So they are now selling wedding decor at BHLDN, Anthropologie's foray into the wedding world. Personally, I sort of love them in a very conflicted way. In case that site makes you want to barf, I have looked at every object and collected some of the dumbest things, so you don't have to! What can I say, I live to give. There are some super-cute things that I would definitely consider buying/DIYing, but I wanted to share two hilariously “Wha?” offerings:
This is a stick. With a bottle tied to it. It costs $68.
Actually it's $68 for four, but that is still bananas for four sticks, four empty bottles, and eight pieces of twine. I could go outside right now and get that off my neighborhood hobo for the cost of a 40 ounce beer!
This is a bucket. It costs, I shit you not, $128.
It's a bucket that costs $128. I have nothing else to add.
This is a bag of colored clothespins. It costs $28.
But they are hand-dyed by an artisan! Did she sign each one? If not, how will my guests know I am clipping their escort cards up with artisan clothespins, not just some crap I got at… wait, where do clothespins come from? Maybe they are no longer available in America, and their rarity makes them precious, like diamonds. Oh my god, diamond-encrusted wedding clothespins! I am going to make a million dollars.
(If you love BHLDN, don't get huffy. I'm sure I'll be buying something from them before it's all over.)
YES.
Honestly, pretty much everything at Anthropologie drives me crazy, but this is the epitome of ridiculous wedding branding. “Here, pay lots of money to have your stuff look DIYed AND to have everyone know it came from Anthropologie!”
It’s like they took the DIY trends coming out of the recession and stripped all the personalized, meaningful, NICE things out of them. 🙁 Also all the work, but still. $128 for a MFing bucket.
It’s a stoneware bucket. Not metal. Still ridic, but…
That is pretty much the exact same thought I had looking at their site. Some stuff is cute, yes, but ALL is ridiculously expensive. Let’s get real here.
But they are perfectly formed, coordinated, and quality controlled sticks!
I won’t lie, I really love their regular dresses and skirts. They’re adorable and well made for the most part. One of my bridesmaids even got her dress there when I told them to get whatever they want. But I’ve always thought their housewares were overpriced and pretty ridiculous. Seems they’ve upped that ridiculousness by twenty bajillion percent for their wedding crap.
Thank you for this post!
I really do like some of their stuff but the prices are insane. However, I am grateful for the inspiration because we’re re-creating their Pegged Legged Placeholders for our wedding (at a fraction of the cost).
haha
Thanks, I needed that.
Lol, I see a lot of things recommended on this site that I think are very overpriced. OBB, not anthropologie (bc that goes without saying for them, lol.)
HAHAHAHA Right? The clothes are amazing (and worth the price; if you’ve ever purchased clothing from Anthro, it starts to make sense why they’re priced like they are), but sometimes their accessories and decor make me go, bwa?
Since when does OBB do snark? This is the kind of post I’d expect to read on regretsy.
Yeah, it’s funny, but I thought OBB was supposed to be non-judgemental
We’ve done snark since 2007. Take a look back in this archive: http://offbeatwed.com/filed/wtf
We don’t do it often, but it’s certainly not unprecedented.
That said, I don’t see this post as judgmental — the author begins by saying she likes BHLDN, and ends with an acknowledgment that she’ll likely make a purchase from the site.
I like this -because- it reminded me of Regretsy!
Hahahaha! BHLDN is fun to look at but ultimately ridiculous. Bottle-tied-to-stick is my own new coveted item.
I plan to try and work this into every conversation from now on.
“Oh, but that is NOTHING compared to my bottle-tied-to-stick! Isn’t it just TO DIE FOR?!?!?1ELEVENTY”
this isn’t snark – it’s a reality check.
a very funny, wtf, don’t-say-wedding-or-the-price-goes-up, lol, reality check.
bottles on sticks?
wedding clothes-pins?
a girl named John? (Buckaroo Bonsai reference)
Rediculous. $70 for a glitter banner? Why would you ever take the love out of the DIY projects? They look no more lavish, in fact they loose their appeal in their uniformity. I could do one for $20 at the most…and do it with friends.
Way to miss the mark Anthropologie–but hey, thanks for the inspiration. I think in this case to DIY from this inspiration is not taking away from an independent artist, so I can feel ok doing it.
hmmmm it is weird I have never heard of BHLND? Guess I am not disappointed that the stick is not in my budget 🙂
You must have missed this post: http://offbeatwed.com/2011/03/bhldn-vera-wang-wedding-dresses 🙂
Wow, sticks are pricey these days. I could make a killing off all the sticks in my fiancés backyard! LoL
Thank you for pointing out their ridiculous pricing. I’ve been on some artsy forums (which shall remain nameless) that basically praise and covet all things anthropology/bhlnd. Blarg.
