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If your budget seems to be taking on a wild life of its own, don’t feel you have to give up the things you really want for your special day.  Here are seven money saving tips for Your Wedding Day while stilling looking and feeling like The Diva you are!

Your Wedding Budget

• Cake
  It’s all about cutting your cake for the photo, less than half your guests will actually eat it. You can have four tiers but have the top three made from cardboard – covered and decorated the same as the real base.
   
• Dress
  Shop around! This is a wonderful opportunity to spend time looking at gowns and the finding the right one, at the right price, it is out there for you.  Only try on dresses from the sale or previous seasonal sections – they are equally as fabulous as the latest ones, a style from six months ago is not going to look dated and you will get it for at 35-40% off.  If a dress at $2500. is marked down 40%, you save $1000.  Divide that $1000 by your hourly wage (say $18/hr) and you have saved 56 hours worth of working at your job – it’s worth looking for the sales markdowns!
   
• Menu
  Consider a buffet, a luncheon, an outdoor barbeque over a full sit-down meal.  You could even do just a snack and candy bar for your guests, as it leaves more time for dancing and having a good time mingling.
   
• Date
  Venues generally charge a premium rate for a Saturday… and there’s no fast rule about which day of the week to marry on.  In fact, as of this summer, we can now say we’ve done weddings on every day of the week (hadn’t had one on a Wednesday in over 20 years, but now we have). Opt for a Friday night or a Sunday afternoon to potentially save costs on your location.
   
• Favors
  150 guests at $10 per favor is $1,150.  Quickly adds up, doesn’t it? A thoughtful gift for your parents and the friends in your bridal party is essential, but guest favors, not so much.  The days of going home with mints wrapped in tulle are over.  Entertainment is the new favor (checkout photo-booths, dance lessons, poker table ideas online.
   
• Invitations
  Make a Facebook page and event and cut your invitation order in half.  Older relatives require a printed invitation, but there’s nothing wrong with sending everyone else can get an e-vite.  You can find free or nearly free e-vitations online that include your choice of photos, music and design.  Print off for your scrap book
   
• Plants & Flowers
  With a bit of effort on your groomsmen’s part, you will save hundreds of dollars by hauling in plants from home rather than filling gaps with arrangements from the florist.  Borrow from relatives or the office (just be sure to label them – they may all look the same by the end of the weekend!)