A frugal bride's smart ideas for wedding planning

Frugal brides can plan their dream wedding while staying within budget. With a vision, budget-conscious mindset and willingness to adapt, you can minimize wedding costs without sacrificing your wedding-day dreams.

You want to thank your guests for attending by showing them a good time at your reception; however, a multi-hour open bar for hundreds of guests isn't exactly cheap.

• Let your guests toast to your marriage without breaking the bank by customizing your bar. Offering a limited selection of beer, wine and champagne for toasts is cheaper than a fully stocked bar.
• If you want to provide liquor, design one specialty cocktail to serve rather than offering an open bar.

Some wedding reception touches can be eliminated without being noticed.

• While favours are a nice way to thank your guests for attending, they often get left on the table or tossed in the trash. Save your money and skip favours entirely.
• Another way to save a significant sum is to embrace your creativity and take on the role of wedding planning yourself, rather than outsourcing it to a pricey wedding planner.
• If a wedding planner is a must, opt for a day-of coordinator who can oversee your vendors and setup on your big day, rather than a planner to help you throughout the entire process.

Frugal brides find the right way to mix and match high- and low-end elements in their wedding to stay within their budget.

• You might not want to eliminate flowers entirely from your reception, so try incorporating floral elements into creative but less expensive centrepieces.
• For instance, instead of a large floral arrangement on every reception table, mix up your centrepieces, offering some with flowers and some with other romantic elements, such as candles and flower petals. You'll save big on florist costs if you cut down on the number of arrangements you need.

Saying "I do" doesn't have to break the bank. Start your marriage off on stable financial footing by making frugal choices for your wedding day. Spend your money wisely on those elements that are most important and avoid wasting your money on those nonessential elements that no one will miss.