A wedding can be one of the biggest expenses a couple ever has, short of buying their own property. However, for those who simply can't afford the extravagance or just don't want to spend all of their hard earned cash on the blowout of the century, here are a few tricks to pull together a beautiful wedding without going broke.

Buy On Sale

How To Plan A Fantastic Wedding On The Cheap

There's no need to wait until you get too close to your wedding to pick up a dress, especially when it comes to your bridesmaids! Designer dresses still go on sale at the end of the season, and that can help you get a piece you love without breaking the bank.

Get Creative!

How To Plan A Fantastic Wedding On The Cheap

There's no need to shell out hundreds of dollars for centerpieces or invitations when you can easily make them yourself. Even the least crafty person can use stamps to create elegant and personalized invitations for a lot less than buying them premade.

Forget About Cake

How To Plan A Fantastic Wedding On The Cheap

A towering cake was once one of the final show pieces of an extravagant wedding, but an increasing number of couples are opting out of cake as a dessert altogether. Most of the time, the beautiful tower was hardly touched by the guests. Instead of wasting money for a half edible sculpture, you can choose an innovative dessert option that tastes even better for a lot less money.

Check For Hidden Fees

How To Plan A Fantastic Wedding On The Cheap

Sometimes wedding purveyors really like to make their prices unmanageable. Even when you think you've found the perfect vendor, you may find that they only reason their price seems reasonable on the surface is because they have so many extra fees that it can easily double their price.

Elope

How To Plan A Fantastic Wedding On The Cheap

Eloping isn't an option for everyone, but it's certainly true that you can get away with taking a particularly luxurious trip for a fraction of the price a full wedding would cost.