ways to save money on your dream wedding

Whoever decided that June brides had more fun, especially when there are 11 other equally lovely months clamoring for your attention? Those that dont fall during peak months will help out your bottom line. You can save as much as 15 percent off high season rates, says James Jay, director of catering at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa in Texas. Just remember, in places such as Florida or the Bahamas, summer is the off peak season.

Pick a venue that already has a chic ambience, suggests Abby Larson of wedding blog Style Me Pretty. Restaurants are usually the best option. They have gorgeous tables and chairs, and the decor is often easy to fall in love with. Youll save an absolute bundle.

After moving her wedding from Brooklyn, New York (her current home), to a beach town in Michigan (her native state), bride to be Vicky Sherman watched catering quotes drop from $140 per head to $40 a savings of $15,000, based on her 150 person guest list.

Choosing a venue that comes with extras built in, like a wedding coordinator or an on site ceremony location, means significant savings, says Christina Latvatalo, wedding sales manager at the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, New York. All those extras can add up to thousands you wont have to spend.

Save on paper, printing, and postage by sharing your wedding details online. Many businesses charge only a small fee to use their webpage templates, and some charge nada. On MyWedding for instance, users can pick a design (including ones created by yours truly) and personalize it.

A lot of my clients are opting for no printed program, says San Francisco wedding planner Pamela Fishman Cianci, owner of Outlined Productions. Its an extra cost and extra stress, and its unnecessary. The most important words are the vows, and those are never in there.

Bargain hunting, that is. You can find everything from fabric and trim to antique Mason jars on eBay, Etsy, or Craigslist, or at a local flea market, for half the price and twice the charm.

My best tip is to stay seasonal and local. I made this bouquet for $50, using anemones, parrot tulips, and ranunculus, all spring flowers, says Maxine Siu, of Stem in San Francisco.

Buy shoes that youll actually wear again after the wedding something you likely wont do with white heels. Stunners like these by (from top) Loeffler Randsall, J.Crew, and Badgley Mischka are good for the long run.

Many brides are skipping pricey, fancy tiered creations altogether and serving their favorite desserts instead (think homemade treats such as brownies, donuts, and lemon squares). Some even ask bakeries they love to ship the mix for their favorite treats straight to their caterers.