It’s a sobering, indisputable fact: a big, white wedding will cost a lot of green.
Even if you’re planning something small or non-traditional – and cheaper – finding ways to cash flow a wedding is hard, especially when your daily budget’s already tight.
So what’s a broke bride to do?
I know a lot of people are sick of the phrase “side hustle,” but I’m still all about it. It sounds more appealing than “second job,” even if that’s all it really is, and focuses on one very important element:
You’re going to have to hustle.
Which usually translates to working fast, working a lot, and maintaining intense focus.
Yes, it’s a ton of work turning a profit from a side business, especially if you already work 40+ hours a week – but persistence can rake in serious cash. We’re not talking a few cents for hours of surveys (I hate survey sites, by the way).
If it can’t earn you good money in a short amount of time, then it’s not worth the energy. You need every spare minute for wedding planning.
So, with that in mind…here’s my curated list of the best side hustles to earn money for your wedding.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure about affiliate links here.
1. Blog your wedding journey.
Word of caution: blogging is not a get-rich-quick scheme, the way some courses out there would like you to believe (because how else would they get your money?).
The truth is, it often takes months of hard work, even years, to turn a sizeable profit.
But with ad placements and consistently high-quality posts, you could earn an extra $100-500 a month – or more – as your blog grows. If you’ve got a year or more until your wedding day, that’s plenty of time to expand.
While the blog will be personal, try to make your posts somewhat universal to appeal to more brides: if you’re having trouble choosing a caterer, write a blog post about it…then suggest ways your readers can find one in their area.
You can also offer how-to posts: if you’re DIY-ing your wedding and create an amazing centerpiece, why not post a step-by-step tutorial showing other brides how it’s done?
Again, it’s not easy – but if you’ve got the time to really focus on it, you can earn some extra cash in the months leading up to your wedding.
2. Try eBay arbitrage.
Arbitrage is the process of buying items at a low price – sometimes in need of a little TLC – and reselling at a higher price, so that you make a profit.
You might have heard of Amazon arbitrage. I prefer this model, personally, because you don’t have to store or ship inventory yourself; you ship it all to Amazon, who handles the rest and takes a cut of the profits. After that, you get the rest!
Amazon arbitrage, however, is like blogging: it can take a lot of time to get your profits up to noticeable levels.
It also takes a while to learn the ins and outs, and to build a good seller reputation so that Amazon lets you sell in certain categories.
For those with less time to learn – but more time to do the legwork of shipping – eBay is a fantastic alternative.
Hit up yard sales, thrift stores, Mom’s attic…anywhere you can score hidden finds. Clean them up if needed, then list them on eBay to resell.
One advantage of eBay arbitrage over the Amazon model is that certain items aren’t restricted. With few exceptions, if you own it – you can sell it.
Clothing can be a good money-maker, but be wary: just because it’s a high-end brand, doesn’t mean it will sell for a high-end price.
I once had a Coach wallet sell for below what I paid; it was the only way I could move the merchandise. And this was a brand-new wallet! But I hadn’t done my research before buying and listing it: the wallet wasn’t popular with buyers…which certainly explained how I scored such a “good deal” on it myself.
On the other hand, I once bought a used Michael Kors coat for $18 at a thrift store – and sold it for $200 on eBay.
I would stick to what you know best. If you’re familiar with fashion, then reselling clothes, handbags, or shoes can be worthwhile.
High-selling items on eBay also include electronics, toys, and collectibles. Always check “completed listings” in your searches before you buy, to make sure the item actually sold – and if the average profits are worth your investment.
3. Become a freelancer.
If you love writing, photography, editing, graphic and web design, coding, or translating – then freelancing can be a viable side hustle.
Some freelancers despise “content mill” websites like Upwork. They claim the clients on these websites only want the cheapest freelancers, not the best – and while this can certainly be true of many clients, those aren’t the ones you want, anyway.
When you apply to jobs through sites like these, be honest with yourself about whether or not the work is a good fit for your expertise level and skillset. Calculate how long it will take you to complete a project, multiply that by your desired hourly rate, and use that as your “bid” when you apply.
For newbies, it can be time-consuming; you’ll apply to many more jobs than you’ll get, at first. But like anything else, persistence is key: keep applying and building your experience, and you’ll soon get higher paying clientele and better jobs.
For a while, my highest earnings ($30/hour, 10 hours a week) came from an insurance company who wanted someone to write content for their health pamphlets.
And I found them on – you guessed it! – Upwork.
So, personally, I see no problem with sites like those. They make it simple to search jobs, and protect freelancers from shady clients who might not pay up when the bill comes due (which is more than can be said for work found on Craigslist).
You can also try the old-fashioned approach and cold-call (or…cold-email?) potential clients with your services.
I once noticed a local business – which was very popular in my town – had horrendous web copy. Their website was filled with typos, ineffective product descriptions…in other words, it was a mess.
So I emailed the manager. Firstly, I started with the fact I loved their cupcakes (they were a bakery), and that I was a freelance writer and editor, specializing in SEO content.
(Sidenote: If you don’t know how to write SEO content, it’s worth learning and simpler than you think! Clients love it, especially if they’re hiring you for a website or blog.)
Then I followed my introduction with something kind of crazy…
The first page of his online menu PDF. Completely edited and rewritten – by me.
For free.
Yep: I gave away my service for free.
It sounds nuts; I was in this to make money, right? But I was emailing this guy out of the blue, and he had no reason to trust me – nor any reason to believe his business actually needed my services.
By giving him one edited page for free, I not only demonstrated that I was good at my job and trustworthy, but I also showed him how much better his entire website could become, if he hired me.
I then added that he was under no obligation to buy; my edited content was his to use, free of charge, as thanks for considering me.
As a result, I was hired to rewrite all his web content.
