The Ultimate Guide to Shopping On Etsy for your Wedding
If you are drawn to the things that are unique and have a quality, custom feel, today’s post is for you.
Hand-crafted everything is all the rage in 2019-2020 weddings.
Couples are choosing to have everything from the guest favors to the wedding dress made by hand, celebrating skilled artists and their contribution towards making everything about life real again.
Your relationship is not cookie cutter, and your decor doesn’t have to be either!
The Ultimate Guide to Shopping on Etsy for your Wedding
Etsy is a collection of independent artisans. It’s a massive marketplace where you can find almost anything that you can dream up!
Step one is figuring just exactly what you might find on Etsy for your wedding. This may require thinking outside of the box, so here is a little list I brainstormed for you.
All of these are things that you can not only find on Etsy, but have made and personalized just for you!
-Personalized gifts for your VIPS (parents, bridesmaids, groomsmen, etc.)
-Custom t-shirts for your bachelor/bachelorette party
-Beautiful hand-made embroidered bathrobes for the girls to wear the morning of the wedding
-Stationery (including DIY templates)
-Bridal hair pieces and veils
-Wedding gowns and menswear
-Wedding favors
-Decor and items for the ceremony (ring bowls, unity ceremonies, etc.)
-Custom decals
-Personalized decorations (banners, cake toppers, frames, and more)
-Hand-made signs
Not to mention, thousands of other ideas that will be infinitely more personal than something from a box store. As an added bonus, you’ll be supporting a small business owner!
How to choose a seller on Etsy
Once you’ve decided to search for something in particular (let’s say a custom cake topper), it’s time to narrow it down to which seller you are going to purchase from.
Here are a few things to look for in a good Etsy seller:
-An aesthetic that you love. While Etsy does = custom, it’s going to be really hard for a seller to achieve your vision if their work is vastly different in style than what you wish for.
-Multiple positive reviews. (ideal, though some newer artisans may not have them yet they can be just as good).
-An active shop. Some shops are no longer super active, but may still have a few listings on the site. If the shop looks like it hasn’t been updated in a while, it may be best to keep looking.
-A personal shop. I personally love to support shops where it’s clear that a real human is behind all of it. When you pay a premium for handcrafted, it’s nice to know that somebody is making it with love.
-A quick response time. Etsy will tell you how quickly you can expect to hear from a seller when you inquire. If you are looking to have a lot of super-detailed work done, a faster response time may indicate a seller that tends to communicate well with buyers.
-Beautiful, detailed photos and descriptions. The more information the better, so that you can see exactly what it is you’ll be getting!
Pitfalls to Avoid on Etsy
-The ‘too good to be true’ price. Just like anything else, the lowest price option isn’t always the best value for your money.
-The Copyright traps. This one is a buzz-kill. While you may wish for a Star Wars themed cake topper or a Game of Thrones inspired reception favor, tread cautiously. Even using the likeness of these items may be a violation of Federal law.
-Production times. Watch these! Make sure that the seller is able to not only produce your item, but have it shipped and to you several days (or longer) before you need it.
-Shipping times. Custom items run on a different timeline than something you can buy on Amazon Prime and have by Friday! Expect to wait several days for production, followed by several days for shipping.
What amazing things have you found on Etsy for your wedding?
I’d love to read about it in the comments below - and while you’re hanging around planning your wedding, give me a call! I love to work with couples who are planning unique, hand-crafted Colorado weddings and would love to be a part of your day!