Weddings on a Budget

If you talk to a wedding consultant, you'll probably hear that the number one way to save money is hire a consultant. This could be true, because the consultant will do all the legwork for you, shop around for the best bargains, and use their network of vendors to get insider deals. But with some of these pros charging up to 15% of the total wedding budget, you might want to think twice about whether you could do some of that legwork yourself.

Reception halls generally charge their highest fees for 7 p.m. on Saturday night. Any other time, you're more apt to get a bargain. Consider Sunday brunch for an inexpensive affair, or if late-night drinking is important, then opt for Friday evening, instead of Saturday.

Think twice before spending hundreds of dollars on a seven-piece hand-engraved invite. An invitation liner or separate enclosure cards aren't really necessary. Keeping it to a single sheet of quality paper saves on the costs of both paper and postage, and can still be elegant.

Since May through October are the most popular months for weddings, you can save a considerable amount of money on everything from photographers to banquet halls by planning your wedding for one of the quieter months, such as January or March. For more tips on planning a wedding, check out websites like TheKnot.com, a website focused on weddings.

The average number of wedding guests is 149, which means that overspending on seemingly inexpensive items such as invites and party favors can take a big chunk out of your wedding budget. Using Hershey kisses in the favor instead of Godiva chocolates can save $2 to $5 per bag. Using place cards that double as favors or incorporating the favors into a creative table centerpiece of chocolates or candles can help trim your budget as well. Get creative. For example, a bowl of colorful seashells could be a nice, but inexpensive centerpiece for a summer wedding.

To save money on flowers for your wedding, stick with what's in season, use more greens and fewer blooms. No one will ever notice. Roses are always available, but steer clear of floral-intensive holidays such as Mother's Day or Valentine's Day when high demand will drive up cost. Don't feel the need to adorn the church with fresh flowers for the ceremony. People expect churches to be less ornate, and they'll spend a lot more time at the reception so save your flower budget for after the ceremony.

Try to network with other brides to divvy up the decorating costs at your reception hall. Talk to the bride who is getting married immediately before or after to see if you have similar ideas for decorations. If so, you might be able to split the cost. A lot of catering halls will recycle the decorations anyway, but still charge every bridal party separately.

To keep costs reasonable at your wedding reception, don't overload on desserts. After a long evening of eating, drinking and dancing, many guests will forego dessert altogether anyway. For smaller weddings, use a faux bottom for the lower two tiers of the bridal cake. It will look good for the pictures, but not cost you a fortune for cake that won't be eaten. A good strategy for larger weddings is to choose a smaller version of your dream wedding cake and then get sheet cake in the same flavor as the wedding cake that can be cut in the back and served to guests who will never know the difference.