Weddings are not cheap. No matter how you slice it, you are going to spend some money (even the courthouse will charge you a little bit for the license and an officiant). That being said, you have a million options for every aspect of your big day and there are ways to save money everywhere.

Your first task is to figure out where the money will come from. Be sure to have discussions with your family and fiancé before committing to any formal plans. This includes guest list – the number of people you invite will greatly change the amount you spend!

We love these budget-friendly weddings:

• San Francisco City Hall Wedding with 6 guests for $3,000
• Ontario Potluck Wedding with 50 guests for $2,000
• Backyard Miami Wedding with 40 guests for $1,700ish
• Wisconsin Fairgrounds Wedding with 240 guests for $6,000
• A couple of beers and a NY Marriage License – The $55 Wedding

Even with a big budget, there are ways to save! This wedding ended up costing 90k, which sounds like a lot compared to the budget savers above. But they saved money by having her father play jazz and shoes she loved for only $80. Think about the places you really care about and spend your money there, you’ll find places to save in the details that you care less about.

There are a handful of great resources out there to help figure out how and where to save money. This Reddit thread from /r/frugal has some good tips, A Practical Wedding’s ‘Real Weddings‘ category has great insight into price breakdowns are various budgets and their Creative Budgets post can help you prioritize, and Real Simple has a lengthy list of cost-cutting tips in all the major categories. These are a few of our favorite budget wedding hacks:

• Flowers: dried bouquets and boutonnieres
• Catering: have a dessert reception or brunch wedding instead of dinner
• Venue: check for Friday and Sunday dates, which often carry a lighter price tag than their Saturday counterparts
• Dress: sample sales and trunk shows, renting, and retailers like JCrew and BHLDN are all ways to find a bangin’ dress without breaking the bank; we also love perusing OnceWed.com’s dress selection for some seriously steep discounts!
• Bar: opt for just beer and wine at the bar
• Invitations: save on printing and postage by collecting RSVPs on your website rather than on a separate card with an additional stamp

It’s important to remember that even DIY costs money. We love to do things ourselves and rely on our extremely talented friends. But be sure to add up the cost of what it would be to buy vs. make. If budget is the top concern, price out a few options and see where you can save!

Don’t forget to negotiate! Ask your vendors where you can save money on their services. They might be able to remove something you don’t care as much about or add a discount if you ask.

Have you gotten married recently or are in the midst of planning? Let us know where you saved money in the comments!