Tips for Planning a Wedding on a Budget

My engagement was perfect. My husband, who is infinitely more artistically inclined than I will ever be, painted a set of stacking dolls to represent our cats, our fish and then him and me as our family. The ring was in the smallest doll (the fish) and I was crying with delight before I even got to the beautiful ring. It was a wonderful surprise and I was on cloud nine. My bliss came to a screeching halt when we started to talk about numbers and dollars and the huge expense that weddings have become.

My husband and I stressed over it for a few days--- thinking about how a lot of other plans would have to be put on hold due to the cost of the wedding. We eventually landed on a budget with a promise that we would stick to it.

Here are a few of the tricks and tips I used to make my wedding our perfect night without breaking the bank.

1.) Buy a Sample Dress: I fell in love with three dresses that were 100% out of my price range. After shopping that day, I thought I had made the rookie mistake of trying on things out of my price range. With luck, the owner of the store called me a few days later and let me know they were about to switch out seasons and would be willing to sell me the sample at 60% off. I got lucky, but I would ask the bridal shop when they have a sample sale and if they'd be willing to sell the sample to you. Chances are, they'll be thrilled at the offer, especially if you are shopping between seasons.

2.) Etsy.com: I used Etsy for our invitations, my accessories and my bridesmaid gifts. They offer unique pieces at affordable prices. We thought about doing our invitations on our own-but once we priced out the cost of paper and ink-we realized that the beautiful set we found on the site was even cheaper than the materials to make them ourselves.

3.) Invest in a quality printer: While we did have our invites printed for us, we still had programs, direction cards and other odds and ends to print for the big day. By having a reliable and quality printer that cost just a couple hundred dollars; we felt comfortable creating and printing those elements on our own.

4.) Check out your local Goodwill, Salvation Army and Flea Markets: I purchased most of the 'mismatched' vases for my tables for less than $.50 each and some of them were absolutely beautiful. Saving on the cost of the vessels allowed me to have more beautiful flowers. We got the whole family involved in finding vases and it got conversation started at the wedding. Also, it gave the wedding a different, more homemade feel.

5.) Find out what flowers are in season: I worked closely with my florist to find flowers that were in season, reasonable and fit with the aesthetic I was going for. She did a fantastic job of creating lush arrangements that didn't skimp on style. We used local wildflowers mixed with spray roses--- and the result was romantic and cost conscious.

6.) Food: Good food is very important to me. This was one area I wasn't willing to skimp on quality, but we were able to agree on menu options that were cheaper than your usual surf and turf and more interesting than chicken. With our caterer's help, we developed a menu of ancho-chili crusted halibut or herb crusted pork tenderloin that my guests are still talking about months later. We were able to have the kind of meal we wanted because we were able to find less expensive proteins that still were delicious.

7.) Be Firm: It certainly doesn't have to be unfriendly, but set a plan, set a budget and stick to it. Be upfront with vendors about what your limitations and desires are and work together to come up with a solution. I found that an honest approach built a relationship that fostered discussion and brainstorming, which had everyone invested in making the day turn out perfect.

Finally, remember to have fun. Things will go wrong, there will be stresses, but all of your friends and family are together to celebrate your new journey--- and that really is the best part.