It’s not just a bucket…it’s a Wedding Bucket. Got to have your wedding mark-up. 😉
Oh! A wedding bucket. I missed that! The white paint must be what costs so much! 😀
The fact that someone will no doubt buy a $128 wedding bucket is a serious sign of de evolution.
And on the topic of special wedding pricing…
Cake sketch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gimiDBAK2wA
Flowers sketch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ff13zZ0h0k
Band sketch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzeMHB22MhI
http://offbeatwed.com/2007/11/wedding-tax 🙂
guy: but these are the exact same cakes.
cake lady: no no no this is our WEDDINGGGGGGGG cake.
lol.
i officially spewed my drink at the ribbon part.
It’s really not difficult to see where the inspiration comes from for a lot of these. They’re fun, DIY-inspired pieces that make sense if you have more budget than time, and you don’t mind paying the “white dress mark up.” While this post really does summarize exactly what I was thinking when I saw the range… I am sure the whole thing is a dream come true for someone with the right circumstances.
Here here! I can’t believe how much BHLDN is trying to rip people off with some of their new decor merchandise! XP I hope most starry-eyed brides out there are smart enough to realize that some of these items just aren’t worth it! 😛
Thank you for not mindlessly drooling over the items like 90% of wedding blogs out there! Tell it like it is! 😀
Hehe. This is great. I think what annoys me is when I see brides on other blogs work so hard to DIY their day & someone has to comment, “omg… That is SO Anthropologie!”Is that supposed to be a compliment??
I would take it as a compliment, though I can see why not everyone would. Anthropologie’s displays are extremely intricate, designed to immerse the customer in a feeling of fantasy-home-best dress up chest ever. It’s easy to misinterpret the idea as, “Someone else has done it,” but I’d say that it implies that someone put a whole lot of time and vision into making a special place where people want to spend time.
I guess it depends on if you like Anthropologie to begin with. I feel like they rip off DIY brides and up sell at a ridiculous cost, not the other way around.
Ha ha! I’ve been seeing promotions for this stuff all over the blogosphere. Today, I actually scrolled the site and my jaw dropped at the prices! Then I saw this and laughed out loud (can you tell I thought it was funny, I just spelled out LOL!) 😉
Occasionally, the Regretsy Lady does an “Etsy or Anthropologie” post. I think my favorite was a necklace on etsy that cost $70, and then the EXACT SAME necklace in a different color on anthropologie that cost $170.
Also, pretty sure the nursery I work at has sold those buckets for twenty bucks. Boy are we undercharging…
But they aren’t WEDDING buckets!
I think their items are cute, and definitely my style, but so not my price! I mean, I know some people aren’t crafty/diy types but seriously, spray painitng a bucket would be the easiest thing in the world even for a diy-phobe.
I was SO excited when BHLDN became official! And then I died a little inside because there is no way I could afford anything from there with my budget. It’s still fun to lurk and get inspiration. They didn’t have decor at first that I remember, but I was still looking for jewelry and I think I crapped my pants at some of the prices for necklaces. Literally everything cost more than my dress, which isn’t saying much because I got it for $42.
Still this post made me LOL. Say wedding and the price sky rockets, it’s so true! Why wouldn’t you buy a cheap bucket and spray paint it? Exact same thing… except it’s from Anthrolpolgie I guess. Paying for the name. You could always lie, it’s not like people would know lol.
I agree, everything from Anthropologie, *particularly* BHLDN, is extremely overpriced. BUT, I give them credit — ask any one of their employee’s, and they’ll tell you outright that they target working women who make over $200,000, who are busy enough to drop a ton for a ‘dyi’ look. In other words, NOT MOST OF US, lol.
As an interior designer/occasional wedding stylist, I LOVE them … because their gorgeous stores are awesome inspiration! They really create *amazing* environments, and most of the things they do can be re-interpreted for way less!
Are those sticks organic? Is the twine free-range? ARE THE BOTTLES ECO-FRIENDLY?
Yea, even if the answer is yes, it’s still almost $8.50 a stick-and-bottle.
haha free-range twine. I’m imagining balls of twine loping across the prairie. thanks for the late-afternoon pick-me-up. 😀
Wow. Okay lets see if I can get this jumbled idea from my brain to your brain.
A long time ago people WITHOUT money diy-ed stuff for their wedding to make it look like fancy stuff bought in the store that people WITH money bought and used at their wedding…..
Now people WITH money are buying stuff that looks diy-ed at a much higher cost….
??
As a die hard diy-er I really don’t know whether to feel cheated or smug. Not that either is a good characteristic but I’m conflicted.
I love all things diy and I would rather have it look diy-ed than store bought. (as my whole wedding is going to be.)
