Some people feel extremely uncomfortable bargaining for things. My fiance, for example, would actually offer to pay more just to avoid offending someone. We go traveling constantly and while he'll pay however many pesos for a friendship bracelet, you can find me grinding the 10 year old who made it and asking for a 2 for 1. I don't care if something starts off cheap, I'm still going to bargain like it's a sport. And that doesn't even end the minute I get my passport stamped back at JFK. At 16 I bargained down a DJ from $1000 to $350 just by telling him that my Sweet 16 was going to have the hottest, dreamiest, most popular kids in school and that he could video tape it and use it to sell to other conspicuously consuming teenagers. It didn't even matter that I was a total NERD and was talking out of my ass. I was 15 and 1/2 and hooked on the thrill. I was like Glengarry Glenross Always Be Closing. I got 15% off candle favors from buying in bulk and then another 20% off by getting my friend's mom to use her employee discount. I used to get toiletries from the janitors at my school by trading them the candy I was supposed to be selling as part of my work study job. Shameless you say!? Please, if you're going to pay me $5.35 an hour, I'm not going to pay to wipe my own ass.
The bottom line is, while you are going to be looking for deals all over for your wedding, one place you should definitely be applying some muscle is with your wedding jewelry. ESPECIALLY if you are buying antique or vintage. I was able to talk two upper west side jewelers (Gallery II and Roslyn) down hundreds of dollars on diamond and platinum bands by just sticking to my price point which I arrived at from researching many a platinum and diamond band. Right now precious metals are at their highest, but that doesn't mean people aren't trying to sell either. Buy stones separate from settings for engagement rings or find someone who is trying to get rid of a family ring. Chances are they will get more from you than a jeweler and you will still get a big discount. My fiance got my engagement ring for 1/6 it's appraised cost by going through a dealer my boss knew. Ultimately, second hand jewelry never resells for it's appraised cost so don't be fooled by high prices and "vintage" or "antique" adjectives.
So go on you saavy, sexy shoppers. Show 'em what you're made of and make mommy proud!
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