With the average cost of a wedding in the US at $22,500, it's only natural to want to save a little cash by purchasing things secondhand. Thankfully, there are many online marketplaces that are designed for the eco-friendly and budget conscious couple!
Buying secondhand items for your wedding will save you lots of cash. Used items can cost 50% less or more than buying the item brand new, without a drop in the quality of the product. As we've discussed a lot on this blog already, secondhand purchased also reduce the carbon footprint of the item and help keep your wedding sustainable.
So where do you find all of the items one might need for a green wedding?
If you're looking specifically for secondhand wedding dresses or wedding party outfits, check out our curated lists of both PNW local stores and online dress marketplaces!
U.S. based
Wedzee is an online marketplace for individuals to buy and sell wedding items from dresses to candles to linens to ceremony arches! Wedzee has the most impressive selection of items of any wedding-themed marketplace I've explored so far. A recent quick search showed 14 different listing for ceremony arches, 82 listings for napkins, and 54 for table cloths! Wedzee also features both wedding dresses and clothing items for groomsmen (or anyone wanting to wear a tie!). Items, though, may be secondhand, new, or custom made so it isn't only a used marketplace.
Wedzee is very searchable with options for limiting a search based on price, color, condition, and category of item. They also have a traditional keyword search box.
Every time is paid for through the Wedzee website which means buyers are protected from fraud. They guarantee that you receive your item as listed or your money back!
Sellers can list items for free on the website but for every sale, Wedzee will take an 8% service free of the selling price. That includes though a pre-paid USPS shipping label though which takes any guessing out of the shipping price.
U.S. based
Bravo Bride is an online marketplace for individual sellers and buyers to find used wedding decorations, dresses, shoes, linens, and more! They have been running since 2008 and appear to be only US-based. Unfortunately the search features on the website are a little outdated so it requires some user digging. There is a simply search box where you can type in what you are looking for as well as general categories such as RECEPTION, DRESSES, ACCESSORIES, and CEREMONY. You can't search by price, color, location, or shipping cost though unless you are specifically looking for a dress or jewelry.
Buyers don't get the benefit of buyers protection either and should therefore ensure payment is made only through a trustworthy platform like Paypal. Make sure to ask any questions you have about the product before purchasing the item to ensure it is listed properly on the website (as there is no oversite on how listings are described).
Bravo Bride also makes it easy to list any leftover items you have from your own wedding with no commission fees and no listing fees (unless you're listing a wedding dress) so make sure to bookmark the page for post-wedding! Sellers will be in charge of shipping the item and paying for shipping though, so make sure to calculate that into the cost. Shipping can be either included in the price of the item or listed as an extra cost for the buyer.
U.S. based
Tradesy isn't specifically dedicated to wedding items but they do offer a section all about weddings. Items vary in condition from new with tags still attached to gently used. Overall though, Tradesy is on the nicer end of the online marketplaces and features higher priced items and designer brand names.
Their wedding section has primarily secondhand wedding dresses along with sample dresses (the ones on display at shops!), jewelry, and other clothing accessories. The offerings for decorations are a little more limited with only a few items under each type of supplies. Tradesy is worth a look for decorations, but not necessarily the most robust selection.
Tradesy honestly isn't the best option for selling wedding items. They charge 19.8% commission fee for anything that sells over $50 and a flat $7.50 fee for anything less than $50. Typically they offer pre-paid shipping labels for items as well as a packaging, but this doesn't apparently apply for wedding items. You'll be stuck with the cost of shipping along with losing nearly 20% or more of the selling price.
U.S., Canada, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia
Wedding Recycle is one of the few wedding-specific marketplaces that also features items sold outside the U.S. Covering Canada, China, Hong Kong, and Malaysia, make sure to search for which country you want it shipped from to avoid an unexpected shipping cost at checkout.
Wedding Recycle has both the option to pay via the website on a secure platform like Paypal or to arrange offsite payment/direct meetup for the item. Wedding Recycle charges a 4% commission fee for anything sold and the cost of shipping the item is on the buyer, not the seller.
There is no Buy Protection offered so make sure to thoroughly review the listing. I'd recommend only purchasing via a secure platform like Paypal, and you should never send cash payment directly to the seller.
Local & Shipping
Facebook Marketplace isn't specific to wedding decorations by any means. However, it can be one of the best places to buy and sell secondhand wedding supplies! You get the freedom of searching for items that are either local to you (and can be purchased in person) or that can be shipped to you directly and paid for via Paypal or with a major credit card.
For my wedding, I purchased a variety of things from Facebook Marketplace including heart shaped bubble blowers, 17 sage green cheese cloth table runners, 24 table cloths, and 8 clear bubble umbrellas.
Facebook Marketplace offers Buyer Protection for shipped items so if your item never arrives or isn't in the condition as listed, you can rest assured that you haven't lost your money! If arranging an in-person meetup, make sure to select a safe, public location and inspect your item for payment.