Money-Saving Tips for a Bride's Dream Wedding

It's easy to have a stunning wedding when you've got an unlimited bank account, but beautiful weddings don't have to be expensive. They just need to be well researched and prepared for. You CAN be your own wedding planner and the best part is, at the end of the day you have the satisfaction of knowing that you did it all on your own!

1. FLOWERS- This is an area where you can definitely cut cost. Depending on the flowers you like, you may have to be willing to compromise flower type to save a lot of money. Orchids, out of season peonies or gerbera daisies and calla lilies are just a few that can be pricey when deciding upon your ideal bouquets and table centerpieces. Roses are definitely a less expensive bet and you can be sure that they will not be out of season! Lilies are a gorgeous option as well as daisies, gardenias and tulips if they are in season. Remember too that February, due to Valentine's Day, is the most expensive month in general for flowers.

To further cut cost, there are several websites and articles showing you how to make your own bouquets. If you are looking to do a simple tight-knit rose bouquet, this really is one of the most simple bouquets to make and can be done by someone in your family or yourself the day before or the day of the wedding preferably. This will save you the expensive of the actual florist's time to arrange and prepare the bouquets and possibly the delivery too.

Wholesale flower stores or even Costco/Sam's club offer a variety of colors of roses and other flowers at a bulk price. You could simply buy several of these flowers and at least cut the cost on the bouquets and leave the rest to a florist if you weren't feeling as adventurous. This could save you a couple hundred dollars alone!

Another great idea is to use artificial silk flowers. I was a bridesmaid for a friend of mine who chose this option and you really could not tell the difference live or in the photography. The best part was she never had to worry about droopy flowers that wilted in the heat or discolored as the day progressed and we didn't have to worry about squishing them. These can be made easily well in advance of the wedding and will look beautiful.

2. WEDDING CAKE- There are a few different options to save money on a cake. The first obvious option is to have a cake made by a family member/friend. If you know someone talented in this area, let that be their gift to you and you'll save hundreds of dollars! The second option is to use an artificial cake. If you have several other desserts or a sweet table or even a chocolate fountain and you're not that into the cake, forgo it! Many people get so stuffed at weddings they really don't mind if there isn't cake, as long as there are other desserts to snack on.

Another great option, and this is the option I used in my own wedding, was to use a partially real, rental cake. Sounds funny, right? Well, it saved us $250! My husband and I wanted to have a cake that we could cut into and share on our wedding day without the alarming price tag, so we opted to have a 3-tier cake that had 2 artificial bottom tiers that we rented with the top tier being entirely real and yummy! We still chose our flavoring and the style of cake we wanted, we just didn't offer up cake to everyone and nobody missed it! The cake designer will simply ensure that all pieces are well put together to look like a real cake.

To add our own style we stuck pale pink rose heads with short stems into the top of the cake and then sprinkled some petals on the cake and the table. We also had a couple strategically placed roses on the bottom 2 tiers. It photographed well and nobody had a clue that the bottom two tiers weren't real as they are made to match. Fake cake tiers are Styrofoam covered in fondant icing with the same details as your real cake tier.

See, you can have your cake and eat it too!

3. THE DRESS!- You may desire a designer dress with a $5K price tag, but reality says it needs to be under $1000 or maybe less than $500. You've got options girl! The first thing to do is forget the idea that a stunning dress has to be expensive. Off the rack dresses are dresses never worn but tried on by a few women prior to you buying it. This is a great place to start! Many stores have "no tax' days and often times there are clearance racks for out of season dresses that might be just what you're looking for.

Having a dress custom made might cost less than you think! If you find a pattern or even a dress you love, see if a seamstress can help make your dream a reality. You'll pay for the seamstress' time and of course the materials. Having a custom made gown is sure to make you a unique bride but you'll have to wait until it is done to see the final product.

One of the most economical options is to search your city's local Craiglist.org or EBay for wedding dresses. These will be dresses that have either never been worn or have been worn once. Having it dry cleaned is sure to get is sparkling white and perfect for your day for a small cost, sometimes the seller has already done this for you. These are brides that called of their wedding or those that are married and have no desire to store their dress to keep, so take advantage!

4. THE VENUE- Your reception location is by far your largest cost, so this is where you'll really want to get a deal. Never book with a hall/venue that does not negotiate unless it meets your pre-determined budget. ALWAYS NEGOTIATE! If your venue is a highly sought after location that has no trouble getting booked, then you might not get very far.

However, if you pick a unique location that is less popular and outside of a major city, you're more likely to get a great deal! If you are booking a wedding 3-6 months before your date, you'll have better luck closer to the date as venues fear that their slot may not be filled. I was able to negotiate and save $4,000 on our venue and I was so proud afterwards. Tell the venue personnel that your budget is "$x" then when they name their price if they cannot come closer to your number, ask if they can "meet you in the middle", this alone will save you thousands.

If your budget is really small, opt for a beautiful backyard wedding and have everyone bring a food item as part of your gift. This would be ideal for smaller weddings and creates an intimate setting. Then, purchase your own alcohol and drinks to have served by a professional bartender for legality. This will save you thousands on the cost of servers and a catering company as well as the actual venue building. You'll want a back-up rain option though if you are having a ceremony and reception outdoors, such as a tent or using the house itself as your backdrop.

5. ALCOHOL- If you happen to not be serving alcohol at your wedding for a particular reason then kudos to you for saving a lot of cash! If you are, I highly recommend a cash bar where your guests pay for their own liquor. If you feel stingy by not providing the drinks, perhaps provide a bottle of red and white wine for each table and leave it at that! The rest is up to them. If you can bottle your own wine and use fun personalized labels, this would be even more cost effective.

Another suggestion would be to provide 2 drink tickets maximum per person and after that, it is their responsibility. Not only does this shrink your bill, but you'll know that you are not responsible for out of control drinking that could potentially lead to a drive-home accident. These options will really save you hundreds up to thousands of dollars depending on the size of your wedding.

The most important detail of your wedding of course, is your spouse, so remember, after all the cake is eaten, your dress is worn and photos are taken, you have each other. Your day can be as beautiful as you choose to make it even if your budget is only a couple thousand dollars. Enjoy the process and feel good about every dollar you are able to save! Here's to wedded bliss!

by Karla Davis