If using a fixed budget, brides sometimes have a hard time figuring out where to make cuts. Here are a few ideas that can save you lots of money.

Off Season - June/July and September/October are the busiest seasons for weddings. Consider a winter or early spring wedding. You will find it much easier to negotiate pricing when it comes to reception spots, catering and other services if you plan your nuptials when these vendors need the money.

Bridal Party - The larger the bridal party, the larger the budget. Think smaller here. If you have six bridesmaids, you have to buy six bridesmaids favors. The same goes for groomsmen. By slicing the bridal party to three instead of six, or two instead of four etc., you can cut your budget for wedding favors in half. Don't leave out someone that should be in your wedding, but it's a good idea to not put people in your wedding that you haven't seen in five or ten years.

Wedding Photographers - Give some thought to having a friend who is into photography and has a nice camera take your formal pictures at the ceremony. Use caution here. You should really trust this person. If this is not a choice for you, employ a professional to shoot pictures only at the ceremony. This can cut your photography bill in half! Put disposable cameras on every table at the reception for your guests to take pictures. It's amazing how often I hear that these photos, taken by friends and family, are the most prized.

Entertainment - In place of hiring a live band at $1000+ or a DJ at $500+ to entertain your guests, dust off that CD stack of yours (and your friends) and burn your own customized music selection. This way, you are sure to have every song that's a must, played at the time you want it. Make several CDs with different song types and label them accordingly (dance, slow, background, father/daughter, etc).

Now here's the tricky part. Find a friend you trust to pop in the arranged CDs when needed. Create a brief outline of what kind of music to play and approximately when to play it and give it to your friend. Don't make this too complicated. If you have a reception hall for 3 hours, separate the music schedule into 30 minute segments or whatever works best for you. If you have to bribe your friend $25-$50 to make sure they keep an eye on the CD schedule, do it! In the end, your guests will enjoy themselves and you will have saved yourself some big bucks!

Confections - It's become commonplace to have a groomsmen cake at receptions today. In fact, one of the latest fashions in weddings is to have a dessert buffet, also recognized as a Viennese Table. Save your cabbage and do without these extra sweets. Let your wedding cake be what it was meant to be. Dessert. Your only dessert! It's worked well on its own for two centuries and it will work just fine for your nuptials.

In summary, don't be scared to think outside the box. When it comes to planning your wedding day, there are no written rules that you are required to follow. For weddings on a budget, don't let the pressure of keeping up with the Joneses control your decisions. Let common sense dictate your choices.

L Hayes is a wedding professional and owner of Wedding Favors Emporium. They carry an extensive line of unique party favors as well as bridesmaid gifts, groomsmen gifts, and bridal shower gifts.