Weddings bring family and friends together to celebrate the union of two people in matrimony. They can be small and intimate affairs or large and grand events. However, even simple weddings can be too costly for some couples and their families. Here are some ideas for throwing a wedding on a tight budget.

Determine an Affordable Amount

When money is a factor in your wedding plans, the first thing you should do is figure out how much you can afford to spend. Once your spending budget is known, create a wish list of everything you would like for your wedding and allocate a specific amount of money to spend for each item.

Prioritize Wants vs. Needs

You may find that you cannot afford everything on your wish list, so you should prioritize what is most important. You may decide that your wedding must take place at a special location, but you may be willing to forego the designer gown or the professional photographer. By putting your wish list in order of priority, you can focus most of your energy on securing the most important items at the right price.

Open a “Wedding” Bank Account

If you will be writing checks for your wedding, open a separate bank account specifically for wedding expenditures. Deposit your wedding budget in the account and use the bank statements to keep track of your spending.

Use Wedding Planner Tools

Weddings take a great deal of organization and many planning tools are available. You can purchase books that explain every step and permit note-taking for all of your planning. Or, use wedding Web sites, such as www.theknot.com or www.weddingchannel.com, to gather ideas and keep track of your progress. Good planning will help you to stay on budget and keep surprise expenditures to a minimum.

Consider Less Expensive Attire

Wedding gowns come in many different designs and prices. Because there are so many options available, it is possible to keep costs low on a gown. Some ideas include buying a dress on clearance or secondhand, having a seamstress sew one, finding a simple, elegant dress at a department store instead of a bridal boutique, or renting one. The least expensive way is to borrow one from a family member or friend. For men, tuxedoes are readily available for rental.

Do-It-Yourself

There are many things you can do yourself to keep wedding costs low:

--          Make your own wedding invitations. Order materials from Web sites like www.formal-invitations.com or buy do-it-yourself wedding invitation kits that include the paper, envelopes, and response cards. These kits are available online at www.uprint.com or www.davidsbridal.com.

--          Sew your own wedding gown or bridesmaid dresses.

--          Create your own floral arrangements and/or buy discount flowers and make the arrangements yourself.

--          Host your own reception. If you are a good cook or would like a potluck reception, hosting your own reception is an economical means of celebrating.

--          Bake your own cake. Find wedding cake recipes online at allrecipes.com/Search/Recipes.aspx?WithTerm=wedding%20cakes.

Make Use of Friends, Family, and Students

Friends and family can be resources for various wedding necessities, such as digital still or video cameras. Ask family and friends to take your wedding pictures and video. Or, you could consider hiring a photography student instead of a professional photographer. In addition, ask your guests to send any photos that they take and add disposable cameras to each table so everyone can take photos. Think about the talents of your family and friends; they may be able to help with an item on your wish list.

Keep Your Wedding Party and Guest List Small

Another way to keep your wedding costs low is to have a short wedding party and guest list. Smaller, more intimate weddings can save on invitation, location, food, and alcohol costs.

Pick an Off-Season Date

Some locations can charge high prices for hosting weddings, especially if your wedding occurs during the most popular season in that area. If you want to save money on your location, pick an off-season date for a lower cost.

Provide Your Own Alcohol or Go Alcohol-Free

Alcohol is an expensive item. Sometimes a special deal can be arranged with a wedding location to allow your own alcohol to be served. Or, serve only beer and wine, instead of a full bar. Some wedding couples choose to have a cash bar (the guests pay for their own alcohol) instead of an open bar (alcohol is free to the guests), or no alcohol at all.

Consider Hors d’oeuvres Instead of a Meal

Food is also a considerable expense when planning a wedding. If your budget is very tight, have an earlier wedding ceremony and host an afternoon reception or cocktail-party gathering with hors d’oeuvres or food to pass around, instead of providing a formal sit-down dinner.