Ottawa, ON – August 2, 2012

With the cost of Canadian weddings averaging over $22,000 (source: weddingBells.ca 2012 survey ) and having just bought a house in 2011, Ottawa’s Lisa Higgs and Rolf Campbell knew they had to find a less expensive way to celebrate their big day with friends and family.

But while budget was their top consideration, Lisa and Rolf also wanted their wedding to be environmentally sensible―such as avoiding all the single-use items that weddings tend to generate.

With only a vague idea of wedding décor preferences, food and overall theme, Higgs went online to find items that wouldn’t break the bank or create waste.

For almost a year, Higgs―a long-time UsedOttawa.com user―perused the “Free” section of UsedOttawa.com for things to use for her wedding. She also recently posted an ad with the headline WANTED: Free dishes, glassware and cutlery wanted for budget/green wedding.

Higgs’ ad and ongoing visits to UsedOttawa.com has allowed her to go from just a few items to a full wedding, which she is calling her “Home Sweet Wedding”.

To date, the couple has collected many free items offered through UsedOttawa.com, including dinner and dessert plates, wine and drinking glasses, coffee mugs, cutlery, and even patio stones for the BBQ and bar area.

“In fact, the only thing we spent money on was a bookshelf for displaying glasses behind the bar, and that only cost us $5,” says Higgs. “My fiancé and I are very grateful for the outpouring of support from complete strangers who have contributed items to make our wedding unique and very special,” says Higgs.

In addition, Higgs is adding creative touches to other free items collected through UsedOttawa.com and transforming them into one-of-a-kind wedding features:

Photo backdrop: a 10×10-foot moon, originally made and used for a school play
Table centre pieces: mason jars (for candles), which will be stacked on top of encyclopedias
Reception décor: used chairs and couches, lamps, televisions, coffee tables, kitchen tables (for holding appetizers, gifts, the guestbook etc.) and white Christmas lights
Napkins: to be cut out from old bed sheets
Flowers: pages from discarded books, to create paper flower petals with floral wire stems

“This is a fantastic example of how the community gets behind a great cause,” says Erin Richards, Used Everywhere.com Marketing Director. “Our company is based on the values of recycling and reusing, particularly as local, community-driven initiatives through our network of online classifieds sites. We love how Lisa and Rolf share these values and are collecting used items for their wedding day, which they will then donate to other brides- and grooms-to-be.”

Lisa and Rolf still have their ad up on UsedOttawa.com as they try to put the finishing touches on the reception. The staff at Used.ca is helping them find the last few items needed including, warming/chafing dishes, a big tub to keep drinks cool, building material for the dance floor (sheets of plywood), cake or cupcake stands and a few more dishes.

As for next steps, Lisa and Rolf hope to find a used car once they’re married. “I’ve already been keeping my eye on UsedOttawa for one,” Lisa says.

For others planning weddings, there are many second hand wedding items on UsedOttawa including used wedding dresses. This gives people the opportunity to save some money and reduce, reuse and recycle as part of their wedding.

About UsedOttawa.com
UsedOttawa.com is completely Canadian owned and operated. With over 20 million pageviews per month, UsedOttawa has become the most efficient platform for Ottawa residents to connect with private sellers to buy and sell used goods. 90% of UsedOttawa.com’s inventory is privately listed, meaning for sale by a resident, not a corporation. UsedOttawa is part of the Used.ca network of Canadian online classified sites. To find local city sites check out: http://uedev.bpsrvr.com/sites/.

Media Contacts:
Erin Richards/Used.ca
250.381.3633 ext. 3291
Media@Used.ca

Scott Ledingham/PRMediaNow
613.806.7135
Scott@PRMediaNow.com

Note to Editors: For additional information visit Used.ca , email media@used.ca  or, call 1 (888) 480-3250.