4. Lose an hour. People will hardly notice that your reception is only four hours long, rather than five—and you’ll save yourself a bundle on both the bar and entertainment bills.

5. Budget for over-budget. Most brides can’t help surpassing their budget by at least 10 percent.  So plan ahead, and allocate 10 percent of your total budget for unforeseen costs.

6. Come into the light. Holding your wedding in the morning or early afternoon can be a big money saver.  Bands and DJs may be 20 to 40 percent cheaper, and many reception facilities will offer the same menus for a reduced rate, because they can book the room again for later that day.

7. Trim the guest list. Extra guests mean extra everything: invitations, favors, meals and drinks.

8. Pare down the party. You’ve got to add the cost of another bouquet or boutonniere and gift for each additional  attendant—and also cover their hotel costs. Just ask your closest pals to be in the party; assign meaningful wedding-day tasks to everyone else.

9. Hire some help. A wedding consultant can save you cash, because she’ll help you set up a budget—and then help you stick to it.

10. Don’t go home. A home wedding is sentimental and beautiful—but because you’ll have to rent everything from tables to toilets, it’s not cheap. In many cases, an inclusive reception site is a more cost-effective (and sanity-saving) option.

11. Spend your money wisely. The fastest way to cut costs? Don’t pay for poor or nonexistent service. Thoroughly check out each vendor, and make sure every detail is spelled out in the contracts. Otherwise, you won’t have much recourse if your bouquet doesn’t have the flowers you ordered—and that money will be gone for good.

12. Find out what’s included. Before you hire outside vendors, find out if your reception site will throw in any extras. Some places include the cake, a choice of floral decorations or even a limousine in their packages.

13. Ask, and you just might receive. If you’ve found a vendor you like, ask if he or she can help you cut the bottom line a little. Practice saying, “That all sounds so great, but it’s a little more than we have to spend”—then try it out on your vendors. They might suggest small changes to the package that will decrease the overall cost, and in some cases, they’ll lower the price just to make the sale.

14. Put a lid on it. If you’re booking vendors way ahead of time, ask that they put a cap on price increases.

15. Borrow what you can. Your best friend’s veil. Your parents’ toasting glasses.  Your mother’s treasured pearls. You’ll love the sentimental touches … and the savings.

16. Splurge where it counts. If you really want beautiful table linens on all your tables, but they’re way out of your price range, instead of ditching them entirely, dress the cocktail tables in the expensive linens and use plain white cloths on the dining tables. You still get the linens you love, and you stay within your budget.

17. Skip the favors. Even though you might have found the perfect low-cost favor for your wedding theme, it’s an added cost that can be easily eliminated.

18. Stay put. Book your reception—and your wedding-night suite—in the same hotel.  That way, you’ll only need to pay for a limo from ceremony site to hotel.  And, a lot of hotels will throw in a free honeymoon suite (and discounted rooms for guests) to sweeten the package.


Paper Money...

19. Keep your invitations simple. An ecru or white invitation with simple ink (thermographed for additional savings) is as elegant as (and less expensive than) a fancier invite.

20. Go easy on the inserts. Reception card, response card and envelope, within-the-ribbon card, map—the number of items that can be stuffed in the envelope is mind-boggling. Put the reception info on your invite, and eliminate all but the most necessary inserts. You’ll save on printing and postage.

21. Get write in style. You can always get the bridesmaids with the prettiest handwriting to help you address the invites, rather than hiring a calligrapher.  Or look into computerized calligraphy programs, which will still give you an elegant look at a savings.

22. Get with the program. Buy blank wedding programs at an office-supply store or stationer, and then use your computer to make your own.


Bloom Boons...

23. Be fit to be tied. Simple arrangements— like the just-picked look of hand-tied bouquets which happen to be all the rage right now—are less labor-intensive, and, therefore, much cheaper than a grand, cascading bouquet. Also consider a looser arrangement, which will require fewer flowers.

24. Toss the bouquets. You can cut your floral budget by having mothers, grandmothers and attendants carry just one or two flowers wrapped in a pretty ribbon. The guys in the wedding can wear the same flowers, too. Just be sure the bloom is big enough—sunflowers, gerbera daisies, iris, calla lilies, hydrangea—to stand out on its own.

25. Play the market. If you don’t have an exact vision of which flowers you want, let your florist make a market buy. He’ll go for the best bargains available at market—in the colors you’ve specified, of course.

26. Avoid the holidays. Forget about a rose-filled reception around Valentine’s Day, when the demand for flowers drives prices sky-high. Easter, Mother’s Day and Christmas also raise the cost of blooms.

