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With the costs of arranging a wedding ever spiraling upwards, it is very easy to spend more than you can afford. The reception, the dress, flowers, limousines and all the other paraphernalia that goes into making the day memorable come at a significant price. A wedding is a very special occasion and one that, you hope, is never repeated, so you really want to push the boat out with the best of everything. Although understandable, if there is not a limitless supply of money, do you really need to start your married life with a huge debt? This is why many couples are opting for a budget wedding, so below there are some ways where you can economise and still have a great wedding day.

Almost never considered are the costs associated with the hand made wedding dress; many brides sell their dress soon after they are married and this is a sensible way to reduce the cost. It is easy to buy a wedding dress that has only been worn once for less than half the price and there are now many shops that specialise in pre-enjoyed wedding dresses. If you are worried that your dress may have been already seen by the vicar, you could visit shops some distance away which minimises the chances that it has been seen before.

The largest single cost is that of the wedding reception but even here, savings are possible. You may not believe it but according to statistics, on average 189 guests attend a wedding reception, so when you are planning your budget wedding, this is where most of the savings can be achieved. Don’t invite everyone you know, in particular relatives that you haven’t seen since you were a child or people who are just acquaintances. Where the meal is concerned, why not have a buffet instead of a full, waited on, three or four course blow out. Further reductions can be made in the choice of the wedding reception venue. Instead of a fancy hotel, it could take place in a friend’s house or a local club where money could be saved on both food and drink if you either make them yourself or get friends to help.

Professional photographers can be expensive to hire for the whole day, so one idea is to book them for just the wedding ceremony so that you get great traditional shots of the service and the relatives. Then rely on friends and family to supply the photos of the wedding reception. If you have a really gifted friend, they may be willing to take all the photographs for you.

Your wedding stationery is a prime area for making savings, providing you have access to a computer and a good quality printer, however it is probably a false economy to choose cheap paper as people like to keep them. Presentation is everything so always get the best you can afford. Your word processor should be able to handle the normal type of invites etc., but you could also be more creative by incorporating photos or graphics.

Florists and flower arranging can be very expensive, especially when they know it’s for a wedding, so why not buy them direct and arrange them yourself or get a friend to help out. If you have a college or adult education centre nearby, you could check to see if they run flower arrangement classes and ask a couple of students if they would be willing to do yours.

Wedding cakes are another costly item which can easily be made by a talented friend. The traditional three tiered fruit cake is often ignored for a funkier sponge cake which can have many layers and fillings. Another way is to buy three ordinary fruit cakes, then ice them yourself and buy the cake pillars and cake toppers separately.

It is probably every girls dream to arrive at the church in a Rolls Royce or other limousine but this is another expense that could be easily shaved off the budget. Ask around your friends if they have a decent car or if they know somebody who has and would be willing to give up a couple of hours to drive you. You may be having a budget wedding, but as long as everybody has a good time, they will not care that lavish amounts of money have not been spent, only that you will be happy for the rest of your life.