What do you wish you DIDN'T buy?

This is a fantastic thread!

I don't have any major regrets yet, but I have bought some decor that I will no longer be using because we changed venues and made our guest list significantly smaller. I keep trying to think of ways I can make it all work, but I'm going to have to throw in the towel and just sell it.

1. My first photographer I selected because she had a special for 1/2 off since she was relocating to town. Long story short...her husband ending up getting a salary match at hos current job and they didn't move. I ended up contacting BBB after several attempts to get my money back. Got it back finally!

2. Order too many save the dates.

3. Ordered the invitations early and ended up changing the ceremony time after we determined it was way too hot in July to have a 4PM outdoor ceremony. I sent them back to WPD free and got them redone with the new time.

4. Purchased my dress 13 months in advance and have went back and forth on if I completely love it. I do and Im keeping it.

5. Put my china order in early and now Im thinking the plates and the linens together are way too much together. So Im opting for a more simple table cloth.

Lol. I'll stop there. The good thing is I start everything early. So I always have time for screw ups. Lol

FOLLOWING!!! This post is AMAZING!! I haven't purchased anything yet. We are buying a house this year. I don't want to pack all this stuff up along with wedding stuff so, not buying anything until after the move.

Special toasting glasses. We ended up not even using them, and drank our champagne out of plastic flutes like everyone else.

I thought I was going to do centerpieces myself. Spent so much money on mock ups and supplies. Ended up saying Eff it and decided to leave it up to a professional.

In my defense, things with my florist has been touch and go.

@Sara C - that's one of my fears. Would you suggest waiting until RSVPs or is that too late?

A bunch of random decor that I figured we would work in somehow and we probably will not. Also way too many thank you cards.

Great thread! I have 2 1/2 things:

*I bought a pair of beautiful (but expensive) heels that i won't be using but I can't return.

*I purchased one of the first dresses I tried on and now I have total dress regret.

*This isn't a purchase,  but I do regret not waiting on asking my BMs. I have 5 BMs and in my gut I wish I had only asked 3 of them. 

Def following this one, such good info!

The only thing I've bought so far is my Kate Spade planning binder. Is it necessary? No, but it's cute and I was excited! Could have done without it, but not a real regret.

I bought a handful of really cheap table things from party city like 2 months in to the engagement. Only like $20 total, but we're not using any of it, nothing matches the decor that we ended up choosing. Otherwise no regrets so far, but things could change after the wedding lol.

Someone gave me great advice towards the beginning of all the planning, and it's been the one thing that's kept me on track through all of this: before you buy something, decide how you're going to use it after the wedding. Tiki torches for the mosquitoes? We'll put them up in our yard for the same reason. Lantern centerpieces? I have no idea what we would do with a dozen lanterns in our house, so I didn't buy them.

You can sell things after the wedding of course, but I decided against it personally. We're -slightly- over budget (like $400) even with this keeping me in check, so I'm glad that I've kept this in mind!

Following! So far I have no regrets regarding purchases, but I still have a year and a half left to buy stupid crap I'll regret! ;-)

Nothing major yet for me. I've bought wedding items on my local FB wedding swap page that I won't use, but they were cheap and came with something that I will use. I also have about 150 - 200 jars and wine bottles that I thought I would use. Now I've gone a different direction and they're just taking up room in the garage. I figure after the wedding, I will sell most of the stuff I can't use in the house (I have purposely bought a lot of things I can re-use as home decor) for dirt cheap or pass them onto another bride who could use the break on this crap.

Following

Bought a marquise "W" that really doesn't fit my decor. So not sure what I'm doing with that. And a bunch of votive holders that I painted now won't use. I'm thoughts were all over the place when I first started planning 13 months ago!

This thread is great for people like me who feel 'behind' for not having a room full of wedding decor, or anything for that matter lol

A wax stamp to keep our invitations closed. I knew it was a waste of money but my husband was SUPER insistent that it was important.... and then tried 2 envelopes and promptly changed his mind.

My wedding plans changed 3 times so technically I have 3 wedding "dresses" lol...we were going to have a casual summer wedding at first so that dress is now my bridal shower dress. Then we were going to get married at the Justice of the Peace in the fall but scratched that idea because we got an excellent price on a venue so that dress will now be my rehearsal dress. I bought a "traditional" wedding dress for the ceremony and reception at the country club. I don't think there will be anymore changes!

Regret Buying:

-- Bridal Suite & Groom Suite door signs. Didn't even use them and I don't know why I thought they would be a cute photo. Kinda silly and something I probably would not have ever even looked at again.

-- I bought 64 gold mercury glass votive candles. I then found copper charger plates I wanted to use in my centerpieces. I ended up mixing the gold and copper on all the tables and wish I would have stuck to one or the other. I spent a lot of money on both and wasn't willing to sell anything prior to the wedding.

-- $100 high heel bridal shoes I will never wear again. They hurt like a bitch and gave me a foot cramp in the middle of the ceremony. I wish I would have bought comfortable flats instead.

Happy I bought:

-- I bought a bunch of totes on sale after Christmas. It was great because I could store wedding items in them and transport everything to the venue easily. I now use the totes for old clothes etc so it was a good investment at $3/tote.

-- I bought some dark blue mercury glass mason jars at Joanns and used them to hold our bouquets during the reception. I got them on sale and let each girl keep her vase. As far as I know all of my bridesmaids let their flowers dry out and still have them displayed in the vase.

Favors, guestbook, hair accessories (because I ended up forgetting about them), the lipstick I wore (do yourself a favor and don't get a Chanel lipstick- the Wet N Wild liquid lipsticks are amazing and they're $5 each!).