Tips and Tricks to Help You Save Money on Your Wedding

It's no secret that today's weddings are expensive.

Weddings don't have to break the bank, though, and with the help of some money saving wedding tips, you'll be well on your way to an inexpensive, fun wedding that everyone will enjoy.

If you're looking to have a unique wedding on a budget, you'll need to think outside of the box. Read on to learn about different ways you can save money on your wedding.

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Below are some fantastic wedding budget saving tips and tricks. Keep in mind you could potentially save tens of thousands of dollars by implementing even just several of these ideas.

• Create a wedding budget and always have that in mind when shopping for your wedding

The first step to having a wedding on a shoestring budget is figuring out what that budget will be! Once you have created your wedding budget, be sure to keep it in mind at all times during the wedding planning. It's also a good idea to add 10% to your total budget for unanticipated expenses.

• Trim the number of guests

By far, this is the best way to save money on your wedding. For every guest you don't invite, you could potentially save on food, drinks, wedding invitations, wedding favors and even the size of the ceremony and reception location.

Potential savings are in the thousands of dollars!

• Reduce the number of people in your wedding party

For each person you don't have in your wedding party, you could potentially save on expensive wedding party gifts, food, drinks, transportation to ceremony (in the case of destination weddings). Potential savings could be around $40-300 per person.

• Change the day of your wedding

It's a well known fact that weddings are primarily on Saturdays. Having your wedding on a Friday or a Sunday might help you save money at the location you're trying to rent. You might find that another couple already reserved Saturday and having your wedding on Sunday is the only way to have it that weekend.

Potential savings: really depends on the day you choose instead of Saturday and whether or not you will use other wedding vendors (since they will also be cheaper on non-Saturdays).

• Get creative with your flowers

The least expensive option here is to "borrow" the flowers at the location you're getting married. Churches are great for this, since during particular holidays the church sanctuary will already be decorated. Negotiate with them to use their facilities during that time and enjoy the use of the already decorated church! Approximate savings: $500-1500.

Watch the adjoining video for more ideas on how to save money on the wedding flowers.

• Put "sweat equity" into your wedding

There are 1001 things you can do yourself that will save you money on your wedding. Sure it might be nice to get some elegant wedding invitations, wedding favors or wedding decorations, but you can save serious money if you take a do-it-yourself approach.

Enlist friends and family and have an "arts and crafts" day where you create your own wedding invitations or reception decorations. The potential savings here are quite significant.

• Trim down the wedding toasts

You can save money by either having less wedding toasts or choosing to not serve expensive champagne for each toast.

A great inexpensive toasting beverage is sparkling cider. Or, you could simply have everyone toast using their existing beverages for even more savings. Potential savings: $20-200+

• Buy a used wedding dress

Think about it: how necessary is it that you have a new wedding dress? When you're done with your dress, you will probably end up storing it in a closet in your house. Sure, you might want to pass it on to a daughter, but what if they aren't the same size as you were?

Buying a used wedding dress is a great way to save money. Ebay could be a great resource here. Potential savings: $50-300+

• Don't rent a limo or special car to drive away in

This will lead to a savings of around $100-500 depending on how much the driver charges.

Instruct your groomsmen to decorate your personal car and drive off in that! Or, have a friend drive you to the airport if that's where you're going.

• Enlist your friends to help with wedding day duties

There are many ways you can save money by having your friends help. They could help by being your photographer, caterers, cook, videographer, DJ, musicians, etc. Potential savings: up to thousands of dollars.

Of course, you'll want to make sure to stay within proper wedding etiquette and express your thanks to your friends in one way or another. Most friends will insist on doing it for free as their gift to you, but even if they accept your offer of pay, they will probably be less expensive than a professional.

• Try wedding cupcakes instead of a wedding cake

Wedding cupcakes are becoming increasingly popular, and if you choose to go this route you could even have a friend bake them or you could do that yourself. Potential savings here: $100+

• Do your own makeup for the big day

Sure it might be nice to have someone do it for you, but if you're looking to shave wedding expenses, this is a great place to do it. If you want someone to do your makeup for you, why not have a friend help?

Potential savings: $50+

• Don't have a destination wedding

Okay, so this might seem obvious, but here's why. Not having a destination wedding could save you thousands of dollars!

If you really want to have that "away from home" feel to your wedding, consider these two options:

1. Create a tropical theme for your wedding
2. Have your wedding far from home, but close enough to drive (and not fly) to.

There are really hundreds of different ways to save money on your wedding, but I have listed some of the most popular (and most important). If you have any extra tips on how to save on weddings, feel free to leave them in the comments section below.