CBS News
How to plan a Sam’s Club Member’s Mark wedding: 5 tips to save money on your big day
This content is sponsored by Sam’s Club.
Sam’s Club
According to wedding planning site The Knot, the average cost of a wedding was a whopping $35,000 in 2023. Even if you can afford to spend that much money on a one-day event, you don’t have to — with smart planning and a few clever wedding hacks, you can have a glitzy and glamorous dream-worthy wedding without spending a fortune.
One of our favorite wedding hacks is Sam’s Club. The warehouse store offers everything you need for a wedding, from fresh flowers to multi-tier cakes to stunning wedding rings. And it’s all available at eye-popping low prices.
We love that Sam’s Club has options for every wedding budget. You can go small, intimate and inexpensive (save that money for the honeymoon!), or plan something truly lavish with a ring reveal that will be talked about for years. Even if you have a ring, wedding planner, caterer and florist already, Sam’s Club is a great place to shop for engagement parties, family receptions, bachelor and bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinners and all the other events surrounding your big day.
Read on for our top five tips to save money on your wedding by shopping at Sam’s Club. Not a Sam’s Club member yet? Great news: You can get a one-year Club membership for just $20 now through April 15 (conditions apply). That’s a savings of more than 60% off the regular $50 price. Or, you can save $40 on a Sam’s Club Plus membership. Tap the button below to sign up now and start shopping today.
5 ways to save money on your wedding at Sam’s Club
Planning a wedding doesn’t have to be expensive. Member’s Mark (available exclusively at Sam’s Club) offers great quality and value on a wide selection of essentials for your special day. Here’s how you can save on your wedding at Sam’s Club.
Get the perfect engagement ring at Sam’s Club
Sam’s Club
Did you know that Sam’s Club has a wide range of jewelry options, including gorgeous engagement rings and wedding bands? This 1.0 ct. total weight diamond engagement ring is made of 14k white gold, with a 0.40 large round center stone surrounded by 0.35 ct. total weight of diamonds. Find it in sizes from 5.5 to 10. (Some sizes are unavailable.)
“The pictures do not do this justice,” says one Sam’s Club reviewer. “I ordered this for my now fiancé and she can not stop staring at it. It looks a million times better in person than online. This ring shines like crazy in the sunlight.”
“It’s been five years and [I’m] still madly in love with this ring,” adds another.
Get beautiful flowers at Sam’s Club
Sam’s Club
No wedding is complete without flowers. The Member’s Mark White Wedding Collection, one of the many floral options at Sam’s Club, includes bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages and rose petals. White roses, white oriental lilies, white stock and white limonium are all hand-arranged in Florida and are ready to go, right out of the box.
“We were extremely satisfied with our purchase of wedding flowers for our daughter’s wedding,” says one Sam’s Club reviewer. “They were delivered as promised, packaged professionally and all the flowers in this collection were perfect!”
Or, if you’re feeling creative, you can specific flowers and greenery in bulk and use them to create your own custom arrangements. With Sam’s Club flowers, the only limit is your imagination.
Sam’s Club recommends ordering your flowers for delivery two days before your event.
Get a Member’s Mark custom wedding cake
Sam’s Club
Sam’s Club offers so many different options when it comes to wedding cakes. You can get a sheet cake in your choice of icing colors, or level up to a two- or three-tier Member’s Mark cake that’ll truly impress. Cookie cakes are available too, as are cupcakes.
Member’s Mark cakes are highly customizable. The wedding-themed options are available in silver or gold and can be personalized with text. Or, you can create your own custom cake with 20 icing options and colors and 15 types of sprinkles.
You can go big or small with a Member’s Mark cake. A large, three-tier Sam’s Club cake feeds up to 66.
Prices of Member’s Mark custom cakes vary based on design and size.
Feed the whole wedding party with Member’s Mark
Sam’s Club
Well-fed wedding guests are happy wedding guests. Fortunately, Member’s Mark offers all sorts of taste-tempting party trays, including fruit and cheese trays, vegetable trays, charcuterie tasting boards, wrap trays, sandwich trays and sushi trays.
