by Heidi Labron

Created on: April 27, 2008

Just because you have a small budget for your wedding does not mean you have to have a cheap looking wedding, or one where you have to sacrifice style for budget. You can still have the wedding of your dreams with a few easy plans and not go over your budget, whether you are planning to spend $5000 or $25000.

1. Have the ceremony in your own backyard, or the beautiful yard of someone you know. You can use all of the outdoor beauty to take care of decorations, and just add a few things to spruce it up, such as flower petals strewn along the sides of a walkway or down your "aisle" that leads to your altar under an incredible oak tree that has stood for years. You should plan on renting a tent in case of rain, but that will be your biggest expense, as chairs for people to sit on can be rented quite cheaply.

2. Hire a photographer that takes pictures for your local newspaper, particularly the sports section. This may sound crazy, but they are usually quite good at taking action shots and will capture your wedding in a very photo journalistic style, usually without the cost of a wedding photographer.

3. Find a friend who can bake and have them make your cake, or even better...cupcakes! They can easily be decorated without the cost of a professional baker, and everyone will love that they have their own. You can even buy small sugar flowers online and pop them on the top of each cupcake to match your bouquet flowers.

4. Make your own centerpieces for the tables out of single stems of beautiful roses. You can buy great looking flowers in bulk now at many markets, bulk warehouses and even online (they are shipped fresh the day before your wedding). All you have to do is get little vases, available at dollar stores everywhere, and pop in a small rose. Line a few of these up on each table, or clump them in the center and you have instant beauty for very little cost.

5. Buy your dress online! Ebay has wonderful deals on brand new wedding dresses, all shapes and sizes and colors. Try on dresses in a bridal store to get a feel for what you like and then order the exact dress, or one like it, online for much , much less. I found the dress I loved in a bridal shop for $2500, and the same one online for $300. They give accurate measurements so that you can order the proper size and all you'll have to do is have a professional seamstress do your alterations. This can be quite a savings.

6. Get married early in the day so that you can have a brunch or lunch instead of a full sit-down

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