Attention Brides: Amazon Just Launched a Market for Handmade Wedding Stuff
When my sister got married two-and-a-half years ago, she purchased a bunch of stuff off Etsy — her veil, her headband, bouquets and boutonnieres, the flower girl basket, the ring bearer pillow, table runners, table numbers, bridesmaid gifts… the list goes on.
She chose the homemade marketplace because she was searching for a unique look and appreciated that things were customized and crafted by individual artists.
I mean, every bride wants to stand out, right?
Well, this week Amazon decided to get in on the handmade wedding crafts business by launching Handmade at Amazon Wedding Shop. It’s an offshoot of the Handmade at Amazon marketplace it rolled out less than two years ago, TechCrunch reported.
Here, couples shopping for their big day can purchase one-of-a-kind items including invitations, jewelry, fashion accessories, cake toppers, artificial flowers, signs, gifts, favors and so much more. Price points range from under $25 to over $200.
“We created the Handmade Wedding Shop with the savvy couple in mind,” Katie Harnetiaux, head of marketing for Handmade at Amazon, said in a press release. “From rustic chic to glitz and glam, the Wedding Shop is a one-stop destination for customers to discover a vast selection of customized products for their big day.”
With the wedding industry raking in big bucks (at least $55 billion in the U.S.), it seems only natural for Amazon to capitalize on the market. TechCrunch notes that because wedding purchases tend to be emotional and not practical, customers are often willing to spend more.
How to Make Money on Amazon’s Wedding Platform
So if you’re a DIY crafter, how can you sell your wedding-themed goods on Amazon’s newest platform?
Well first off, your products need to meet Amazon’s definition of handmade, which means the items need to be made, altered or assembled entirely by hand.
Since only invited artisans are authorized to sell on Amazon’s Handmade Wedding Shop, you’ll have to apply to receive an invitation. From there, you’ll register, create an artisan profile and then list your products to your online store and start selling!
According to Amazon, seller benefits include the potential to have your products seen by the retail giant’s 250 million customer base, and phone and email support.
Amazon takes a 15% or $1 cut (whichever is greater) of sales on its handmade marketplace. Professional sellers also typically pay a $39.99 monthly fee, however, through the end of 2017, Amazon has waived the charge.
Happy selling, and here’s hoping you make a bride’s dream come true.
Disclosure: A toast to savings! Thanks for allowing us to place affiliate links in this post.
Nicole Dow is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She oohs and aahs over personalized wedding decor but has never had a need to purchase any.
