2. Save Postage on Your Wedding Invitations

Forgo the inner envelope and blotter paper, which are leftover relics from times when ink needed time to dry, and people wanted a pristine envelope. Rather than having a reply card, ask guests to reply online or by the telephone. Not only will you save money from the printer bill, it should also reduce your postage expense.

3. Shop Sample Sales and the Internet for Cheap Wedding Dresses

If you wear a 6, 8, or 10, check out sample sales, which generally happen once a year. It's a great opportunity to get a designer dress at rock-bottom prices. You can also look on eBay, Craigslist and other websites for deals on used wedding dresses. Remember that cleaning the delicate fabric of a wedding dress may cost up to $250, so avoid the cheap dress with the filthy hem. And many towns have a shop where you can rent a wedding dress, saving you hundreds and hundreds of dollars.

Have your wedding on a weeknight or a Sunday. There is less demand for these dates, so vendors will often be willing to give you a better rate.

Inexpensive Wedding Locations

If you're a bride or groom on a small budget, you might have gotten sticker shock at the location rental charges and catering prices of most popular wedding locations. A friend of mine is newly engaged in New York City, and we've been scouting inexpensive wedding locations that won't eat her whole budget. She's determined to save enough for that fabulous wedding dress! Here are some places to look for that might save you money:

• Restaurants Talk to your favorite restaurant to see how much it would cost to rent a private room or even the whole place. Look for a restaurant with a pretty back garden that you can set up for the ceremony, and can be used for dancing later. This is an option that works best during non-peak hours, as the restaurant might not want to lose their busy Saturday night crowd.
  
  
• Parks Many city parks allow you to have a wedding there for a nominal fee. Look for ones that have a covered pation, special details like fountains, or grassy picnic areas.
  
  
• Theaters and Performance Venues Here in Brooklyn, the majestic Brooklyn Academy of Music is available for rental. You can have your wedding ceremony in a number of locations, and your reception in the grand second-floor lobby. The bonus is that there are steep discounts for Brooklyn residents. Look for similar venues in your town, especially old-fashioned theaters. Getting married on a stage can make you feel like a star!
  
  
• Your College Remember that charming chapel and alumni house at your college? It's usually very cheap for alumni to have their weddings on campus. If your school is picturesque, why not see how much it would be?
  
  
• Creative and Unusual Places Whether it's the top of a rollercoaster, an old mill, or the unique place you met, a creative wedding location will instantly give your wedding lots of personality. Because these places aren't used to having weddings, you might be able to snag them for a steal, though you'll often have to bring in extra rentals. (200 people and one bathroom isn't pretty.) I know one couple who got married in a rustic and charming beer brewery, and another who got hitched in the landromat where they met!
  

For religious weddings, consider having your wedding near a major holiday. The church will already be decorated, saving you lots of money on flowers. On other days, look for simplicity. A candlelit ceremony can be romantic, gorgeous, and inexpensive.

Not having your wedding in a church?

If you want to have a cheap wedding, pool your friends' and family's resources. Think of musicians you know, well-spoken friends who could be your officiant, and crafty people who can help you assemble things. They will generally be honored to be a special part of your big day. Also look for money-saving tips everywhere. Check websites such as wedfrugal.com and frugalbride.com, and ask friends and family members for what they did to save money on their big day.

Cheap Wedding Ideas - Flowers -  Ways to Save Money on Flowers at Your Wedding

While the average price of weddings in the United States has risen to more than $20,000 (and $40,000 in large cities such as New York), brides are finding creative ways to spend that money more wisely, and discovering cheap wedding ideas that help them save money. Here are some cheap wedding ideas for the flowers -- ways to have a beautiful visual impact without spending a fortune.

• Use only in season and readily available flowers. Be honest with your florist about your budget, and have them recommend the most inexpensive flowers.
  
  
• Give your florist a general style and color scheme, and any “banned” flowers that you hate, but generally allow them flexibility so they can use what is in season and cheapest. There are some times when peonies cost a fortune, and other times when they are so cheap you can fill your hall with them. Make sure this flexibility will be reflected in your final price tag.
  
  
• Hold your wedding during the Christmas season or immediately after Easter when a church will already be decorated.
  
  
• Avoid holding your wedding in February when flower prices are at an annual high due to Valentine's Day.
  