For dessert, pick up a Member’s Mark cookie tray. And if you’re hosting a wedding brunch, be sure to check out Member’s Mark Belgian waffle party tray.
Check out all the Member’s Mark party tray options by tapping the link below. Prices vary.
Stock the bar with Sam’s Club and Member’s Mark
Sam’s Club
Sam’s Club offers beer, hard seltzer, wine, champagne, liquor and more from your favorite brands, perfect for stocking the bar at the wedding and all the parties and gatherings beforehand. You can get all the mixers you need, plus pre-mixed cocktails.
Want to save some money? Sam’s Club offers a wide range of spirits under its Member’s Mark brand. They all offer great value, without sacrificing taste and quality.
And don’t forget the little ones and teetotalers — you’ll want plenty of non-alcoholic beverage options on hand at your wedding. Sam’s Club offers sodas, juices, bottled water and more. Pick them up in-store, or have them delivered straight to your home.
Join Sam’s Club for $20 in April
Not a Sam’s Club member yet? Great news: Sam’s Club is offering a membership deal this April. New members can join at the Club level for just $20 for your first year. That’s a savings of 60% off the usual $50 yearly membership fee. (Note that you’ll need to be a new Sam’s Club member, and you’ll need to agree to auto-renew.)
This is a limited-time offer; it’s not clear when it will end. So tap the button below to sign up for Sam’s Club now at the discounted $25 rate.
Why you should upgrade to Sam’s Club Plus
There are a lot of perks to a Sam’s Club membership, but there are even more when you upgrade to Sam’s Club Plus. You’ll get free shipping for online orders, free curbside pickup, 2% back on qualifying purchases (up to $500 back per year), free select generic prescriptions and 20% off eyeglasses. Sam’s Club Plus members can also shop sales before other Sam’s Club members. Terms apply. (See the Sam’s Club site for more details.)
The warehouse retailer also has a deal for customers who want to become Sam’s Club Plus members. Right now, you can get $40 off a Sam’s Club Plus membership. That brings the annual price down to $70.
Again, note that you’ll need to be a new member and agree to auto-renew to score this deal.
CBS News
DHS secretary calls social media rhetoric following UnitedHealthcare CEO killing “extraordinarily alarming”
Washington — Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas called the social media rhetoric “extraordinarily alarming” that followed the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month, warning of the risk of violent extremism it poses.
Mayorkas said in an interview that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that he’s “alarmed” by the “heroism that is being attributed to an alleged murderer of a father of two children on the streets in New York City,” as the the insurance executive’s killing in midtown Manhattan on Dec. 4 has prompted scattered celebration on social media — and lionizing of the man charged in the deadly shooting.
“It speaks of what is really bubbling here in this country, and unfortunately we see that manifested in violence, the domestic violent extremism that exists,” Mayorkas said.
Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old suspect, faces federal charges including murder. Investigators’ working theory of the motive is animosity toward the health care industry. On social media, support for the suspect has materialized surrounding grievances toward perceived inequalities in the insurance and health care systems.
Mayorkas said the department sees a “wide range of narratives” that “drive some individuals to violence.”
“We’ve seen narratives of hate. We’ve seen narratives of anti-government sentiment. We’ve seen personal grievances in the language of violence, accompanying or being a part of those narratives,” Mayorkas said. “it’s something that we’re very concerned about — that is a heightened threat environment.”
The Homeland Security secretary said the threat of domestic violent extremism “is one of the great threat streams that we must counter.” And he noted that DHS has been concerned about social media rhetoric “for some time.”
Still, Mayorkas, whose tenure at the helm of the department is coming to an end next month, said that while his faith in the American people is “rattled” by incidents like the “cold-blooded murder of a United Health Care executive,” he noted that “that’s the actions of an individual, not reflective of the American public and of the democracy in which we live.”
“I have faith in the American people,” Mayorkas added.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
DHS secretary calls social media rhetoric following UnitedHealthcare CEO killing “extraordinarily alarming”
Holiday music with Darren Criss: “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
Full interview | Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
DHS secretary calls social media rhetoric following UnitedHealthcare CEO killing “extraordinarily alarming”
Holiday music with Darren Criss: “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”