Amanda, Bahamas bride, 2008 Let me preface this by saying that I adore fresh flowers and have at least one vase full in my house at all times. But wedding table bouquets are highly overpriced. Instead of spending upwards of $4,000 on table flowers, I decided to go big on my bridesmaids’ bouquets and have each of them be responsible for putting their bouquets in a vase on the table. Our guests had no idea and the bouquets had a second life that lasted past the initial 30-minute ceremony.

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Megan, North Carolina bride, 2014 I was able to call on my guests to help with some of the aspects of my wedding. My cousin happens to be a wonderful hair stylist who charges well over $100 for a simple haircut. As his wedding present, he agreed to do my hair and the rest of the bridal party’s hair. It was such a special part of my day, and the photographer captured wonderful moments of us laughing and crying during the get-ready process. One of my closest friend’s father owns a car dealership and provided our Mercedes transportation for free. Between the hair and transportation, we saved a total of $1,200. If only I had a baker and photographer in my circle, I would have been able to save even more.

Nicole, New York bride, 2015 Our wedding party was full of highly entertaining friends and family. Instead of spending the extra money on the DJ and his partner who was responsible for making sure everyone was having a great time, we decided to only hire the DJ and have our wedding party take turns making sure everyone was out of their seats, dancing and laughing. They loved the assignment and having their ‘special’ talents on display. It also saved us $400.

Amy, Florida bride, 2012 In preparing for our wedding, I read multiple blogs and magazines that all stated to set the mood of the wedding from the get-go with the invitations. I priced out multiple styles, sizes, fonts, and lots of add-ons. My wedding guests list was 175 and I was prepared to spend about $6 a person on the invitations, response cards, and postage. What I quickly learned was that $6 a person wasn’t going to go far. I had to make a decision. Where did I really want to spend my budget? Was it on the invitations or on the party itself? I wanted my guests to remember our day as the best party they had ever attended. With that in mind, I toned down the invitations and went all out on the food, open bar, and music. It was the best decision I could have made because almost four years later our guests still talk about our big day. For more wedding savings ideas check out Brides.com 50 ways to save on a wedding.

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