Your wedding day should be one of the memorable days of your life. In an ideal world there would be no restrictions when it comes to planning this very important day. In reality your wedding day could easily become the single most expensive day of your life. What can you do if you have champagne taste on a beer budget? Don’t worry, there following tips will help you plan a great wedding without breaking the bank. 

• Set A Wedding Budget- Before you reserve the church or order your invitations you should sit down with your fiancé and determine how much money you are each comfortable budgeting for your wedding. Hopefully since the two of you have decided to tie the knot you have already had a conversation about finances, if this is not the case planning your wedding will be an exercise in how the two of you will handle future monetary issues. When money is the object it is important to know how much you have to spend  in advance to avoid problems as your wedding planning progresses.
• Trim Your Guest List- Many people originally start out thinking they are going to have a “small” wedding only to discover while making the guest list that it is easier said than done. You may quickly find out that there are many more people with whom you wish to share your special day, however by keeping your guest list small you will save money on all aspects of your wedding. For each name added to your list you will increase your costs for catering, centerpieces, favors, rental and invitations.  It may be easier to limit your list by setting restrictions such as, you will not invite someone you haven’t spoken to in three years or limit the guests to close family and friends with a defined idea of “close”. 
• Location- You probably know the the importance of location in terms of real estate costs but the same thing applies for your wedding day. You will likely pay top dollar for a church wedding and country club reception however you have many more options to consider that can save you money. The bride and groom should be comfortable with the location and everyone else will follow. This means you may be able to have the ceremony at your house, on the beach or at a park without spending tons of money on a “traditional” location.
• Feeding Your Guests- One of the biggest expenses when planning your wedding will include the food at the reception. You have many options for cutting costs in this area while still having a beautiful reception to celebrate your union. You many want to consider a buffet style mean versus a multi course meal sit down meal or cater the affair yourself (with the help of friends and family of course). 
• Entertainment- As a general rule a disc jokey will cost you less money than a live bank and you will have the benefit of having a master of ceremonies to keep things moving along. This is really a personal preference and if you feel strongly about having a band at your reception consider looking for a band that performs “part time”. There are many good musicians that have regular day jobs and perform on the side for fun. This type of band will cost you less money than “professional” musicians.

Remember this is your special day. The only opinions that really count are that of you and your future spouse. Don’t allow social pressures to influence your decisions when it comes to the cost and structure of your wedding. If you do so you may end up having a very long and stressful wedding day that you will take you months or even years to pay off.