How to Get Married Without Going Broke

Getting married? Most wedding supply vendors are happy to tell you that an "average" wedding costs nearly $30,000...but they will happily help you to spend even more. If spending that kind of money for one day seems insane to you, you're not alone. Here's how you can have a beautiful wedding for a lot less.

Instructions

1. Whittle down the guest list. The more guests you have, the more your wedding will cost. Invite only close family and friends, and forget about the second cousins once removed, the people you haven't seen since high school and casual business associates.

2. Consider holding a dessert and coffee or champagne reception instead of a sit-down lunch or dinner. Unless your guests are dying to eat one more rubber chicken entree, they will enjoy this classy (and cheaper) reception. Have a selection of cakes, cheesecakes, pastries and fruit available for your guests.

3. Reconsider just how many photographs you need of your big day. Some suggested shots, like "grandfather entering the church" can easily be skipped. The same goes for shots of the bride getting dressed, shots of the wedding venue prior to the ceremony and others of people just milling around before the ceremony. Each hour that the photographer is there will cost you lots of money, so don't waste it on pictures that no one will miss.

4. Find wedding attire online. You can find many discount options available to you, including online-only wedding dresses from Target and JC Penney. A few clicks may easily save you hundreds of dollars.

5. Visit your local warehouse club to pick out rings. Sure, the selection may be limited, and they can't customize their offerings, but the amount of money you can save on a classic solitaire or simple gold band will be a pleasant surprise. You can also find great prices on dinnerware, tablecloths, appetizers and flowers here.

6. Print out your own invitations instead of going to a stationery shop. Find elegant, simple stationery for the invitations at any office supply store or mass retailer, complete with instructions on how to print them off at home using your own equipment. Better yet, you don't have to wait weeks to get them.

7. Think carefully about all the wedding "extras" vendors try to sell you. Contrary to what they insist, you really don't need engraved cake cutters, a guest book, wedding favors or expensive stretch limos. Each "extra" costs hundreds of dollars that you could spend on something meaningful for the two of you, like a wedding ring upgrade or a fancier honeymoon...and most guests won't even notice their abscence!

Tips & Warnings

• If a member of your family complains that someone you are not close to has not been invited, ask them to provide the cash so you can afford to include them on your big day.