27. Let the season rule your choices. Don’t ask for tulips in September, when you’ll need them shipped from halfway around the globe. Instead, ask your florist what flowers will be in season when you say “I do.”


Dress for Less...

28. Think simple. If you’re not into the whole cathedral-train drama, ask to see “informals,” the  simpler, less-expensive wedding-dress lines. You might even be able to order a couture bridesmaid dress in white or ivory.

29. Shop the sales. Hunt for your dress during sale months, usually late April through May and late September through October.  That’s when the manufacturers send out discontinuation notices.  There is usually nothing wrong with these dresses, but prices are drastically reduced to clean out stock and make room for new merchandise.

30. Consider color. Pewter (or pink or taupe) satin sandals may not be traditional bridal shoes, but they’ll give you a boost of personality—and you’ll wear them again and again.

31. Think twice—or even three times—before ordering a dress over the Internet. The unbelievable prices you’re finding are unbelievable for a reason: you’re buying a dress you can’t try on, that you can’t return, that won’t be fitted to you from a “transshipper,” someone who’s bought the dress from the manufacturer under false pretenses. Dresses that are sold this way are not backed by the manufacturer, so if anything goes wrong, you’re out of luck and out of a dress.  There are enough well-priced dresses on the market that there’s no reason to buy your dress this way.


Almost Free Rides...

32. Change your colors. Sure, a white limo looks more “bridal,” but you’ll save cash if you choose a silver or black limo, which isn’t in as much demand for weddings.

33. Ride in a little less luxury. If your dress fits into a chauffeured town car (rather than a limo), go for it.

34. Go classic. Try calling a local classic- or antique-car club to see if one of its members would chauffeur you around for the day for a small fee.

35. Get a one-shot deal. If you need a limo for only one trip—from wedding to reception, say, or your house to the wedding/reception site—get a “transfer” fee, where you’re charged for being taken from Point A to Point B. Time jobs— where you’re renting the limo for the afternoon for unlimited transfers—are significantly more expensive.


See & Hear...

36. Stick with just one band. Have the same musicians play at your ceremony and your reception.

37. Go for a DJ. A DJ is simply the most cost-effective entertainment provider.

38. Find a gifted amateur. Hire a student. There are a lot of talented people out there who are eager for this experience. Scout your local college’s music and photography departments. Just be sure to audition these budding talents to see if they’re up to the task.

39. Don’t buy the big package. Hire a photographer for, say, three hours instead of eight, to take the formals, ceremony and family pictures, then put one-time-use cameras on the tables at the reception, so your friends can take candids. With this option, you can put your limited budget where it really counts—ensuring that the portraits are done by a top-notch professional.

40. Snap up a real talent. If you want a photojournalistic style for your wedding album, why not get a real photojournalist? Ask the photography department at your local paper for the names of good freelancers, then ask to view some of their work to see if it suits the style you’re looking for.

41. Go for the raw footage. Many videographers offer unedited versions of your wedding and reception. Time in the edit suite is costly, so the videographer may gladly sell you the raw version for a much lower price.


Smart Scenery...

42. Take advantage of what’s there. If you’ve chosen a historical or ornate reception site that already has plenty of charm and architectural interest, you can emphasize the site’s best side, and economize on decorations.

43. Share and share alike. Split the cost for some of the site arrangements with another bride marrying on the same day. (Ask your florist or site manager to make the match.)

44. Get sentimental. Instead of floral arrangements on the tables, arrange framed photos of you and your groom, your parents and grandparents, with scattered petals for a romantic touch.

45. Light up the night. Gather candles of different heights, shapes and colors and cluster five or seven together on each of the guests’ tables at the reception. Entwine thin cording and tassels throughout.

46. Recycle. Reuse whatever flowers you can. The statement pieces from the altar can be placed at the head table or entrance to the ballroom. Pew decorations can be used to decorate the head table or cake table.  Some brides use the bridesmaids’ bouquets as centerpieces on guest tables.

47. Add a little romance. Simply dimming the lights will add extra ambience to the room, without adding a single penny to your decorating budget. Just add some candles and a few nice floral arrangements.

48. Let the vendors deck the halls for you. Most churches and reception sites decorate extensively for the holiday season, which means you won’t have to spend a fortune to create a festive atmosphere.

49. Rent, don’t buy. Live ficus trees with twinkle lights make a beautiful backdrop for the altar area, or serve as a backdrop to a dramatic buffet area at the reception.  Contact your local nursery to negotiate the rental and delivery of live ferns, plants and hanging baskets. The cost can be as little as one-third that of decorating with flowers, and is just as elegant.