  
• Large arrangements on an altar will only be seen from far away. Use inexpensive flowers such as carnations, or large filling flowers such as snowball mums.
  
  
• Some people think they can save money by moving the ceremony flowers to the reception. However, keep in mind that many churches and houses of worship require you to leave any flowers. Florists also hate to do this because large arrangements are hard to transport, and can become easily bruised or damaged in transit. (It's probably also least partially because it does cut down their bill.) You also will need to coordinate it so that the reception will not be held up by waiting for the ceremony flowers to arrive.
  
  
• Find a venue such as a park or garden that is already lush and beautiful.
  
  
• Talk to your venues and see if any other brides have booked for the same day. If the two of you can coordinate flowers and split the cost, you’ll save a lot of money.
  
  
• Carnations are one of the cheapest flowers out there. A lot of people, myself included, really dislike them. But when they are used in abundance so that the blooms are packed together, they can be quite striking. Consider a low square table centerpiece of 20 carnation blooms with all of their stems and greenery removed.
  
  
• Talk to party rental suppliers about renting large potted plants such as tropical palms or ficus. They visually fill a lot of space, and will help frame your ceremony site or warm up your reception. Best of all, renting a potted plant is far cheaper than buying large flower arrangements. Also, you may consider purchasing these large plants and using them in your home afterwards to get more use out of them.
  
  
• More and more brides these days are arranging their own flowers such as bouquets of simple roses tied with a ribbon. Four or five pillar candles on top of rose petals makes an easy and cheap centerpiece. You can also easily create a centerpiece using wide shallow bowls filled with water and several floating gerber daisy blooms. If making boutonnieres and corsages intimidates you, these are generally inexpensive to order from a florist.
  
  
• Consider ordering flowers from an online wholesaler where you can get some of the best prices. Unlike at a florist, you will be responsible for all of the prep work of cleaning and trimming them, and keeping them alive until the wedding.

7. Get Crafty - Do It Yourself

Throw a "pitch-in party," where you ask your friends to be a special part of your wedding by helping you assemble favors and make invitations, centerpieces, and other homemade inexpensive touches. Be sure to put out delicious snacks and have inspiring tunes on the stereo, so that your friends feel like they're at a party, not just part of an assembly line. 

What You Can DIY and What You Should Leave to the Professionals 

Many brides, especially those on a budget, want to save money by making things for their weddings themselves. But what is really feasible for the average bride to handle on her own? Here is a list of things you can do yourself, and what you should call in the experts for.

DIY It: Wedding tasks you can do yourself

• Wedding Favors
• Simple Floral and Candle Centerpieces
• Cupcakes (instead of a wedding cake)
• Ring Pillow
• Flower Girl Basket
• Using an Ipod instead of an MP3 player. (Enlist a tech-savvy friend to make sure your first dance song, entrance music, cake cutting music etc. is playing at the right time)
• Bridal Hair and Makeup
• Save the Date Cards, Programs, and Seating Cards
• A decorated guest book, card box, photo album, or other keepsake

For the Pros: Wedding tasks that should be left to the professionals

• Large Flower Arrangements and Centerpieces
• Bridal and Bridesmaid bouquets
• Your Wedding Dress
• A Wedding Cake
• Catering
• Photography

If your aim is to save money on your wedding, start out by making a budget for each DIY project. You'll be surprised to find that some projects are cheaper for the experts to do, and others can be either extremely inexpensive or breaking the bank, depending on the materials you use. (If you want to DIY it because you love crafts and want to show off your handiwork, then stick to your original wedding budget.)

I also recommend that any DIY bride limit the amount of projects she is taking on. Limit yourself to one DIY project per month, and make sure you are done with any projects at least a week before the wedding. DIY stands for Do it Yourself, not Drive Yourself Insane!

8. Look for Cheap Wedding Food and Drink

Be honest with your caterer about your need to save money. Ask them which are the least expensive entrees and whether a buffet is cheaper than a seated dinner. See if they'll let you provide your own liquor, or if serving only wine and beer will be cheaper than a full bar. Also consider only having the bar open during your cocktail hour, then serving an inexpensive wine with dinner. Especially if you and your fiance don't drink, consider having a dry wedding.

9. Make the Most of eBay

eBay, eBay, eBay. It's a great source for everything from second-hand dresses to wedding favors, cake toppers, ring pillows and more. Be sure to allow ample time for the auction to end, and for shipping. Look for trusted sellers whose feedback indicates they have accurately represented what they have sold.

