When you finally find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, it's perfectly normal to want the rest of your life to start right away! At least that is what I have found to be true after recently getting engaged. However, as the wedding bells ring in your head, dreaming of the magical day when your separate lives become one, it can all come to a screeching halt once you begin making a wedding budget. It is no secret that weddings are expensive, but I've been shocked by all the hidden expenses. If you are planning a wedding, here are my tips for saving money that I have found extremely helpful in planning my wedding.

A lot of people think it’s necessary to have a DJ at the wedding to play the music, announce the bridal party, and emcee the events throughout the night, such as the “first dance,” “cake cutting,” etc. Depending on the DJ you pick, it is typical to spend anywhere between $500 to $2,000 on a DJ. My tip for saving money is to be your own DJ. All you have to do is borrow a nice sound system and microphone from a friend (I am borrowing mine from my church for free), and then pick someone who has a big, fun personality to be your emcee and lastly, make your playlist for the entire evening and leave the rest up to your iPod. There are multiple free apps that can take the place of a DJ; these apps mix the songs for you! My good friend did this at their wedding and it worked so well that I am doing it at mine!

Depending on how many people you are having at your wedding, postage can add up - between the save-the-dates, invitations and then the RSVPs on top of it all, multiply that by the cost of a stamp and you see your bank account going down. My tip for saving money is to have a wedding website for people to RSVP online. Theknot.com is a great resource for planning your wedding, and you can make a free wedding website through their site. My fiancé and I are inviting 250 people to our wedding, and by having them RSVP online we've saved $122.50 in postage. ($0.49 x 250) I have heard that some people choose to send out a combined save-the-date and invitation in one, and then have people RSVP online. This option doubles your savings. We didn't do that because someone had graciously offered to make and send our invitations for our wedding gift, however we would have done that because when planning a wedding on a budget, every penny counts.

Your wedding is such a special time, some would argue the most special day of your life, and capturing the beauty of your day is a huge priority. Pictures are the one thing your kids will have to look at to see the beginning of your story. All that to say, it's no wonder so many people spend thousands and thousands of dollars on the photographer. BUT! There is a way to have the pictures you want at the price you want. Here's how to do it - spread the word! Tell everyone you need a photographer - who among your friends or your friends’ friends are trying to break into the photography business and need to build their portfolio? Ask around, because there is a very good chance you’ll find a win-win situation. For example, my good friend has been taking photography classes and wants to start her own business, but as an unknown photographer, unless people see her work she won't get hired. So we had her shoot our engagement photos. We got awesome photos for free and she got model pictures for her portfolio. I know it may sound scary letting an amateur do your wedding photos, but look at their work and see if you like what you see. Chances are they are talented enough to do them; they just may be lacking the experience. It's a wonderful way to save loads of money if you choose to do so.

Food costs so much money!!! I had no idea how much money it took to feed just one person at a wedding. The average cost per person for appetizers, entree, cake and alcoholic beverages is $50. Multiply that by 100 people and you've already spent $5,000, which for some is their entire budget! Never fear, I have a creative way to satisfy your wallet and your guests. I call it, “Sweets from the Sweethearts.” My tip for saving money is to just have a cake and coffee reception. I suggest making the ceremony later in the evening, like at 7pm, so people will be full from dinner beforehand and then they are just looking forward to a dessert after. My fiancé and I are doing this for our celebration and we have found a lot of cute ideas to make the dessert-filled evening special and unique! For example, we’re having all different kinds of cake and having a coffee bar. We have also talked about getting a chocolate fountain. There are lots of things to try and I assure you that if you just communicate with your guests that there will be a cake and coffee reception following the ceremony, they will be quite content with an evening filled with sweets from the sweethearts!

In my opinion, favors are not that important. I know - shocking. I've come to this conclusion because at almost every wedding I have gone to the guests end up leaving their matchbook, ornament, boxed home made chocolates, etc, on the table at the end of the night! The cold hard truth is that your guests are not that interested in what you’re going to give them - they are more interested in being a part of your big day. They are there because they love you. I honestly believe if you were to forgo favors no one would even miss them, but if it is in your heart to thank your guests for their support and presence at your celebration, then choose a favor that is unique to you and inexpensive. What Isaac and I have decided on for favors is a CD with music on it played and sung by us! We are both performers and Isaac has his own home music studio, so we fortunately were able to record our songs at no cost. It cost us $36 for 200 blank CDs and $9.40 for CD covers, which comes to a total of $45.40. Most people spend $5 a person! We saved $954.60 by doing this and it's perfect for us to share our gifts and talents with the people we love. If you aren't musical, you could always come up with a playlist of love songs you and your future-spouse like and use that for the CD. Think of it like a soundtrack to your wedding! I was given a mixed CD years ago as a favor and my family loved it and listened to it for years. Whatever you choose, don't feel the pressure to break the bank on favors.

Saving money while planning a wedding is possible, but don't forget, as you're planning your wedding, even if it is on a budget, remember that the most important thing is to have fun during this joyous planning (and budgeting) season!