Money Saving Tips
Choose flowers that are in season at the time of your wedding

Use hand-tied stems rather than structured bouquets

Use loosely cut flowers in vases rather than sculpted centerpieces

Reception
Saturday night is the most expensive time to hold your reception and the hardest night to find everything you want available.
To save money and frustration, consider a Friday or Sunday night, Saturday or Sunday afternoon or a week night. Morning and afternoon weddings also call for lighter fare, so you'll be able to save on the menu as well.

Disc Jockey
You should call on D.J.s as soon as you know the date of your wedding. This will help make sure you can secure the best there is as some D.J.s are booked up to one (1) year in advance. It is a good idea to make sure the D.J. you hire is a
professional. Once you have selected the D.J. he should sit down with you and go over the whole evenings' events. (i.e. first dance, bouquet toss, garter throw, best man toast, etc.) The D.J. is much more than background and dance music. He is the one person with the power (the microphone). He is the one who motivates and moves your guests.

Tipping     
Most gratuities will be included in the fees, but it is customary to tip some of the following professionals who helped to make your day special. The following is a list for proper tipping protocol:
* Clergy Member -- usually a $10 and up donation.
* Limousine, D.J., Photographer -- 15%
* Waiters, Waitresses -- 15%
* Maitre D' -- 15%

Ceremony    
A wedding ceremony can be held anywhere from your local church to a park, lake or backyard. You can invite as many guest as you wish as cost is not determined by head count. The type of ceremony -Civil or Religious- will have an impact on the cost. To save money consider having an officiant preform your ceremony at the reception site so you can avoid paying an additional location fee.

Rehearsal Dinner
The groom's Parents traditionally host the rehearsal dinner, but depending on your situation, you may to host or be involved in the planning of it. To save money, there is no reason why you couldn't host a lunch or rehearsal party in one of your parents' homes, and save on restaurant cost. In fact, a home is quite often intimate and pleasant for a small - to medium size group.

Additional Tips
Hold the ceremony and reception in the same site. You'll save on flowers, decorations, site fees, transportation, and more.
If you book the reception space far ahead -- a year or more -- you may be able to negotiate a better price.

Fewer people get married in the winter (November through April -- December is an exception), so you'll generally get better deals during these months.

Consider certain holidays, such as Halloween, when sites aren't so sought after.

Instead of a grand ballroom or banquet hall, think creative and less expensive like university- or publicly-owned buildings, community centers, the church or temple hall, a photography studio, an art gallery, a friend's loft, a theater, a restaurant's private room. Note that you may have to purchase a permit to marry in a public place, and you might incur other expenses such as renting tables, dinnerware, etc.

Think off-peak hours and lunch/brunch/teatime. Rates will probably be reduced, and the food for these meals is often cheaper.

Borrow items like punch bowls, dishes, tables, glasses, and linens if you can.

Return all rental items on time, so you won't incur late charges.