Btw, stick bottle thingy is cute in an odd way but seriously? I think we should start tying other things to sticks. Waffle irons, unruly children, tires, paperclip chains, you know really get into the mentality of bottle on a stick!
Similar progression: back in the ’70s, it was hard to get health food, so people started food cooperatives. Then, the concept of healthy eating got so popular, that there was a market for corporations like Whole Foods to open health food stores across the US. Now, co-ops are closing because you can get healthy food at chain stores. Win for healthy food’s prevalence, loss for indie businesses.
Apparently if you lose a 2 e’s and an o, you can add several zeros!
http://instantrimshot.com 😛
Until I read this post, I had no idea whatsoever that BHLDN was actually intended to spell/mean “beholden”. Thank you! (I kind of felt like an idiot for not knowing and so was always too embarrassed to ask lol)
This is the best post ever.
That is all. 🙂
Love this post. The stick/bottle thing I can kind of get, but it is still obnoxiously expensive. The bucket and clothespins… I don’t even know what to say about that.
I adore you for this post. I’ve been having the exact same thoughts, but all of the usual wedding blogs and sites are loving the BHLDN pieces. I thought I was the only one — Emporer’s New Clothes style …
Admittedly, there are some good ideas in the BHLDN line. But nothing you couldn’t easily and cheaply DIY. The bottle/sticks and buckets SLAY me.
My favorite is the mismatching silverware for $68. Good Lord.
Long time reader, first time commenter…this post was hilarious, and so very true. It hits the nail on the head and does so with humor! Love it!
While I completely agree that the pricing of the bottle-sticks and clothes pins are thoroughly ridiculous, I strongly disagree regarding the “bucket.” I think it’s misleading of you to point a finger at the price but neglect to include any of the readily available information about the object. Right there in the listing it tells you while it’s in the shape of a bucket, it’s handmade stoneware ceramic and by Mud studio in South Africa, facts I think some customers would find value in. But more impressive, and valuable, to me is that with a quick search I found out that Mud seeks to create sustainable employment practices in some of the most impoverished communities in South Africa. IMO it is above scoff-worthy.
Is BHLDN overpriced?
Yup.
That said, I am a loyal Anthro shopper, mostly because their clothes are well-made, and they actually *fit* my body without me spending a shit-ton of money at the tailor’s.
I feel that BHLDN is awesome for inspiration.
Whoever is doing the art direction there has a fabulous sense of color and putting-together-of-things (if this is your style, of course!)
Would I spend that kind of money on a bucket?
Hell, no.
I’d go to the flower market, buy my own damn bucket and paint it mahself.
But I don’t really see the point of getting pissed at a company for provided beautiful items, even at a serious mark-up. There are some folks who simply don’t have the time, community, or creativity to put something lovely together themselves, and I imagine BHLDN and the like are a wonderful resources for them.
*meh*
To each his or her own, oui?
this amused me so much i was browsing around the regular anthropologie site. check this out – $1450 for a hanging glass terrarium (no plants).
LMAO!!! this is tooo funny!!!! Are these people for real???? Are they really selling this stuff?!?!?!? =0
I saw an old scrub brush aka “pen holder” for $68 on anthropologie
This post made me laugh SO HARD.
especially the hobo part, seeing as how my guy is hobo-like. I could just imagine telling him “Hey babe, check out this new stick I got for the wedding decor. It only cost $68, Isn’t it great?! Him: Facepalm.
For some reason the image of the bottle tied to the stick makes me laugh so much. I think I need to save it!
I know I’m late to the party with this one, but it’s kind of ridiculous to me that I can’t even FIT into any of their clothes… But the more simple stuff is easy to DIY or you can find similar styles for less money elsewhere. But God knows I will want to buy some of that stuff anyway because I LOVE Anthropologie and BHLDN. They are great for inspiration and their shoes are to DIE FOR. 🙂
Oh my God that bucket post almost made me pee my pants. $128? I think some of the stuff on here is beautiful (especially the clothes and jewelery) but so much of this gorgeous stuff is something I could find on Etsy! $600 for some of these bracelets when I could support a DIY goddess off of Etsy as opposed to stuffy Anthropologie? That is an easy choice for me.
Guys, their dresses are THE BOMB.COM and as wedding dresses go, are cheap-ish. The bucket? Embarassing. However, they have to make money on lazy people. Just focus on the affordable, beautiful dresses. You won’t get anything better south of David’s Bridal.
The weird thing is, I got my dress at a reasonable price from BHLDN but everything else from there is insanely overpriced.. My dress was 1,000 (and it’s a designer who usually charges a LOT more for that dress) but some of their VEILS are nearly that much.. I don’t get it.