7 Easy Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding

In October of 2009, I'll be a blushing bride! Since my engagement in September of 2007 I've been planning away like a madwoman! Initially I was quite distraught and overwhelmed by the soaring prices of everything I looked into: from flowers to the cake to the dress. Weddings can be expensive, but they don't have to be. I'm proof of that! As a bargain hunter with exquisite taste, the whole budget wedding was a nightmare. I can proudly say, however, that I have a top notch wedding planned for under $3000. Here's how I did it:

1.) The Venue

Where you hold your marriage ceremony and reception can make or break your bank account. The key is to look for hidden gems. Places that may not be wildly popular but are beautiful, nonetheless. Instead of going for that well-known garden that so and so had her wedding, try looking for a garden of your own! There are many bed and breakfasts or local establishments that have beautiful properties and will rent it out to you for a much smaller fee. The key here is to look around at places that don't advertise themselves as wedding venues. Self-proclaimed wedding venues are, as a rule, quite expensive to book.

Another idea is to get married at your house or a family members' house (this is ideal for small weddings) and move the reception somewhere else if you really want to "get out of the house."

A wedding venue can cost as little as $0 to $15,000. Keep in mind that less expensive does not necessarily mean less beautiful. My wedding ceremony will take place at my home church ($0) and the reception will take place at an old mansion that is beautiful and unique ($200).

2.) The Dress and Suit

You may think I'm a little crazy for this one, but I saved myself $600 on my dress. I went to various wedding boutiques that are popular across the country (ie. David's Bridal). After trying on dresses, I found my winner on the third try! The ticket price was $1200 which is inexpensive to begin with (for most wedding dresses, anyway). However, I decided to look on Ebay and other websites, such as "SellYourWeddingDress.com" for deals on the dress I had found. In 3 hours I had purchased my dress, in my size, for only $600. That's 1/2 off!

*If you feel guilty about spending time with a sales representative and not buying a dress, feel free to leave a tip.

You can do a similar thing with your bridesmaids' dresses. As for tuxedos and/or suits, many tuxedo shops and suit stores offer deals. My fiancé and his groomsmen found a "buy one get one free" deal for suits, cutting each of their costs in half. I like the suit-route because the men get to keep the suit when the wedding is over with.

3.) Borrow accessories

Ever heard the expression, "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue"? When it comes to accessories, borrowed items are ideal. For example, ask your mother, grandmother, future in-laws, etc. if they have their veil from their wedding. You can do the same thing with jewelry, shoes, garter, etc.

I borrowed my future mother-in-law's veil. Total cost $0. Keep in mind that wedding veils can be very, very expensive.

4.) Flowers

The magic word with this one is: wholesale! Buying your flowers at full price will surely put a dent in your checkbook. Place an ad on craigslist or ask around for someone who may be able to buy flowers directly. When purchasing flowers at wholesale price, they are much cheaper, sometimes even by 1/2. You can then bring the flowers to a company that arranges them and pay for that fee. You can also ask around for someone who dabbles in flower arrangements on the side/has retired. My grandmother, for example, used to have a florist shop and has volunteered to arrange my flowers. We are purchasing the flowers at wholesale cost from a woman I bumped into on the street!

Another way to save money is to re-use your bouquet as the centerpiece on your food table. Instead of paying for a bouquet and a centerpiece, take your bouquet and arrange it as a centerpiece at your reception. When it comes time to toss it toward the end of the evening, simply take it off and throw it in your sea of single women!

*My bridesmaids will be carrying bouquets of wheat (very inexpensive) since it's a fall wedding. Feel free to play around with different and unique ideas

5.) The food

It's pretty difficult to save money on food. Either you cut your guest list or you skimp on the quality. I decided to do neither and instead opted to have a dessert wedding. My family will make some of the desserts and I'll purchase some from my favorite local bakeries/hotspots. This saves a load of money.

6.) The cake

You'd be surprised at how many people aren't "professional" cake-makers but make some very professional-looking wedding cakes. Ask around at local bakeries or café's to see if anyone is interested in helping you out. Sample their cakes and request pictures as you would with a "professional cake-decorator" so that you know what you're getting. The prices will be much lower and the service will likely be better since the person is dealing with less people and is likely having more fun while they're at it!

I asked my college cafeteria lady, who makes beautiful cakes. For a 4-tiered cake that will be a stunner I'm paying only $200. That's pretty much unheard of in most professional bakeries.

7.) The music

My fiancé and I argued for months over whether we were going to do classical music or a DeeJay. After too many squabbles we decided that the best option would be half classical/half funky music! Here's how we're saving money on both:

Classical: I placed several ads on craigslist looking for classical ensembles. I also asked around at local universities and even high schools. Many students are wonderful musicians and are willing to perform at cheaper costs. An appropriate rate (in the Midwest, at least) is $40 and hour for each "unprofessional" musician. Most professional musicians are part of a union and you're looking at about $200-1000 an hour for each.

Funky: Use your iPod. That's right. While I respect DeeJay's for their hard work, I prefer to have only close friends and family at my wedding. A stranger's voice leading the party doesn't sound like a great idea to me. If you agree, simply hook up a sound system (borrow one if you need to) and play your favorite songs! If you prefer a DeeJay, you can do what I suggested for classical musicians. Place ads and look for talented amateurs.

Good luck planning your wedding!