20 Ways To Save Money On Your Wedding

If you're anything like most brides (and we think this would include Miss Kate Middleton) you won't  have an unlimited budget to spend on your wedding day.

Sticking to a wedding budget you set is really important - you don't want to start off married life together with a pile of debt. Be creative and spend wisely and you can have the wedding you want at a price you can afford.

We've put together 20 tips to help you save money on your wedding (and if you've any to add please let us know).

1. Get married on a Sunday or Monday to Thursday. Venues are less busy at these times so you're more likely to be able to negotiate a special rate.

1. Avoid getting married on a Saturday during the summer. This is most popular time to get married and so rates will be high.

1. The same applies to your photographer. Try and pick a time when your photographer is unlikely to be innundated with work and discuss a package deal.

1. If you've set your heart on a designer wedding dress then look out for sample sales. You could pick up a top label dress at 50% off the retail price - it will be cleaned and altered to fit you and you'll have more money to spend on other items for your wedding.

1. Have a tiered wedding cake (but only one tier is real cake, the rest are for show).

1. Serve wedding cake instead of dessert.

1. Buy a supermarket wedding cake in plain white icing and decorate it yourself with fresh flowers.

1. Serve canapes instead of a starter.

1. Consider having a wedding during the afternoon with a vintage theme. Serve traditional afternoon tea, sandwiches and cakes with music from a 1920's style band. A three course dinner is expensive, as is supplying wine and drinks all evening.

1. Use flowers that are in season rather than exotic blooms that have to be flown in (you're also being more eco-friendly).

1. Don't buy favours - think creatively. Maybe have a pick 'n' mix style sweetie table for guests instead.

1. Do you really need expensive wedding transport? If your ceremony and reception take place at the same venue then nobody is going to see you arriving and leaving in any case.

1. Keep the number of wedding guests down.  You have to offer everybody food and refreshments and if you have a lot of guests you'll need to hire a larger venue.

1. Have an evening wedding. You can get married late in the day nowadays. (A daytime wedding at noon with an evening event will mean you have to feed your guests twice.)

1. Have a barbecue style meal or a hog roast instead of an expensive three course sit down dinner.

1. Do your wedding make-up yourself. (Kate Middleton did.) Have some lessons beforehand and try out some different looks so you know what will suit you.

1. Keep your number of bridesmaids down. (Do you really need eight?) You'll buy fewer dresses and accessories.

1. See what you can borrow. You never know who has a spare tiara or even a wedding veil you could use.

1. Make your own wedding table centres. A pot of hyacinths or daffodils in Spring would look and smell fabulous. Or put one or two blooms (roses, gerberas, daisies) loosely in a simple stem glass vase.

1. Don't have children at your wedding. You're going to have to make this a blanket ban though - if you tell your friends they can't bring their children and then see other kids running about they may well be upset.