Are you putting off getting married simply because you want the big fancy wedding and just can't afford it? Don't worry, you are not alone. There are thousands of couples out there, a lot of them already living together and some of them with children, that have put their wedding off because they want the wedding, but don't have the tens of thousands of dollars that they think it takes to pull it off.

You can wait until your oldest is ready to start college or you can plan a great wedding on a shoestring budget. Here are some tips that will save you money when you are planning your wedding ceremony and reception.

Make up a guest list that only includes close friends and family. Lets face it, there are people you feel obligated to invite, but if you think about it, they probably wouldn't be upset in the least if they are not asked to attend. Invite only the people who are important to you and your parents, rather than everyone you know. Plan a special small wedding with the ones you really care about.

If you have a lot of out of town guests coming, consider having the wedding/reception at the same hotel. Speak to the appropriate manager about giving you a discount if you reserve all the guest rooms in a block. This especially works well if you can schedule your wedding for a time of year when the motel isn't very busy, like from October to April.

Have your ceremony and reception at the same location. It cuts costs for transportation, help that needs to be hired and just makes things a lot simpler all the way around.

Ask friends and family members if instead of buying a gift if they you lend you their talent. They might help you put together a simple buffet for the food. They might be able to help with the flowers, centerpieces or the cake. Maybe one of them could be the DJ. If you put together some CD's with your favorite music, it wouldn't be hard to find someone to make sure the right music got played when you needed it to be played.

Have your wedding on a week day instead of the weekend. This works especially well if most of your guests are close to where you live. Many of your guests won't mind this in the least because it frees up their weekend for other things.

Put a large supply of disposable cameras out for people to take pictures at your wedding. It will save a lot of money on expensive photographers. You might also have a friend that you know is good at taking pictures that would help you out instead of buying you a gift. Also make sure that all you guests know you email address so they can email any pictures they take on their digital cameras.

Go to a local college and seek out help in the videography department or the photography department. You might find someone that is really quite good but won't charge you piles of money.

Serve beer and wine instead of expensive champagnes. Let people know that they can bring their own liquor if they prefer something else.