Down the Aisle: Reduce, Reuse, I Do Redo

By Kristina

I love weddings. But even more, I love people who do things to help others. When the two come together, it’s pure nirvana.

Courtesy of I Do Redo Sale

This Sunday, two of my favorite things will combine in the form of a sale and bridal event. The I Do Redo Sale will take place at the Embassy Suites Bloomington, where former brides bring their gently used dresses, accessories and décor pieces to sell to new brides-to-be. The event also features affordable local vendors to piece everything together for your special day. I talked to Jen Nagel, one of the brains behind the operation, to get the dish.

Q: Where do the items for the sale come from?

A: Brides who have recently gotten married. This time, we have more than 100 brides signed up to sell with us, which is about double what we had at our last sale.

Q: How are the items priced?

A: The brides decide themselves what they want to price their items at. We send them a template so they do their own tagging and they drop the items off the morning of the sale. Last year we had a wedding gown priced at $600 and a bridesmaid dress for $25, so it all depends.

Q: Is there a shopping strategy?

A: I think last time it really helped to be early, because there were a lot of brides and it was our first one. This time we are planning on having more merchandise, but it’s still best to get there early to have the best selection.

Q: What gave you the idea to start the I Do Redo Sale?

A: When I was packing up all my candleholders after my wedding at the reception site, the banquet manager offered to buy all of them since it was a new space. It cut the cost of my decorations by about half, so I made some money at my own wedding and even better, I didn’t have to bring them back to store in my mom’s basement. So that really gave me the idea. Then, I had a wedding garage sale in my front yard the spring following my December wedding. I was a member of wedding chat board, so 10 other brides and I had the sale about seven years ago. Ever since then, I kept trying to find a way to turn it into a business.

Q: What vendors will be at the sale?

A: We have some great vendors, including The Knot, Wedding Channel, Traveling Photo Booth, and Zoe Blooms Floral Studio. There are a lot of big names, but we also wanted to include vendors who don’t have the budget to be at the main wedding fair and give them an opportunity to show. We have a gal who makes custom cake toppers (Tippy Top Creations) that are affordable. We try and choose vendors we would want at our wedding and offer a good price. I’m proud of the vendors we have.

Register online by Friday to receive your free ticket to the I Do Redo Sale. Tickets are $5 at the door. Sales are cash only.

Nov. 14, noon-4 p.m., Embassy Suites Bloomington, 2800 American Boulevard West, Bloomington

Your turn. Would you ever buy a previously used item for your wedding? Do you have any other money saving techniques for weddings you’re willing to share? Share your comments below or email me at [email protected].