With today’s troubled economic times, planning for a wedding can be even more difficult than ever. After all, weddings aren’t cheap, so planning your dream wedding while on a restricted budget can seem impossible. Fortunately, if you are looking to save some money while still putting on the beautiful wedding you have always wanted, there are a few things you can do.

Deciding What is Really Important

Before you start looking for alternatives and ways to save money on your wedding, you should first prioritize the things that are important to you. No matter how much money you have available to you, there will likely be certain things you simply won’t be able to afford. So, decide on the things that are truly important to you and that you cannot live without.  This way, you can be sure to budget money for those items and you can then use the leftover money to pay for the other items you want to include in your special day.

Making the Cut Backs

Now that you know what things are really important to you, it is time for you to start making a few cuts here and there that will help you save some money. Remember, every little bit of savings adds up, so try to trim the fat off of a variety of different areas so you can still have a magnificent wedding without going over your budget.  Some ideas you might want to try include:

·    Flowers - try to select flowers that are in season on the day of your wedding, as they will cost less than those that are out of season. You might also want to try some less expensive alternative to flowers wherever possible, such as adding balloons or candles to your décor. Even sprinkling flower petals on the tables rather than having full-blown centerpieces can be quite lovely and far less expensive.
·    Photography - hire a photographer for only a portion of the reception or to photographic specific poses and moments.  The photos your family and friends take of the rest of the event won’t be so costly and can often be far more intimate than those a professional photographer takes.
·    Favors - you don’t have to spend a lot of money on favors to make them memorable. Candies in a sachet, flower seeds and even candles are all items that can leave a positive impression on your wedding guests without costing a lot of money. If you are crafty and if you have the time, you might even want to make your own favors.
·    Invitations - shopping at an online store can help you save a significant amount of money on your invitations. By taking the time to do some comparison shopping, you will be able to find some invitations that suit your budget while still fitting within your wedding theme. Again, if time allows, you might want to consider getting invitations that you assemble yourself in order to save even more money.
·    Food - if you are having a relatively small wedding, you may be able to enlist upon some family members to make the food or at least part of the food that you will be serving
·    Location - choosing the right venue can go a long way toward saving money on your wedding day.  Having your wedding at the beach, for example, can be far less expensive than renting out a hall.
·    Dress - purchasing a used dress or wearing a dress that is a family heirloom can help lower the cost of your wedding.  You might also want to consider having a more casual affair, which will allow you to purchase a less costly dress.
·    Cake - to have a beautiful cake while saving money, you can hire a professional bakery to create a small wedding cake to display for your wedding guests, but serve a sheet cake to your guests.  Not only will this save money, but sheet cakes are often tastier too!