Gift Horsing Around

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So your wedding party is spread out over the US and you've been dreaming of gift cards as a final thank you for their assistance... but how do you know what's in their area? What if they're picky? What if they already have everything and couldn't really use another Target gift card?

Enter the online discount industry! Groupon, Half Off Depot, Double Take Deals, LivingSocial, Crowd Cut, and others are spread around the US and tend to pick the better restaurants and shops in the area to promote with deals. Just check out the hometown deals and get them dinner, lunch, or even a massage!

Designing Women

Cherry Bomb Atlanta

WOW! Let's be honest, I would probably never wear these shoes, but I know a bunch of folks who would and they would TOTALLY glam up a wedding! Best part? They're on a big discount because you have the Scoutmob coupon for Cherry Bomb! One of the great things about Scoutmob, Groupon, and Half Off Depot is that they offer services outside of restaurants and health/beauty-- namely, boutiques. 

Many boutiques in the Decatur area especially carry jewelry, trinkets, hair bows, and gifts for all-- all things that can be used in the overall planning and execution of a wedding! You could buy for you or a particularly amazing member of your wedding party, even for mothers of brides and grooms! Keep an eye out for these deals, they're going to be a huge help!

Reception Connection

We got really lucky with our reception location-- The Solarium at Scottish Rite does special pricing for residents of the 30030 zip code within a certain set of parameters. Since we got married in the winter time, we felt comfortable waiting for the six week deadline so we could snag this amazing venue! Look at community related venues to see if they have similar deals; you could end up changing the venue at the last minute, but that isn't a given and with communication so readily available it's much easier to alert guests to a change in plans!

If you're looking for a deal on a smaller reception venue, say you have a more intimate group of people, you can always look at Wahoo's setup-- they're open for private parties and you can even find a deal in the Savvy Shopper (a local coupon publication we get stuck in our mailbox once a month) for anywhere from $50 off to 10% off your whole bill. The ambiance there is delightful and the food... well, if I talk about the food I'm just going to get hungry all over again!

If you look at restaurants in the area, you're likely to find they do have private party rooms that are available for a minimal price compared to renting an entire venue and paying for a caterer, plus you don't have to worry about setup and breakdown! Also, if you choose a restaurant with a Groupon, etc. deal they may let you take that amount off your tab if they're feeling generous!

Getcha hur did

One of the expenses I finally bit the bullet on for my wedding was getting my hair done-- thankfully I figured out that Fresche (which was right across from our reception site and two minutes from the church) has a really reasonable price on that sort of thing, but what if I hadn't been so lucky? Or what if someone in your wedding party just needed a bit of a touch up? DoubleTakeDeals has had recently, and Groupon as well, coupons for local salons including Fresche and (I believe) Salon Red. Even if you can't find a salon you like on the coupon circuit, you can frequently find specials on their websites! Also, if you have a regular stylist and you're a good customer and have done referrals to others, there's a possibility you could talk them in to helping you out if you're tight on money. Scoutmob has had a slew of them lately, as well.

I did make the decision not to get my nails done before the wedding-- it was hard enough to squeeze out $100 for my hair, I just couldn't bring myself to plop down another $30 to have my nails properly done. If this Pampered Nail and Body Spa deal had been around at the time, I probably could have talked myself in to it and maybe passed it on to my bridesmaids as well since the big thing seems to be Spa Days for bridal parties!

If you spend a little time (and I really do mean a little, I found Fresche after a day) looking around you can find plenty of specials online and through the shops-- you may end up with a newer stylist, but it worked out perfectly for me and we had a trial run beforehand to make sure that nothing went wrong!

Arrangements

So you want some pretty flowers? Just ask Scoutmob! Looking at a grand gesture for a kid-friendly or Hollywood themed reception? Groupon's got you covered! This is one of the reasons I think one year to plan a wedding is just about perfect-- another post for another day, though!

On to business, though-- exactly why are these deals worth the money? Surely it's just a drop in the bucket of a wedding budget? That Scoutmob deal only offers a $35 max discount!

Think about it-- if you're ordering several small bouquets from Foxgloves and Ivy, you're likely to end up getting one for free with $35 off! Going with the Groupon deal will save you as much as you would have spent, AND if you wanted something extravagant but couldn't justify a nearly $500 expenditure, this gives you the opportunity to throw something extra in there that will really wow your guests!

FunFlicks on Groupon

There are hundreds of deals each day, and it takes a little bit of time to look through them all but you can really make this work for you. If you're heavily strapped, then go for the Scoutmob deals since all it requires is a subscription, and if you have an Android, Blackberry Torch, or iPhone you can get the application which will automatically save all the deals even if you don't remember to pick it up through e-mail or text!

Do you have a coop-un?

We all know that couponing is a big thing right now, and though I'm not the Extreme Couponing type I certainly enjoy a Groupon or two!

This week, we'll look at the many uses of these online coupon sites and ways to utilize local coupons in planning your wedding, putting together a rehearsal dinner or reception, purchasing gifts for your wedding party, and getting ready for your wedding!