Now, he was low on funds, so I did it for $100 and a free cake, but still – cold-emailing paid off.
On that note – you can also barter your services. If I’d been a bride planning my wedding at that time, then a free cake would have been incredible!
(Not that it wasn’t incredible, regardless – I used the offer for my daughter’s birthday, and it was both beautiful and delicious.)
As you can see, I’ve included a lot about freelancing – but that’s because it’s one of my favorite options.
If you have any kind of marketable skill, use it. Whether you operate through a content mill, your own website, emails, or simply word of mouth, you can turn a hobby or secret passion into serious cash – and fast.
4. Walk dogs.
This is a no-brainer if you love dogs, don’t mind walking, and live in an area where people need their pets walked.
(Example: a city where houses don’t have yards, or a very wealthy neighborhood where lawns are for Looking, not Touching…or peeing).
Some dog walkers have made over $100,000 annually. That’s insane. Literally mind-boggling.
But, obviously, it can be done. They provide a service people need, so that combination – with some smart pricing and good customer interaction – adds up to big bucks, every time.
Your area probably doesn’t have as high demand for this, or the market might already be saturated – but it’s worth considering. The average hourly rate for dog walkers is $15/hour…and that’s per dog. If you only have 3 clients, paying you for 5 days a week, 2 walks a day – then that’s $450 a week for maybe 20 hours of work!
In a year, that’s over $23,000.
Many apps now exist to link pet owners to walkers in their area – sort of like Uber, but instead of carting drunk people home from bars, you get to take cute little furballs to the park.
5. Downsize…and sell just about everything you own.
This is my favorite method, without a doubt.
I’m a minimalist, granted – but even if I wasn’t, I’d still love this side hustle. Selling everything in your life that doesn’t provide function or spark joy (KonMari, anyone?) is probably the easiest way to stack cash.
Bonus: you get rid of all the junk filling your place!
If you and your fiancé haven’t moved in together yet, then this is a great opportunity to cull down your possessions in preparation for the big day.
But if you do live together already…it’s the perfect excuse to get rid of each other’s “bachelor/bachelorette pad items” you simply can’t stand. Your coat rack he keeps running into? Sell it. His ugly brown recliner? Gone.
Not only will you end up with cash in your pockets, but you’ll also get some breathing room – and plenty of space for the flood of wedding presents you’re about to receive.
eBay is a favorite of mine, of course. However, yard sales could also be effective.
I would try eBay first, for high-dollar items; Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, for bulky furniture that’s too expensive to ship; then consignment stores for everything else, or a garage sale.
6. Clean houses.
Some people really hate this idea. They don’t even like cleaning their own houses, so why spend time off cleaning someone else’s?
Maids can earn some serious money, though. $25/hour isn’t unheard of at all, and you can even use websites like Care.com to hook you up with clients.
Before you toss the idea aside, consider the math: even a conservative estimate of $13 an hour, 20 hours a week – easily doable – will get you $260 a week….
…or $13,520 in a year.
That’s right: even if you never raised your rates, you could save over $13k during a year-long engagement, just by cleaning houses part-time!
For fun – and because money math is a great motivation – let’s look at that $25/hour again.
$25/hour x 20 hours per week, for a whole year = $26,000.
So, yeah…cleaning houses is no joke.
You can also specialize your services. For instance, green cleaning – only using natural chemicals and methods – is a popular niche.
One more tip to convince you: cleaning burns a lot of calories, so you could even lose weight while side-hustling for your wedding. That’s a huge win-win.
7. Babysit.
See my super compelling argument in #6.
Babysitting (another service available on Care.com, and similar sites) pays more than you think, especially if you have any experience caring for children, a safe car to transport them in, and a spotless background check.
It’s also good practice if you plan on having kids yourself, someday. So much of what I learned as a nanny pre-motherhood helped me when I had kids of my own.
And hey – running around after kids all day burns calories, too.
8. Get a “real” second (or third) job.
I feel like this will be the least popular side hustle, but I have to suggest it…because it’s the only one basically guaranteed to work for every bride, every time.
Bottom line: I can’t guarantee you’ll make money blogging, or walking dogs, or selling your stuff…because all of those things are kind of unpredictable. You might make crazy, insane money doing them – but you might make very little, or nothing.
If you live in an area that isn’t conducive to certain markets, or if your wedding is in a few months (versus a year), then you won’t have time to build your business. There’s also no guarantee you’ll get hours, or the same number every week.
But a second job, while the pay might be less than ideal, is steady. If you get hired, whether part- or full-time, then chances are you’ll get the same number of hours and the same paycheck, week after week.
Obviously, this makes cash-flowing a wedding much simpler. Use the entirety of your side hustle income to pay for wedding purchases and vendor fees.
“I can’t possibly work 60 or 80 hours a week – I’m exhausted as it is.”
I hear you. It’s mentally and physically draining to work that much, especially when your friends have 9-to-5’s and keep texting you pictures of what you’re missing, while you’re slaving away for what might feel like chump change.
But remind yourself this is just a season. Temporary. You won’t have to hustle this hard forever.
To Sum Up: Get Hustling
Even if your side hustle only brings in a few hundred bucks between now and the big day, that’s more money than you had before. That’s less money on credit cards you’ll have to face after the wedding.
That’s a few hundred dollars more than what you’ve got now.
This list is by no means exhaustive. I’ve heard of brides funding their wedding by writing romance novels, creating YouTube videos, or even becoming street performers.
If you can monetize something, then it can become a side hustle. It can cash flow your wedding day and keep you from going into debt (or at least increasing it).
By and large, it won’t be easy. But it will be worth it.
Cash Flow Brides: what’s your favorite side hustle – or “second job,” if you hate the term! – and what tips would you give newbies in those areas?
