Have you said “yes?” Are you ready to begin wedding preparation, and are you ready for the stress, expense, and clutter that goes with it? Do you really want artificial flowers, candles, and linens stored under your bed, at your parent’s house, and in the trunk of your car? Your answer to that question should be a big “NO.” 

If you’re going to DIY all, or even a little bit, of your wedding prep, you need a central location that is safe, well-maintained, and affordable. You need a self storage unit that will keep you organized, provide you with a comfortable work area, and give you the extra space that you desperately need.

Before we give you tips and tricks for using your extra space, here are some fun wedding facts from The Pearl Source.

• The wedding industry registered a revenue of $72 billion dollars in 2016 (Market Research)
• In 2020, due to the COVID 19 pandemic, the wedding industry measured a revenue of $55.1 billion dollars (Ibis World)
• 2019 registered a total number of 2,126,126 weddings, which means an average of 5,825 weddings took place each day (Wedding Report)
• In 2020, the average cost of a wedding is $28,000 (Wedding Wire)
• The average amount couples spend on décor, favors and stationery is $2,460 (Wedding Wire)
• In 2020, brides paid an average of $1,631 for a dress, including alterations (Brides)
• The average couple has a budget of around $23,000 when they begin planning, but end up spending an average of $30,000 (Wedding Wire)
• The average age at the time of tying the knot in the US is 27.8 for women and 29.8 for men (Census)
• October is the leader when it comes to the most popular time to get married (16%), followed by September (15%) and June (13%) (The Knot)
• Surveys reveal that love is the most important reason why the vast majority of Americans (88%) choose to get married (Pew Social Trends)
• The average wedding hosts 131 guests (The Knot)

How Self Storage can Help with Wedding Preparation

Organization

Being organized is key to keeping yourself and everyone around you calm – well maybe not calm, but at least not crazy. If you’re purchasing large quantities of items like decorations, candles, and ribbon, you can add shelving, bins, and baskets to keep these things neat and tidy. It’s so much easier to be able to see what you have and what you need all in one place. You don’t want to be sorting through huge bags of tiny objects from the craft store a week before your wedding day. Pro Tip: If you’re storing significant amounts of items, make a map of your containers so that you can easily locate items in your unit. It doesn’t have to be fancy – just a pencil sketch. Hang it on a clipboard inside your unit, and keep it up to date.

Purchase in Bulk

If you’re creating your own centerpieces or favors for a large wedding, buying in bulk will save you time and money. The only problem is space. Where are you going to keep these items? Your best option is a self storage unit. If you need room to grow, no problem. Most self storage facilities have month-to-month leasing. This means that you can easily move to a larger unit as your space needs change. Pro Tip: Rent a climate-controlled unit to keep your items safe from deterioration, and to keep you comfortable.

A Place to Work

Do you really want every surface in your home covered in craft supplies for months? If you’re doing a significant amount of work producing decorative items, centerpieces, and favors, you need a place for supplies. Lease a unit that’s large enough to set up tables for helpers. You not only have a spacious work area; but, once these pieces are completed, you have a place to store them. Pro tip: Double check that you have electrical outlets in your storage unit for lighting and equipment such as glue guns and sewing machines.

Safety and Security

If you’re purchasing large amounts of expensive items for your open bar, you need a facility that has a high level of security. Bear in mind that storing wine or champagne for more than a few months may require specialty wine storage. Another concern can be your wedding wear.  Wedding attire and other formal clothing that is delivered early should be kept in a well-maintained, climate-controlled storage unit away from prying eyes and dirty hands. ProTip: If you’re going to store formal clothing, use garment racks and safe, cloth garment bags and coverings. Check Tips for Storage Your Wedding Gown and Formal Wear.

Pre-Wedding Preview

If you want a preview of how your tables will look at your venue, set up a small area in a corner of your storage unit. You can rearrange centerpieces, glassware, and table settings until you find the perfect presentation. If you decide to make changes, you’ll have plenty of time to redo your decor. Pro Tip: To save time, buy just a few of the items that fit your wedding theme. They will be easier to return than 25 centerpieces and 12 boxes of glassware.

Gifts

With all of the pre-wedding festivities, you will be overwhelmed with gifts. As the big day gets closer, you may not have the time to return duplicates and decide what to keep. These items can stay in the self storage unit until after the honeymoon. Then, you’ll have time to determine what stays and what goes. Pro Tip: Find a self storage that offers delivery acceptance, and have the gifts on your wedding registry delivered to the facility. You won’t have to move items from your home to your storage unit and back again.

Takeaway

This is an exciting time for everyone involved. You’ll make as many memories preparing for the wedding as you do on your actual wedding day. Give yourself every opportunity to keep the joy in the preparation by using a secure self storage unit so that you can stay rational and organized.