7 Frugal Wedding Tips to Help You Save Money on Your Big Day

When many couples decide to get married they are not really thinking about the costs and all of the hard work that is involved to pull off a day that they will remember for the rest of their lives. Once the plans kick into action, many couples are faced with sticker shock on how much that wedding is going to cost them and/or their families.

Once reality has set in...these same couples are looking for frugal do-it-yourself wedding ideas to help cut the costs and to save money. After all, who wants to start out their new marriage in debt? No one! Here are some ideas that might help you when it comes to planning your own wedding.

1. Shop Around - Shop around for photographers, cake makers, dresses, reception halls, wedding venues and everything else that you will need for your big day. Make a list of all providers of the services that you will need and personally interview them & check them out for yourself. Decide how much you can spend and stick within your budget.

2. Photographer - If you have to hire a professional photographer, hire only one and only for the exact amount of time you will need them. Let your guests know before the wedding day that you would appreciate them taking photos and then showing you the proofs of the photos they took. Buy only the BASIC PACKAGE that your professional photographer offers and then get extra photos from your family & friends to fill up your wedding album. Trust me, you don't need the biggest and best package that the photographer has to offer.

3. All-Inclusive Wedding Packages - These days you can rent a wedding venue and many of these places include everything you may need. For example: Place to hold the wedding & the reception with catering, flowers, the wedding cake, table decorations, the entertainment and more! A lot of times these package deals are cheaper than you trying to put it all together yourself.

4. Make it Yourself - Table centerpieces, reception decorations, party table favors, etc. can all be made by yourself or enlist the help of your wedding party. You can make these items and get a lot of FREE ideas on what to make by searching the internet and visiting your local craft supply store. Make only what you think you will need and keep them pretty basic to keep costs down.

5. Barter for Services - If you have a friend who is a DJ, one who is a photographer or one that works at a bakery making cakes...barter with them for services! Offer to babysit their kids, mow their lawn or whatever it is you have to offer to get FREE goods or highly discounted goods and services. There is nothing wrong with bartering for what you need!

6. Borrowing - If you know someone who has a nice luxury car, a wedding dress, tuxedo, tables, foldable chairs or any other items you may need for your big day...contact them and ask to borrow the item. Before borrowing an item, write out a contract and list the details to ensure that both parties understand the "rules" for the borrowing transaction. It is your job to return the item(s) in the condition in which you received them.

7. Asking for Help - You don't have to plan and throw this wedding yourself! Ask your close family members and friends for their help! You can use them to help set things up, make phone calls, clean-up once it is over and to help return the items you rented and/or borrowed. Don't pay a company extra money to set-up and clean-up!

There are many things you can do to help defray the costs of your wedding and these 7 frugal wedding tips are just the tip of the iceberg!

Shelly Hill is a professional ghostwriter and paid blogger living in south central Pennsylvania. You can visit Shelly's This, That and a Little More Blog for additional frugal living tips, craft ideas, recipes and more.