5 Tips for Planning on a Budget
		1.  PLAN AHEAD.  We all know that time is money but there are other reasons to get started on your wedding planning as soon as possible.  One, when you have more time, you're able to shop around for all your vendors.  Knowing that a decision does not need to be made quickly will help you make confident and relaxed choices that won't need to be second guessed later.  Two, getting an early start on your planning gives you the pick of vendors.  Wedding vendors work on a date oriented calendar so no matter how much you love a certain photographer or certain caterer, if they are booked, they won't be able to help you.  This limits your chances of getting a great quality vendor with affordable prices. 2.  TRIM DOWN YOUR GUEST LIST.  Yes, if there was a way to get around it, we would but here's a rule of thumb to go by:  If you haven't know the guest for at least 2 years, don't invite.  Also, if you only know the guest from work or as a casual aquaintence from social gatherings among friends, don't invite.   Children are the easiest to cross off the guest list because they won't even care if they aren't invited.  In fact, they would probably rather not be forced into coming.  Dates of important guests can make it tricky - if it's a new person, maybe it's not neccesary for them to attend.  However, serious partners and spouses must always be included.  Remember, the average cost per guest is around $100 so cutting out 10 guests may save you $1,000. 3.  SAVE ON STATIONERY.  I have seen brides spend anywhere from $200 to $5,000 on stationery!   There is a huge gap here and this is a great place to save!  This can be done if you follow tip #1 - if you have plenty of time, you can save alot of money.  Designing, printing and assembling your own stationery can be a time consuming project but stretched out over several months, it's a peice of cake!  (Especially if you have a few bridesmaids to help along the way.)  For save-the-dates, it is perfectly acceptable to go casual.  No need for incredibly detailed work.  Go for cute and fun with plenty of information for out-of-towners.  Don't want to spend money on printing that info?  Consider making a website!   www.TheWeddingTracker.com and www.WeddingWindow.com are  affordable, chic and a great way to keep guests informed.   A simple postcard announcing you are tying the knot with a website address like www.BillandAndrea.com is a great way to be fun and modern!  For invitations, consider doing your own printing and assembly.  Don't feel you can print something and make it look nice?  Check out www.1001freefonts.com and see about downloading some beautiful and unique fonts!  That could make all the difference in the world!  Also, put together an assembly line of family and friends and you'd be surprised how much fun and how little time it takes to get all those invites put together and in the mail.  For your reception tables, a great money saving tip is to have your menus and place cards play double duty.   Have the name of your guest printed at the top of the menu followed by your married  monogram with the evening's menu to follow.  These menus can be placed at each place setting and if you want to really impress your guests, have them tucked into their napkin or place a floral stem placed beside the menu.  This is a great way to create those "little details" that make all the differnce! 4.  HOLD THE CEREMONY AND RECEPTION IN THE SAME LOCATION.  This can REALLY save money in several areas.  When everything is in one location, your photographer and videographer do not need to be hired for as many hours as if you had your even spread out between 2 locations.  Also, if everything is in one location, you don't need to worry about hiring transportation for you and your wedding party between sites.  Decor can also add up if there are two locations.  Your florist may charge more for delivering to more than one site and you will have to pay for more decor.  Often, if both ceremony and reception are in the same location, your ceremony florals can be easily transported and used at the reception which in the end, gets you more for your dollar. 5.  DON'T SERVE DESSERT.  Many caterers will include a dessert in their menu.  Popular choices are chocolate covered strawberries and creme brulee.  When wedding cake is such an anticipated treat among guests, why ruin it with a dessert prior?  By cutting out a dessert, you can save anywhere from $2 to $5 per guests.  Put that towards an amazing groom's cake so guests can choose from several flavors or even sample as much as they'd like!