Today, we’re talking with one of our fave ladies – Rebecca Aspin from the brilliant budget friendly website that is Sell My Wedding. You can find Sell My Wedding in our Budget Wedding Supplier Directory across all 11 regions of the UK. Over to you Rebecca!
Hello, I am Rebecca Aspin (34) founder of Sellmywedding.co.uk an online marketplace where newlyweds can sell their pre-loved wedding items to brides-to-be. The website re-launched with a new look in January 2014 and is helping brides across the UK recycle their weddings – from the wedding dress to the venue decorations.
What is your favourite thing about working with Brides to Be?
The wedding industry has changed dramatically since I myself got married in 2007. Not only have wedding trends changed but the daily inspiration from wedding blogs mean that brides-to-be have so much inspiration. Already married, I love the fact that I can immerse myself in this beautiful, inspirational and creative industry on a daily basis. I love the interaction with our users, both brides-to be (our buyers) and newlyweds (our sellers) and seeing the fantastic weddings that they have planned or plan to have.
What inspires you in your work?
Creativity, this fabulous industry and some fabulous colleagues I have met along the way! I want to create a fun, pretty and inspirational online marketplace where brides-to-be can not only get some great bargains but can also get ideas and inspiration from other brides.
I recently took part in a shoot at Saltmarshe Hall in East Yorkshire, the aim was to show how items sourced from charity shops, or those lying around your home, could be turned into fabulous wedding decor. From old light fittings to broken picture frames, to items found in your Grandma’s haberdashery box – I was really pleased with what we came up with.
We used the photos on our homepage as part of our website relaunch in January and we also listed the items so that brides-to-be could create the same look. It was great to see these items fly off the site.
We are not just a second-hand classified site but a beautiful online marketplace. Sellers that do really well on Sell My Wedding are those who list a number of items from their wedding and who take the time tell their story of their wedding on their profile page, which is in essence what the site is all about. We had one seller who literally sold her entire wedding – bunting, decor, dress – within 24 hours to the same buyer.
What has been your favourite wedding that you have worked on?
I recently had the pleasure to style an industry friend’s wedding – wedding photographer Gabrielle Bower. She had a retro, music and travel inspired wedding and I worked with Gabs and her husband Matt to come up with ideas to style the venue, sourcing items from Sell My Wedding as well as charity shops and car boot sales. We used old vinyl to display cakes and as centrepieces, Polaroid’s on sticks, old vintage cameras and suitcases and lots of other cool props which really showed the couples personality. I was so pleased with how it came together and the wedding has recently been featured on Love My Dress.
Do you have any wedding trend predictions for weddings for 2014?
We are continuing to see lots of rustic and vintage inspired weddings. I love the fact that newlyweds are listing the items that they have made and these are proving popular, as brides-to-be can get the DIY look without having to do any of the DIY themselves.
We are also seeing lots of art deco, Hollywood glamour inspired weddings. Classic white and glitter are also trends that we are starting to see come through.
What would be your top tip to share with Brides to Be?
Don’t be afraid to buy preloved – just because it’s a wedding, everything does not need to be brand new.
If you are looking for a 1950s style wedding dresses you should definitely search for a preloved dress first. As the dresses are short they do not have marks or wear and tear from trailing on the ground.
Also if you are looking for centrepieces or decor, buying secondhand is a great way to keep the costs down as you can buy and then resell after your own wedding.
When you’re not busy working at Sell My Wedding, what is your favourite pastime?
My day job is in public sector PR and with two boys, aged 4 and 1, plus a dog and a husband, and an online business life is a bit of a juggling act. I love spending quality time with my family, we live just 20 minutes from the Yorkshire Coast so a leisurely day at the beach would be the perfect way to spend the day.
You can check out the full range of pre-loved items to cater for every element of your wedding at www.sellmywedding.co.uk
Laura x
All Photography courtesy of Ally Byrom Photography
