Your wedding day should be the most wonderful day of your life and it can also be the most expensive. Every couple wants their day to be perfect but huge amounts of money need not be spent in order to create the most special day. Having a cheaper wedding doesn’t mean giving up style or sentimentality. It involves making use of your imagination, using your own hands or enlisting the help of family and friends

WEDDING GOWN

A bride’s gown is something she dreams about for years. She wants to feel like a million dollars on her wedding day and she can, without spending it.

Look through wedding magazines for inspiration and tear out the pages with styles you like. Instead of lamenting the fact that you can’t afford the gown, find a seamstress who can create a similar look for a lower price. If you or someone in your family sews, even better; simply shop for the right fabric.

Vintage is an extremely fashionable style, especially in wedding gowns. Search auction websites such as www.ebay.com.au, attend markets or simply have a look in your mother’s or grandmother’s wardrobe. You never know what you’ll find.

Don’t forget to consider renting a wedding gown. It is often a cheaper alternative to buying and while you won’t have it forever, you will have the photographs and the memories.

Don’t rush your gown purchase. Start looking well in advance. If you have to rush a dressmaker or designer to make the gown in a short period of time, they may charge extra.

The more elaborate the gown, the pricier it is. If you want a gown with delicate beading and lace, expect to pay more. And shop around for fabric. Suburbs such as Cabramatta are filled with fabric shops at good prices, not to mention the range!

Some designers do a demi-couture dress, specially fitted to your shape, but you can request details such as beading or crystals. One such designer is Mark Holt of Double Bay (www.markholtbridal.com.au).

Finally, explore possibilities other than the traditional wedding gown. Shop in boutiques and designer stores and try on a number of styles. If you love a designer look, some of Australia’s best designers create white or ivory dresses that work just as well down the aisle as on the red carpet. We particularly like Collette Dinnigan, Matthew Eager and Lisa Ho. You may find an elegant evening gown that costs less than a wedding dress and looks just as beautiful. The best part is that you can wear it again with ease!

PHOTOGRAPHY

When hiring a photographer, ensure you do your research and compare hourly rates and package deals to see which is more cost-effective. You can also save by having a photographer take formal shots for just a couple of hours and then supply disposable cameras and ask your guests to take candid shots with them. If you don’t have a lot of money to hire a wedding photographer, you might want to consider hiring an amateur or student photographer. It’s great work experience for them and they won’t charge very high rates.

A video is a lovely memento of your day but can be very expensive. Many digital cameras have video features. Ask someone to take snapshots on video that you could then edit yourself to create a moving yet cheap video of your day.

CARS

If any of your friends or family have interesting cars (old vintage cars or sleek, modern ones — whatever you prefer), ask them if they can transport you to and from the wedding. It saves you the costs of car hire. Just don’t forget the ribbons on the front!

If you have the ceremony and reception at the same place, you can cut the cost of cars transporting you and the bridal party from one event to the other.

INVITATIONS

Often things that have been handmade hold the most sentiment. Make the invitations (and even the order of service) yourself by buying stunning paper and envelopes and printing the details. Alternatively, ask a friend or family member who is creative to make them, or help you. They’ll feel honoured to be part of your day.

To save on postage, you and your future husband or wife-to-be could deliver the invitations in your area. Devote a weekend to visiting as many people as you can. They will appreciate the time you took to deliver the invitation as it will remind them that they are special to you. It also gives you a chance to catch up and spend time with friends and family.

RECEPTIONS

There are a lot of creative solutions to saving money at your wedding reception. The most obvious? Limit the number of guests you invite. Although the guest list is often the most difficult task for couples, it may be worth it to really concentrate on making it as select as possible. And those who do score an invite will feel all the more privileged.

Also, consider the alternatives for the time of day you hold the reception. A beautiful morning brunch will set you back less than dinner. Also, people usually drink and eat less at lunchtime and meals are less expensive, so a lunch reception will save a considerable amount. Afternoon teas are highly fashionable at present — cucumber and smoked salmon sandwiches, festive cupcakes, tea and champagne!

