Blog Post: How To Create A Completely Thrifted Wedding
A Wedding Story – By Amy Schoelen
Amanda Townsend took her passion for thrifting to a new level when she got married this past spring. Almost every item in her wedding was found at Central Oklahoma Goodwill stores. “I wanted to save money and with a tight budget. Goodwill allowed me to create exactly what I wanted within budget,” she said. Townsend also loves the creativity that can come from finds at a Goodwill store. “A gently used item tells a story, and through that I wanted to tell ours,” Townsend said.
Townsend’s late grandmother’s plates were the inspiration for her entire wedding. She said, “She loved antiques so I knew that I could find what I needed to incorporate her love from heaven in my place settings by using Goodwill,” Townsend said. Both of the couple’s grandparents have passed away and hold a special place in their hearts. The groom’s grandmother always used mismatched plates on major holidays so the combination of family antiques and Goodwill finds carried significant value to the couple.
Finding Wedding Items
Finding all of the pieces for Townsend’s wedding took her about two years. A long process with the most challenging being finding the perfect wedding shoes. She finally found Sam Edelmen bridal shoes at the central Oklahoma Goodwill store on Northwest Expressway and Council, and included another nod to her late grandmother — a handwritten message with a quote.
Townsend met many Central Oklahoma Goodwill employees along her two year wedding journey. “I loved the Goodwill workers that I met while searching for my items, they were always willing to celebrate with me when I found what I was looking for,” Townsend said. Townsend even invited some of these employees to her wedding.
Although there were many amazing Goodwill finds at Townsend’s wedding, there are a couple that are her favorites. “It would be very hard for me to choose my favorite, but it would
probably have to be a book I found in the bins. I am a literature nut, even my cake had literature on it. It is such a passion of mine, and I found an 1879 first edition copy of ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ by Samuel Clemons, which was Mark Twain’s original name before it was pinned. It is such a treasure of mine and finding such amazing classics were really my favorite finds,” she said. The books were used as centerpieces on each table under an antique item wrapped with vintage lace.
Her other favorite find wasn’t for her at all. Townsend bought a blazer for her son who was battling addiction. Inside the jacket pocket was a notecard from the previous owner with encouraging words that would end up being instrumental in helping her son in his recovery process. You can read more about that story here.
The only things not bought at Goodwill were the rings and Townsend’s bridal gown.
The couple spent under $400 from shopping at several Goodwill locations in Central Oklahoma.
Helpful Advice
For anyone else wanting to create a weddingscape with thrifted items, Townsend has this advice. “Create your dream in your head, on your Pinterest board, or draw it out. Then shop for exactly what is in that picture or thought. Take your time. I didn’t find all of this in one day, or at only one store. I visited all of Central Oklahoma’s Goodwills, and created it piece by piece,” she said.
All photos are by Bridget Nicole Photography.