Each time you add a name to your invitation list, you're increasing your budget significantly. It's not just the catering costs, but also the extra centerpieces, favors, rentals, etc. Don't invite anyone you haven't talked to in five years. Don't feel obligated to let single people bring a date. Avoid feeling pressured to invite all your work colleagues. And don't let your friends bring their children. You can also decide to eliminate categories like "relatives more distant than first cousins" or "friends from volunteer work." By not inviting anyone from that group, you'll help avoid hurt feelings.

For religious weddings, consider having your wedding near a major holiday. The church will already be decorated, saving you lots of money on flowers. On other days, look for simplicity. A candlelit ceremony can be romantic, gorgeous, and inexpensive.

Unlike many types of clothing, wedding dresses don't get much wear- so they're the perfect used item of clothing! You'll also want to check out the huge selection of gowns on eBay. If you go with eBay, get yourself measured very carefully to make sure the dress fits. Even better, visit a local store and find a few dresses that look fabulous on you-- and then look for the same gowns on eBay in your correct size. Who's going to know it's used-- and who cares?

You may be dreaming of the perfect, fairytale wedding. However, if you do not have the time and money needed to create such a wedding, trying to do so will only cause financial hardship and unneeded stress. So, if you have lots of money to spare and can afford a wedding planner and all the other luxuries, then go ahead. Otherwise, you will need to keep the wedding small and simple so that you and your friends and family can take care of the various arrangements yourself. Even a simple wedding will provide you with plenty of memories to cherish for a life time.

If your wedding is at a time of year in which flowers bloom readily, consider using flowers from your garden, or from assorted friends and relatives. This could be a little risky, so you may need a Plan B, in case nature interferes with a sudden harsh hot or cold spell, or locusts attack or the dog digs up all the flowering plants etc! With a bit of research and planning (and a Plan B) you might even try planting seedlings, far enough in advances, to bloom for your wedding. These can even be used in their pots for stunning displays, and picked for bouquets. Using beautifully toned foliage for a lot of your displays, maybe with just a few accent flowers, can be magnificent. These can often easily be obtained from trees and bushes of friends and family for no cost.

Sometimes saving money can be as simple as celebrating your individuality or taking into account unique attributes of your venue. Instead of a guestbook full of names that might be meaningless in 50 years, we decided to take a group shot of our entire wedding party and guests. Seeing how everyone looked on that wonderful day is so meaningful to us -- and we saved on the cost of a guestbook, pen and other accoutrements that add to the bottom line.