This may sound crazy, but my best wedding resource is Thrift Stores and Resale Shops! All my friends say I find the most and the best in these places and often give me shopping lists for my "junkin" expeditions. You have to be creative and a bit flexible, as you may not find exactly what you want, but a good and affordable compromise.
If you're having a small or a big wedding, varying the guest table centerpiece design is quite popluar. You can find coordinating containers very inexpensively. Tablecloths, silk flowers, serving platters, toasting glasses, guest books, garter sets, cake toppers, bubble containers, candles and candleabras are just some of the things I have found for pennies on the dollar, as compared to full retail. Many times, the items are still in the sealed box, unused.
The key to success is adequate time to shop the thrift and resale stores on a frequent basis over a period of time. You can also get friends and family to help with your search at thrift stores near them. No one will ever know your brand new toasting glasses came from Goodwill, not Belk.
Every dollar saved on the wedding and reception can be spent on the Honeymoon!
Another great resource can be your bridal showers, especially if this is a second marriage.
When my Father remarried a few years ago, his wife's friends wanted to give her a bridal shower. They had two houses full of stuff to be combined and did not need any more stuff. I suggested making a wish list of things needed for the wedding to be given as gifts at the shower. The list included stamps for the invitations, thank you cards, candles and hurricane shades for the centerpieces, ferns, cake knife and topper, napkins, etc.
Getting someone a generic wedding present to be opened afterwards is one thing. But giving the couple something that will be used in the wedding provides a very "warm fuzzy" for the gift giver, and truly makes then a part of the wedding.
My youngest sister had a Wedding Bar shower. All their friends gave them one or more bottles of wine or liquor to be served at the reception. Some gave the mixers, cups and napkins. This shower saved them a ton of money, but I have my suspicions some of the "gifts" didn't make it past the shower. It was certainly better than printing BYOB on the invitations!
