| Weddings are not cheap! I found out the hard | | | | look but with less cake for a smaller wedding. |
| way when I was planning my own. The average | | | | 6 - Cupcake Wedding Cake |
| price of a wedding today is around $25,000! | | | | Cupcakes are a popular choice and you can |
| Fortunately, I found some great, cost-saving | | | | present them in an elegant way for your wedding |
| strategies that allowed me to have a cheap | | | | cake. Cupcakes are also easier to bake yourself, |
| wedding without making my special day look like a | | | | which can dramatically slash your reception |
| low-budget affair. | | | | budget! Feel free to experiment with different |
| 1 - The Dress | | | | flavors to give your dinner guests the opportunity |
| You can save a lot of money on your wedding | | | | to indulge in their favorites. |
| dress by looking online for clearance or discount | | | | 7 - Cheap Wedding Favors |
| gowns. I found a new, never worn dress on an | | | | Wedding favors do not need to cost a lot of |
| eBay store for only $250. It was the perfect | | | | money. Candy, chocolates or small decorative |
| dress, too! If you buy your dress online, know | | | | ornaments are always appreciated. |
| your measurements and ask plenty of questions. | | | | 8 - Get Creative |
| Other cost-saving ideas include finding a simple, | | | | The single best way to save money on your |
| white dress and accessorizing it yourself. You can | | | | wedding is to get creative. I found that it is a lot |
| also find a very similar non-wedding dress that | | | | cheaper to accessorize a plain guestbook or unity |
| doesn't have the inflated "wedding" price tag. | | | | candle and make my own bows. If you are really |
| 2 - Cheap Wedding Flowers | | | | crafty, try making your own invitations or even |
| Ordering flowers from a floral shop is very | | | | design your own wedding dress! |
| expensive. I found it much cheaper to purchase | | | | 9 - Edit Your Own Wedding Video |
| my bouquets from the floral section at my local | | | | This is a great way to shave off several hundred |
| supermarket. Costco is also a great, | | | | dollars from the cost of your wedding video. |
| money-saving option for flowers. Either arrange | | | | Whether you hire an amateur videographer or a |
| them yourself or purchase them pre-arranged. | | | | professional wedding video company, you'll save |
| 3 - Simple Centerpieces | | | | money by taking the post production into your |
| Speaking of flowers, table centerpieces can be | | | | own hands. Video editing software is not only |
| quite expensive if you use floral arrangements. | | | | easy to learn and use, but you might already |
| Many brides now are using decorative, candle | | | | have the software on your computer. If you use |
| centerpieces. Not only will you save a lot of | | | | a PC, try Windows MovieMaker. If you're on a |
| money on flowers, but you'll add to the ambiance | | | | MAC, try IMovie. Or get more functionality with a |
| of your reception hall. Everybody loves a candlelit | | | | great video editing software package for under |
| dinner! | | | | $80. |
| 4 - Potluck Reception Dinner | | | | 10 - Free Vacation for Your Honeymoon |
| The potluck wedding dinner is making a | | | | Don't be afraid to attend that timeshare |
| comeback. It doesn't have to include bad | | | | presentation if it means you'll get a free stay at a |
| casseroles and chaotic dinner service, either. With | | | | resort for a few hours spent on a weekend |
| a little pre-planning and delegation, you can have | | | | attending a lecture on "vacation ownership". I've |
| wonderful food and satisfy all your guests with a | | | | done this twice. I got a free weekend in Lake |
| dinner that everybody loves. You'll also save a ton | | | | Placid, New York for taking a tour of a local ski |
| on catering expenses. | | | | resort. The second time, I got two free nights in |
| 5 - Cheap Wedding Cake | | | | Playa del Carmen, Mexico for attending a |
| Wedding cakes aren't cheap. However, you can | | | | cookware demonstration. Keep your sales |
| supplement a smaller wedding cake with a less | | | | resistance up and you'll shave off some expense |
| expensive sheet cake to feed your guests. Other | | | | on your honeymoon. Just don't get suckered into |
| cost-saving options include frosted, Styrofoam | | | | a timeshare presentation while you're ON your |
| layers to maintain the three-tiered wedding cake | | | | honeymoon! |