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you can sway your costs by hiring a friend or family member to take care of it. Depending on how formal you are, you will also have to sport the cost of china/glassware/utensil rentals, which most places don't include in their quotes. Buffet-style eating is the easiest, allowing you to adjust your menu for people with diet restrictions. Some banquet halls allow only catered events, so watch out! Look to your local trade-schools or culinary schools for a lower cost catering service.

7. Cash vs. Credit
We all know how easy it is to whip out that little plastic card and get things done, but in the long run, the interest you pay and what you pay it on are rarely worth the extra cost. Save the cards for your deposits, which you know you will be getting back, and only pay interest on the big three - the dress, the memories, and the honeymoon. Use cash for all of your other purchases as much as possible, and keep all of your receipts safe. Save even more by buying or renting gently used items such as seating, linens, wedding arches, etc. Scour local classifieds in late June for discarded wedding equipment. Talk to other couples you know whom have recently married, maybe they have extras lying around gathering dust. Once the honeymoon is over, many couples find that they have no use for all the little extras they couldnt go without!

So, now that you've shaved a little off the top, where should you put the focus of your spending? That's easy - put the most money into the things that will be kept or cherished. Think about it. Even five years from now, you will likely still have your dress, your wedding photos, and your honeymoon memoirs. That's it. Those are the only three things you should go crazy on! Everything else, every other little detail is just in-the-moment. Looking back, you will realize how much waste is involved with all that pomp and circumstance. You will have your wedding photos forever, so, by all means, get a good photographer, and do your homework! Videography is the same, do not cut your budget where capturing your memories is concerned. Buy the best you can afford.

The same goes for your dress. Shop in the off-season, and make sure you have exactly what you want. Do not settle for less! Depending on your financial status, you can make it as elaborate or as simple as possible. Some of us have been planning this day since we were seven years old, and if you're one of those girls, then chances are you are very sentimental. In this case, go for quality

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