• A wedding on a tight budget can still be beautiful.wedding bouquet image by cat from Fotolia.com
  
  Planning a wedding on a limited budget doesn't mean huge sacrifices or a bland affair. With creative alternatives to your biggest expenses, the wedding of your dreams is still a possibility. Enlist family and friends for help making items like invitations, favors, bouquets and centerpieces. Also, utilize friends' talents and abilities for assistance with hair and makeup.
  
  

Attire

• Sample sales, special offers and discontinued styles are often much less expensive alternatives to pricey gowns, while having a friend or family member who is an experienced tailor alter the gown saves money while assuring a good fit. Secondhand dresses from online classified sites, wedding sites or consignment stores are often a fraction of the retail cost and just as stylish.
  
  An alternative to expensive wedding or bridesmaid gowns, prom dresses come in a rainbow of colors and a wide variety of styles. Whether you want a traditional white dress or a less conventional colored gown, prom dresses create more options for budget brides and bridesmaids.
  
  Like gowns, tuxedos or suits can be found at lower prices through sample sales and consignment stores. Additionally, some men's clothing stores will offer lower prices or free suits when you rent or purchase for the entire wedding party.
  
  

Invitations

• Printing your own invitations offers the ability to completely customize the document while saving money. Whether you use a printing service or a home computer, compare the prices and remember to account for the time spent making and assembling invitations.
  
  Having guests RSVP on a wedding website saves postage and paper as well as giving guests the opportunity to explore your "wedsite." Your guests may also be more likely to RSVP promptly when they can do so electronically.
  
  

Flowers

• One of the most expensive elements of a wedding, using seasonal and silk flowers can cost a fraction of the expense of out-of-season or other fresh flowers. Non-floral elements like feathers, crystal sprays and natural branches (tings) are another way to save, while bouquets composed of flowers made from paper, beads, buttons or ribbon are eternal and cost-effective.
  
  Similarly, centerpieces made from non-floral elements and artificial flowers can dramatically cut costs while remaining a key decor element. Candles, strands of twinkle lights, table scatters, rocks, feathers and other decorative items can be combined for an elegant and eye-catching centerpiece with a lower price tag than long-stemmed roses and lilies.
  
  

Menu

• Save money on food by hosting a brunch, potluck or barbecue or serving only tapas or cocktails at your reception. If your venue insists you hold a catered affair, opt for buffet-style serving and an off-peak time, when guests are less likely to look for a full meal. Specify on the invitation or wedsite that there will be light refreshments instead of a full meal so your guests do not expect a multiple-course dinner.
  
  Avoiding alcohol at your reception can save the cost of liquor, security and bartenders as required by the venue, while also avoiding the risk of damage to the venue. Offer alternatives such as spirit-free cocktails or "mocktails," hot beverages, punch and sodas.
  
  

Venue

• While the venue can often be the most costly element of a wedding, using unconventional locations and dates can save money while making your ceremony and reception even more personal. Consider a date during off-peak times such as March, September or October. Christmas, New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day and June through August in the Northern hemisphere are peak ceremony dates, which inflates the costs of venues and vendors. A morning or afternoon wedding, as well as a wedding on Sunday through Thursday, can also be less costly because of little competition for these less popular days.
  
  

Music

• Save money on music by hiring a DJ instead of a live band, or save further by using an MP3 player and your venue's speaker system. Assign a younger relative to operate the playlists and take requests. A laptop can also provide playlists, with an easier interface and more memory. Selecting and playing your own music, in the order you wish, can also avoid embarrassing or frustrating clashes with DJs who insist on playing songs you would prefer to avoid.