1. Smart Planning Wedding planners will save you time and money by steering you to the best suppliers and venues to suit your wedding budget. They can tell you what's hot and what's not in an ever-changing bridal industry.
2. Ceremony Combining your wedding ceremony and reception at the one venue will not only save you cash but it'll mean you and your guests can spend more time celebrating!
3. Kodak Moment Save money on photography by limiting your photographer's coverage time. Have their coverage finish after the first hour of your reception. That way they can still take shots of the room and guests arriving. Arrange a mock cake cutting early for your photographer to capture.
4. Save The Date Send out save the date cards to guests in the lead up to the wedding. This will give guests time to organise cheaper flights if travelling from overseas or interstate.
5. Dress sense Be sure to start looking for dresses at least six months in advance so you don't have to pay for boutique rush fees. The average engagement is now 16.6 months according to Bride to Be's Cost of Love survey, so you have plenty of time!
6. Scent-sational Scatter rose petals across table tops for a pretty yet inexpensive way of decorating your reception. The gorgeous fragrance will be a bonus!
7. Numbers Game To keep numbers down, refrain from inviting children and co-workers. Include your friend's significant others but not casual dates. Try to keep the number of attendants down as well - the larger the bridal party, the more you'll spend on gifts and flowers.
8. Cake Have the wedding cake double as dessert and serve with tea and coffee at the end of your reception.
9. Honeymoon Paying for some wedding costs with your credit card will earn you frequent-flyer points to put towards that romantic honeymoon. Bride to Be's Cost of Love survey 2006 found 26 per cent of couples use credit cards to pay for their wedding.
10. Floral Tribute Instead of elaborate bouquets for the bridesmaids, use wrist corsages. They're very feminine and a fifth of the price of a bouquet.
11. Bomboniere Look through fabric shops for lace offcuts and wrap these around candles or votives, secure with double-sided tape and attach a name tag with ribbon. Position candles at each guest's place setting and light them. This will take care of candlelight, placecard, decorations and bomboniere all at once.
12. Fun Favours If you're planning on holding a garden ceremony, buy paper fans and offer them to your female guests. Not only will they keep them cool on a hot day, but they make novel gifts to take home.
13. Location, Location March, October and November are peak wedding times, so booking a less popular time of year will help keep costs down. Opt for a Friday night or Sunday afternoon affair as rates are often lower. Brunch, lunch or champagne breakfast receptions are also cheaper and a growing trend. Or simply cut the length of your reception. Guests won't really notice if your celebration is four rather than five hours long.
14. Serve 'n' Save If you're having a sit-down dinner at your reception, have table service rather than a buffet, as quantities are harder to control with a buffet. Serve more hors d'oeuvres during cocktail hour, less elaborate entrees or skip the entree all together.
15. Drink To That Ask your caterer or venue if you can supply your own alcohol and buy it in bulk from a wine club. Cutting cocktail hour by 15 minutes can save you a surprising amount - 100 people can get through a couple of rounds in this time when they are thirsty. Opt for a soft bar of beer, wine and one 'signature' cocktail.
16. Transport Trick Make two trips and use the same cars to transport both the groom's party and the bride and bridesmaids (provided they are no more than 15-20 minutes away). By doubling back, you're halving the number of cars used to transport everyone.
17. Sweet Saving It's a fact: square cakes feed more people. Have your cakemaker create a few simple tiers for the cake but order sheet cakes that are cut in the kitchen and served or boxed for guests to take home. Using fresh flowers to decorate your cake, rather than paying for the labour or having sugar craft blooms created by hand, will also save pennies.
18. Wedding Directories Bride to Be has a comprehensive directory of wedding suppliers. Everything from flowers and bomboniere to hair and beauty contacts are listed for each state and region. This quick and effective resource will save you time scouting for industry professionals.
19. Online Offerings Sign up for an online registry so guests will know exactly what you want (and need). Plus, they can purchase wedding presents from anywhere at any time.
20. Bride To Be's annual Wedding Planning Guide It's an invaluable companion to help you dream, plan and coordinate the most stylish wedding ever. Jam-packed with timelines, to-do lists and practical tips, it'll ensure you navigate your way through the wedding planning maze with ease.
