The Glass Slipper

The good news? I bought wedding shoes and they were 70 per cent off the original price.

The bad news? The original price was $800. 

Let me back up a bit. 

My sister and MOH, Kayla, and I were on a mission this past weekend. She needed to find a bridesmaid dress and I needed shoes. Kayla and I had both scoured the malls and now, it was time to check out Queen West. 

Our first stop was Original. It's one of those places that I've walked by thousands of times, but never had a reason to go inside. On Saturday, that changed. Perhaps sensing our determination, we were greeted by a sales associate who lead upstairs. If you've only browsed the downstairs section of Original, you ain't seen nothing, kid. Every inch of the top floor is used to house a dress. There are hundreds. The sales associate pulled a few looks for Kayla and we were off. 

A couple of the dresses were disasters, but one, a mid-length sweetheart neckline, looked absolutely stunning. It was definitely the most flattering dress she had tried on during her hunt for a bridesmaid dress. The only issue? It was $250. 

Kayla and I hemmed and hawed over the price. I told my bridesmaids I would cover their dresses up to $170. Was Kayla willing to pitch in for her dress? Would she wear it again? She we buy this dress, or keep looking? Ultimately, we decided to 'YOLO' and buy it. Kayla has a few weddings coming up that she'll be able to wear it to, thus justifying the price tag. 

A sales associate tried really hard to sell me on a pair of Betsy Johnson heels, but I just couldn't do it. While the shoe was pretty, I am not into wearing an open-toed sandal in November. I'll give it to the sales associate, they pushed hard to make the sale. I'd say if you're susceptible to pressure from sales associates to buy something, you may want to steer clear of Original. There's nothing worse than making a purchase you're not 100 per cent sure about, and having buyers remorse later. The associate was definitely turning up the heat on me, but after a few firm "I'd like to keep looking" they relented. 

With her garment bag in hand, Kayla and I continued our hunt for shoes up and down Queen West. We walked into a bunch of stores, but had no luck. Heading back towards the Eaton Centre, I thought, let's just browse Kleinfeld Bridal. If anything, I can say that I finally visited the boutique. 

Normally you need an appointment to even walk into Kleinfeld's, but luckily, the receptionist was able to find a sales associate to take us to the shoe selection. While gasping at the price tags ($800- $1500 for pair of shoes?!?!) I thought this would purely be a novelty journey. That is until my sister pointed out a pair of Emmy London ankle strap heels. They were exactly what I was looking for. The sales associate checked out the price and shocked herself. 

"These are 70 per cent off." When I asked about my size, it was the only pair left. I tried it on and well, fell in love. But could I really justify spending $250 on shoes?!? After a quick consultation with Kayla, I decided to take the plunge and buy 'em. She said I should treat myself, and as someone who needs very little reason to spend money, I agreed. I mean, this was my glass slipper, was it not??? 

Afterwards, we grabbed some lunch at Salad King. Both of us are thrifty, and not used to shelling out big dough for clothes and shoes. Whenever I spend more than $50 on anything (dinner, clothes, etc.) I feel a massive wave of guilt. Did I make the right decision? Should I have kept looking? I was able to calm my anxiety with the reminder that after the wedding, I can always sell or trade the shoes on Bunz. Plus, they are pretty cool and I can probably wear them again after the big day. I figure you probably want to see 'em, right? With a $250 price tag, they're making their big reveal on our wedding day. 

Buying Art Supplies for Wedding Crafts

Over the weekend I got crafty. Well, kinda. 

I bought the art supplies that will eventually be used to make our table numbers, place settings etc. etc. And as I was perusing the aisles of Dollarama, Michael's and eventually Wal-Mart, I was reminded of the 'wedding tax' we ran into while looking at venues. 

10 place setting cards for $12. An envelope box for $60. I could go on, but it'll upset me too much. Instead, I'll go over how we saved a buck or two and eventually walked away with a bunch for stuff for $170. 

Make A List and Check It Twice

Before I hit the mall, I made a detailed list of everything we needed craft wise. I find making a list for any kind of shopping helps out big time. Personally, without a list I lose focus and forget what I've set out to buy, which means I start filling the cart with unnecessary and costly items. 

The Dollar Store   

When it comes to buying art supplies, a dollar store should be your first stop. Most have a huge selection, and if you can knock off most of your shopping list there there, do it. They have more than you'd think, too. Place card settings, table number holders, and glue guns. If you're in Ontario, Dollarama's are a great resource. Plus, they're clean and generally well stocked. 

Discount Stores

 I generally shy away from shopping at Wal-Mart because I disagree with their politics and employment practises, but sometimes, you need tea lights and they have the lowest price. Wal-mart also has a selection of art supplies, but like I mentioned previously, I'm not a fan of them politically and try to avoid spending my money with them. Plus, the dollar store has 'em beat on price when it comes to place card settings and markers. 

Art Stores

 If you're looking to save big on cash, the art store should be your last stop. I'd also suggest you avoid their wedding section. Sure, the stuff might be cutesy, but it's going to set your budget back big time. Instead, I'd suggest heading to the general art supply section and picking up any items you still need. When it comes to table numbers and place settings, remember, you can make a stencil of a shape you like, buy some nice paper, and make 'em yourself. 

All in all, my experience buying crafts made me very thankful for the Bunz trading app and Facebook group. Wedding supplies can be hella expensive, and it's great to know there is a community of people out there looking to trade for this stuff you'll only use once. 

*I tried to trade for tea lights on the Bunz App, but was too slow on multiple occasions.