When purchasing wedding jewelry, costs can really add up fast - from your wedding bands to your earrings to gifts for your bridesmaids.

On your wedding day, you want to look great without spending a small fortune. Here are some tips for looking beautiful without putting a major dent in your pocketbook.

White Gold

Though the trend in recent years has gone from gold to platinum, most people really can't tell the difference between white gold and platinum. So if you'd like the look of a platinum ring but simply can't affordable it, white gold is a great alternative at a fraction of the cost.

Diamond Alternatives

Recently, many brides have been leaning toward wedding bands embellished with diamonds and other jewels. But it's the old standby of a simple, plain band that is still elegant and timeless. If you want to keep your wedding band under budget, while still looking classy, choose a plain band in white or yellow gold. If you insist on the look of diamonds, cubic zirconia are a much cheaper alternative. Save the real diamonds for your anniversary ring!

Pearls

If you are wearing pearls on your wedding day, a nice strand of immitation pearls is the next best thing to the real deal. A pearl necklace is not something you will wear on a regular basis, so there's no shame in wearing fakes on your wedding day. No one will know but you!