Today’s Hottest Bridal Bargain? EBay!

It’s true that brides and grooms have always searched for ways to make the most of their wedding budget. However, today’s biggest trend in doing so is logging on to eBay. “With the average wedding costing more than $22,000, it’s no surprise that couples are looking for creative ways to get more bang for their wedding buck,” says Leah Ingram, author of the new book “Buying & Selling Your Way to a Fabulous Wedding with eBay” (Thomson Course Technology, 2004). “And the best way that I’m seeing couples go after those elusive bridal bargains is by shopping on eBay.”Not only does eBay save couples money but it also saves them time–and the stress that goes hand-in-hand with wedding planning. Here are Ingram’s 10 ways how eBay can make the lives of brides and grooms easier.1.

Having a silver and gold wedding? You can customize your wedding shopping by typing in “silver + gold” and “wedding” in eBay’s search tool, and you’ll find thousands of products that suit your needs.2. Make bridesmaid dress shopping more convenient — especially when you’ve got coast-to-coast maids — by e-mailing dress information to them with the handy “e-mail to a friend” feature on every auction item.3. Only have a budget of $20 for your cake toppers, centerpieces or reception table cameras? No problem. You can use a pre-set bidding limit and never blow a budget again.4. If you know you want to buy your maids pashmina shawls as an attendant gift, a quick search in the “Clothing, Shoes & Accessories” category using the word “pashmina” will bring you to all the pashmina shawls you could ever want to wrap yourself in.5.

Need that Vera Wang gown (yes, they’re on eBay) now and don’t have time to bid on an auction? You can ask eBay to show you only “buy it now” items and then you can decide whether the price is right before buying it now.6. After your wedding, you can go from buyer to seller by listing unwanted gifts or overstocks from your wedding on eBay. With a digital camera and an afternoon of your time, you can sell these items to other engaged couples and recoup your investment in your wedding.7. Don’t miss out on an item because the auction expired without your knowing it. Use eBay’s “watch” feature so you’ll always know when the auction of the items you’re bidding on is near its end.8.

Looking for brand-new products at bargain prices? Familiarize yourself with eBay lingo like NIB (new in box) and NWT (new with tags) and you’ll be set.9. Calm your worries about getting ripped off, because you can shop safely using eBay’s PayPal service, which also takes credit cards.10. Instead of driving from store to store to view full-price wedding apparel, save time and money by shopping for discounted new and pre-owned items on eBay. You save money on gas, too, when you shop online.”Buying & Selling Your Way to a Fabulous Wedding with eBay” (Thomson Course Technology, 2004) is the first book of its kind. It takes you, step by step, through every element of your wedding and shows you how using eBay can help you save time and money on a wedding.Author Leah Ingram has written nine books on weddings and related topics.

This media-savvy writer has appeared on televisions hundreds of times and been interviewed for her expertise by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Christian Science Monitor, Redbook and more. You can learn more about her at her website Wedding Ink at www.weddingink.com.Contact: Leah Ingram, 215-862-8256, e-mail protected from spam bot.