Think about having your wedding reception at your home or someone else’s. A marquee in someone’s garden with buffet-style catering can be cost-effective and equally as fabulous as an expensive reception at a hotel. If you do book your reception at a venue, ask about package deals. They can often provide music, cake, decorations and more. This cuts costs and preparation headaches for you.

Decorating the venue can often cost more than it needs to. Keep it elegant and classic, and have a creative friend or family member make table centrepieces such as fish bowls, weighted balloons or candle arrangements.

Another alternative to save money on a reception is to pick a less popular day of the week to get married and a less popular month. Some places offer discounts for couples who choose to marry on a Sunday or perhaps a Friday, rather than the conventional Saturday. And the most popular months to marry are October, November and March, when it’s warm and not too cold or too hot. You may be able to negotiate a cheaper rate by marrying out of season.

One of the big costs of a reception is alcohol. Your function centre/caterer may allow you to supply your own alcohol, which you can buy in bulk from a wine club, Dan Murphy’s or First Choice Liquor. Remember, the more you buy, the more savings to be had.

CAKE

Your wedding cake is another expense that can be shaved. The cake can always be served as dessert to your guests, avoiding the need for dessert to be included in your catering costs.

Also, consider having a small cake for show, simply for the cutting ceremony, and serve normal dessert or chic cupcakes to your guests. If you have someone close to you who’s a whiz in the kitchen, ask them to prepare the cake for you.

Also, square cakes feed more people than round cakes.

Fresh flowers on top, rather than sugar paste ones, cost less money to make as there isn’t the time-consuming handiwork involved.

A single-layer cake costs less than a multiple-tier cake, so think about having fewer tiers.

FLOWERS

Use in-season flowers for bouquets rather than hothouse flowers. They will look best on the day and won’t have to be grown and flown in specially, which will add to the cost.

If another wedding is being held before or after yours at the same church, the other couple may be happy to split the cost of church flowers. In that case, white flowers are the best option as they will suit both bridal parties.

Order single-flower bouquets for the wedding party, such as a rose or gerbera.

MUSIC

Music at your ceremony is important and a perfect time to showcase the talents of someone you know, or a friend of a friend, who can play the guitar, piano or sing well.

If you’re being married in a church, check if they have a choir or any musicians and see if you can have them included in the hire fee.

Music at your reception can be either a band, a DJ or you can provide your own with a computer, iPod or CDs.

If you hire a band, shop around first and listen to a few and compare their prices. Similarly with a DJ — word of mouth is a good indicator, so ask friends or get quotes from a few. If you have a technology-savvy friend, ask them to make some playlists for you from downloaded music or CDs and play them off a laptop or stereo at the venue. This is also a good way to personalise your music.

HONEYMOON

Why not ask your guests to pay for your honeymoon? A honeymoon registry works just like a wedding registry but instead of buying you china, your wedding guests buy you a trip to China (or the honeymoon destination of your choice). Websites such as www.notanothertoaster.com.au or www.flightcentre.com.au offer guests the opportunity to contribute to your honeymoon funds.

Another popular idea is to have a wishing well at the reception. With your invitation, include a small envelope and a note explaining that if people do not want to buy a gift, they’re welcome to put some money in the envelope and drop it into the wishing well on the day. If you don’t manage to get your honeymoon paid for by guests, consider the following cheaper alternatives.

Honeymoon in the low season: basically, any time other than when most people travel to your destination. So although it’s nice to honeymoon straight after your wedding, why not treat yourselves to a night or two away at a B&B or nice hotel and take your honeymoon at a quieter travel time?

When booking an airfare online, don’t overlook the discount airlines. Be flexible about your arrival and departure dates — this could potentially save you hundreds of dollars.

Be sure to check out the Bridal and Formal chapter in the Bargain Shoppers Guide to Sydney.