So, you want a gorgeous wedding, but you don't want to spend the rest of your married life paying for it? Well, most of us do. However, 'budget weddings' don't usually stay within budget. There are a lot of ways to avoid stepping on one of those financial minefields that explode the cost of your wedding. Here are just a few.

Don't Hire Unnecessary People:

You can have music at your wedding without having to surrender thousands of dollars to a performer or a band. Here's another option: Make a bunch of CDs with all your favorite music, then have a friend or family member play them for you. This works well with a large disk changer CD player. With little things like this here and there, you can easily pull off budget weddings. You'll easily save $1000 if not more.

Keep it Smaller:

No matter how tempting it is to invite everyone you ever knew, as well as all their friends and family, STOP! You should pick your very best friends, and of course your family. Anyone else should be left out. Stick with your list, and ask your friends and family not to bring any extra guests. This saves you from the worry and expense of having to bring in enough food to feed everyone.

Think About Food:

Food costs a ton, and will be a major expense for your wedding. Don't choose some fancy food that half of your guests can't pronounce anyway. What you should consider instead is a potluck wedding. Or, you can simply enlist some friends to help you serve finger foods and hors d'oeuvres. Budget weddings can be just as wonderful as expensive weddings, and you won't spend yourself into a pit. Who wants to enter their marriage in debt?