Our Top 10 ways to cut your wedding budget

With the present economic climate, it is very important to have a budget for your wedding. It's also worth remembering, that you don't pay for many of the services until after the big day. Before hand only deposits are given to your preferred suppliers, so it's easy to lose track of how much your wedding is costing you. Having a good budget to help you monitor and track your spending is essential.

With these money saving tips, your special day needn’t cost you a fortune.

1. Plan a morning wedding with a traditional wedding breakfast. Depending on your choice of friends, hopefully guests won't drink so much alcohol at lunchtime and your menu will be lighter and less expensive than a formal dinner. Money saved!
2. Don't knock the local church hall or community centre. Don't be snobby about your venue if you're looking to cut costs. Use your imagination and visualise the plainest of venues transformed into a wedding haven with great lighting and attractive table decorations.
3. There's always a tendency to keep adding to the guest list, if you don’t like the person, don’t invite them…. simple!!!!
4. Saturday weddings in summer will always be popular…. and more expensive. Be fashionably different! Think winter wedding, candlelight, red wine and evening dress. Even opt for a Friday or Sunday wedding if you think your guests won't mind taking a day off work. But avoid Christmas and special days, such as Valentine's Day or Mother's Day, when prices will be steep.
5. Three heavy courses followed by a slab of rich fruit cake is all too much. Why not cut your cake before you sit down to eat and serve it as pudding? A chocolate cake is particularly successful here, especially if you put ice cream, fruit coulis and chocolate sauce in the centre of each table.
6. A beautifully cooked yet simple menu is significantly better than a poor quality attempt at something fancy. Spend your budget on delicious sausages and mash, even fish and chips is better than poor cuts of steak.  If you have a venue that will allow you to supply your own food, you can ask family members or friends to cook or supply a dish.  However be warned, ask people who are reliable and remember that this does take some careful planning and tends to work better with smaller weddings.
7. If your friend's brother plays in a band or your aunt makes great cakes, this is the time to call in the favours. You can also save money by approaching local colleges. Catering students could provide a great wedding breakfast, but do make sure you ask for samples first.
8. Before you set your heart on a beautiful flower, check to see whether it's in season when you're getting married. Peonies, for example, are only widely available in May and June. Flowers available out of season will have been imported or grown in a greenhouse, and will be significantly more expensive and probably poorer quality.
9. Shop around and look at designer collections in department stores for your dress, or even opt for a non-bridal gown. You can pick up a cheap designer gown at up to 60% of the RRP in shop like TK Maxx.  And if you are really imaginative, with a few alterations and additions, you can create something fabulous. Also keep an eye out for sample sales!
10. If you’ve started looking at the costs for wedding photography you’ll no doubt know that not only can it be expensive, prices can vary dramatically between photographers.  Photography can account for a huge chunk of your wedding budget and cutting the costs can be crucial.  A money saving tip would be to encourage relatives and friends to come armed with their digital cameras. Give your guest an envelope with a blank CD so that they can upload the images they took on the day.