Don't go for engraving - regular printed invites work just as well. There are a variety of cheap wedding invitations available on the internet. For a casual wedding, consider printing your own invites from your home computer. Stationery stores now sell printed paper meant to use in a home printer as cheap wedding invitations. 

Top Ten Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding Invitations

If you're a budget-savvy couple, you're probably looking to save money wherever you can. One area you might not have thought of is your wedding invitations. Don't think you need to buy flimsy paper or discounted blurry printing. You can still have an elegant but cheap wedding invitation.

Here are my top 10 ways of saving money on wedding invitations:

1. Shop Around
   While party and stationery stores are great places to see a wide variety of invitations, they're certainly not the only place to buy them. Places you might not have thought of: Kinkos, Staples and other office supply stores, Costco and other discount or warehouse stores, mail-order catalogs and the Internet. Many of these places offer the same exact invitations for much less. You will want to order samples so that you can see the quality of the paper and printing before you buy.
   
   
2. Different Printing Techniques
   An engraved wedding invitation is a beautiful thing – and an expensive one. But there are alternatives. Thermography will give you the same raised look and feel for much less money. And for a more casual wedding, laser printing (the same kind used for magazines, postcards, etc.) is perfectly appropriate.
   
   
3. The Little Extras
   Intricate invitations with jackets, bows, multiple layers of paper and other embellishments are very popular these days. But those little extra details can really add up. Not only will you pay for their cost, but there might be hidden assembly fees (or extra work for you), as well as additional postage costs. Instead go for the classic look of a simple invitation printed on a high-quality paper. And avoid lined envelopes. Although they are a traditional element of wedding invitations, it's a detail that few will notice. Save money by skipping this step.
   
   
4. A Package Deal
   Sure it's fun to personalize, but if you're working on a tight budget, look for company that offers discount packages. Buying your invitations as a unit may be cheaper than choosing your invitation, response card, envelopes and other extras separately. Additionally some stationers may offer discounts for ordering your wedding invitations, thank you cards, and informal stationery at the same time.
   
   
5. One Envelope
   Traditionally, wedding invitations were sent in two envelopes so that they would remain pristine in spite of their journey. But since mail delivery has made much progress since the days of messengers and horses, you can save money by using only one envelope. Make sure to get your invites hand cancelled by the post office, which will minimize extra wear and tear.
   
   
6. Standard Size Invitations
   Some people mistakenly think that as long as their invites weigh less than one ounce, they can use a regular first class stamp. Not only is this not true, but most invitations weigh more than an ounce. According to the US Post Office website, you'll incur an additional $0.13 surcharge on one oz. or less envelopes if any one of the following apply:
   • It is a square letter
     
   • It contains very rigid items such as wood or metal
     
   • It has clasps, string, buttons, or similar closure devices
     
   • It has an address parallel to the shorter dimension of the letter
     
   • It contains items such as pens that cause the surface to be uneven
     
   • The length divided by height is less than 1.3 or more than 2.5
   This length-to-height ratio is what causes problems with most wedding invitations. Fortunately, the Post Office has a handy calculator on their website. $0.13 may not sound like much, but it adds up.
   
   
7. No Reception Card
   If your reception is at the same location as the wedding, no need for a separate reception card. Instead write "reception to follow" or "dinner and dancing to follow." Even if the locations differ, you can write "Reception to Follow, Jamestown Country Club" on the invitation, and then include a simple photocopied insert with a map and reception details.
   
   
8. Proofread
   A no-brainer, perhaps, but you'd be surprised how many people find errors on their wedding invitations and have to re-order with extra rush charges. Get a couple of trusted friends or colleagues to look over the invitation for extra insurance. Make sure you've got all the details of names, date, time, location, and RSVP correct!
   
   
9. Postcard RSVP
   Rather than a folded card and envelope, use a postcard for your RSVP. Not only will you save on weight for your invitation postage, but you'll save $0.15 in postage for each RSVP.
   
   
10. Order extra invitations and envelopes
    This might seem counterintuitive, but since almost every couple remembers someone that they HAVE to invite at the last minute, you'll want to have a few extra wedding invitations. And since it's likely that you'll make a few goofs while addressing them, order extra envelopes as well. It will cost you a little extra now, but save you lots of reprinting and rush charges later.