Let’s be honest, weddings aren’t cheap. Planning for that special day can easily cost thousands of dollars, even for the savviest of consumers. But when the ceremony is over and the guests go home, someone’s stuck paying the bill. Before panicking over the budget however, take a minute to consider these money saving tips that helped me save a fortune on my own wedding day.

1. Have a Sunday wedding.

My husband and I initially planned to have our wedding on a Saturday, but after beginning our search for the perfect venue we realized one very important thing: every site charged significantly less for Sunday events. Since wedding venues and vendors are in higher demand for Saturday celebrations, this allows them to upcharge for services and space on that day, leaving Sunday as a cheaper option.

We had never given any thought to having a Sunday wedding until we were confronted with these price differences. For us, this meant saving thousands of dollars! The choice was clear; we were getting married on a Sunday. Although the price gap between Saturday and Sunday rentals will vary by venue, this is one substantial way budget-conscious couples can save on their big day.

2. Buy flowers locally and create your own centerpieces.

Floral centerpieces from a professional florist can cost anywhere from $50 to $400 (or more), per arrangement. Although these creations will no doubt look incredible, paying for this service makes it nearly impossible to keep costs low, particularly for larger weddings.

With that being said, here is my next money saving tip. Set aside time to call a handful of wholesale flower shops in your town to get pricing for the flowers you want. Be sure to inquire which flowers are in season, as those tend to be cheaper. Once you’ve picked a shop you like, let them know the details of your big day. You want to ensure they will have the exact flowers, and amount, for your wedding day. Let them know when you plan on picking up your order, too (usually a day or two prior).

Lastly, establish a spending limit. It was a lot of fun picking out flowers with my mom, but it is very easy to get carried away, especially when low or discounted prices seem to distract from the overall purpose. My centerpiece theme was a combination of shabby chic, country, and eclectic, making it easy to find decorations at a thrift store to go along with my flowers. Even couples with a more sophisticated theme shouldn’t discount the power of a second-hand shop. Be sure to visit my Pinterest page for a number of unique and fun DIY ideas! One of my favorite centerpiece ideas is spray painting glass vases to give them an entirely refreshed look.

3. Hire your friends.

When planning for such a momentous day, don’t forget to ask for help! As you can imagine, an occasion that is meant to be filled with joy and excitement can quickly turn into one filled with anxiety and worry if you don’t learn to take a helping hand. There is no way you can (or should have to) handle every detail on your own. Besides, friends and family enjoy being involved, especially if it means taking stress off of you.

For example, if you’re making your own decorations, don’t be shy to ask for help, or even hire, a friend or family member to execute your vision for those decorations the morning of the wedding. I paid one of my creative, graphic-designer friends to pick up all of the flowers and decorations the night before and decorate the tables the morning of my wedding. I gave her loose instructions on how to set up, along with a few pictures of my vision, but trusted her 100 percent to make it happen. And guess what? Everything turned out beautifully!

4. Book the honeymoon months in advance.

While planning a wedding it’s easy to leave honeymoon ideas on the back-burner. The wedding may be the most important thing on your mind now, and it should be, but for those who plan on vacationing once the celebration is over, you’ll want to budget for that as well. Last-minute preparation for a honeymoon not only means possible consequences to your budget, but to your destination preference too.

Planning the honeymoon is a perfect assignment for the groom (remember, relinquish control). Have him research different honeymoon spots and shop around travel websites. Not only will this be a task he enjoys, it’s one more thing you can check off your list.

5. Make your own wedding invitations.

This might be the hardest money saving tip on my list, but it’s one I enjoyed every minute of and truly helped me to cut costs. By making my own wedding invitations I only spent $90, (although I only needed to make 60). If you need to make 100 invitations or more, this is a perfect opportunity to invite friends and family over to help out (just don’t forget to buy pizza).

Although I consider myself a creative person, I decided to get a little help from Google for my wedding invitations. My main goal, again, was to save money, but I also wanted to have fun while making the invitations and create something I would be proud of. In the end, I achieved all three!

For starters, I purchased the paper through a woman I found on Craigslist who used to make wedding invitations. She sold me her excess paper at a discounted price. Next, I went to a thrift store to pick out clothes in patterns and colors that matched my wedding colors. I cut these up so that I could incorporate fabric on my invitations as well. I used a number of crafting tools including an exacto knife and a bone paper folder, both of which can be found at an art supply store or borrowed from friends. I printed the invitation text at home, which did require me to purchase quite a few ink cartridges. If the ink is too expensive, shop around at local print stores and ask for a discount (since you’re providing the paper). Depending on how detailed your invitations are, this process can be time consuming – just remember to plan ahead and give yourself enough time.

Every wedding is different.

And every couple is different – a nice cake may be more important to some (and worth the splurge), while an amazing photographer is more significant to others. There will always be items and services when planning your dream wedding that you should not have to sacrifice or skimp on. The key to throwing a memorable wedding on a budget though, is to separate the needs from the wants. Ask friends and family for help, you’ll be surprised how many are willing and ready to render aid. Do your research and shop locally – you can always find a discount! Be creative and use your unique talents. And last but not least, don’t forget to have fun!

Do you have any wedding saving tips or advice for brides-to-be? Email them to me at info@katvenice.com or add a comment below.

Speaking of saving money on your wedding day, I am looking to photograph two smaller-sized weddings at a very special price. If you or a loved one are planning nuptials between now and July 2017, please contact me and I would be happy to share the details of this special package with you!