "needle in a haystack" search. You need a lot of time. I can't find squat in Japan, but have found lots of things online. Online is definitely more expensive than finding things in thrift stores/antique stores/swap meets, but it's my only option.

Again, the stuff is out there, but you do need a lot of patience. Is there anythign specific right now that you're looking for?

latina40299 · May 2010

I found all my Mason jars and cake stands at flea markets,just keep looking and you'll find it.

jamjar11 · May 2010

I have had a lot of luck at thrift stores, but I found that I had to really spend a lot of time and thought while shopping. I have started looking at every little thing and think, "what can I do with this?" Just remember that you can always do a little work to the items you find and make it LOOK antique. For instance, I found a regular old picture frame in pretty shoddy condition for $0.50, and simply took chocolate brown acrylic paint and a rough-bristled brush and a sponge and made it look weathered. This was actually a project I did for my home, but I am thinking about doing something similar for my guest book and gift tables.

Do lots of searches for antique DIY projects. There is so much you can do with very inexpensive materials. Plus, when you are using something you paid almost nothing for, it doesn't really matter if you screw it up or it doesn't look like you meant it to!

It's possible, don't worry. It just takes more time and energy unless you want to pay ridiculous amounts of money for things.

LaLiLu · May 2010

Maybe you should make a list of things you are looking for to use for the wedding, and pass it out to family members? I'm sure they wouldn't mind borrowing you decorations, or they can keep an eye out at garage/rummage sales. Just an idea

hippie4yahweh · May 2010

Everything that we've bought that we can't reuse (like 60 milk glass vases- really?? What the heck am I going to do with them all??) can be sold, here on tk. TONSSS of stuff that I've bought came from thrift stores and flea markets. I've DIYed everything possible (I love finding something at a store and thinking "I can so make that for cheaper" LOL)

Plus, we have TONS of little details/ decor- and our budget is less than 1/2 our area's "average" budget. It's totally doable!

Can budget and vintage go together?

Re: Can budget and vintage go together?

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