Money Savings "I Dos"

Last week, I blogged about how the recession is making many couples weigh their wedding day options. Their choice: a traditional pricey wedding with all the trimmings, or a quick, intimate elopement to save cash. For those of you who want your wedding cake--and hope to eat it, too--here are a few tips and deals that'll keep your big day from having a big price tag.

A great way to start cutting down your wedding budget is to consider what you notice while you're a guest at a wedding. Maybe you can't recall the design details, because you're too busy shaking it on the dance floor. For your wedding, spend your money on a great DJ or a live band and save money on flowers and programs.

Once you've decided where to splurge and where to save, start hunting for deals for the necessities, like invitations. Do you have any friends who do graphic design? Let them know that custom designed invite would make the perfect wedding gift. You'll just foot the bill for the reproductions, and to help with that, here's a coupon for 30% off wedding invitations at Overnight Express.

Brides, it's your day to feel like royalty, but the price of wedding gowns can make you feel like a royal sucker for spending so much on a dress you'll wear only once. Target and J.Crew now offer low priced wedding dresses for the budgeting bride. Check out House of Brides where you can get a free veil and shoes with your purchase. And if you've fallen in love with a particularly pricey gown by a hot designer, scour eBay and you might just find a (gently used) version for a fraction of the cost.

Your wedding photo album will last a lifetime, but you don't want bills that are equally long-lasting. Don't get pressured into buying a more expensive photo package than you need. Are you really going to hang twelve 8x10 photos of your wedding day around your apartment? Ask a photo-savvy friend to snap your pictures and put disposable cameras on each table to catch all the reception fun.

For your music, try hitting up local performance arts schools for someone to play during your ceremony. They'll be excited to have a paying gig, and you'll have a trained musician playing your Wedding March. For the reception tunes, many couples are opting for a simple playlist on their iPod to save money and be sure to have the songs they want to hear.

It's nice to send your guests home with a wedding favor as a memento of the festivities, but with some running at up to $10 a pop, it's not always the most economical choice. Make your own favors, or try this coupon for My Wedding Favors to save you $25.

For more great money saving tips, check out the book Bridal Bargains. You can find it at Borders and save 25% with this coupon.

There's also a great article at DIY Bride with tips for a recession wedding and blogger Homemaker Barbi has a great post on how to choose wedding flowers on a budget.

For any other miscellaneous wedding expense, try theknot.com for wedding party gifts, cake toppers and more. Here's a TheKnot coupon for 10% off to sweeten the deal.

And if all this talk of photographers, invites, and wedding favors is stressing you out, here's an exclusive Savings.com coupon for $40 off a trip to Vegas.

How's that for a plan B?