DIY Wedding Ideas for Planning Dream Weddings on Small Budgets

Taking advantage of do-it-yourself wedding ideas won't necessarily mean that you'll end up having a "cheap" wedding. In fact, there are many tips and tricks and relatively cheap diy wedding ideas that will ensure that a wedding and/or reception stays within or well below any budget that may have set for the big day. Here are some diy wedding ideas and planning tips that will save you money when you are planning your wedding ceremony and reception:

1. Trim the guest list to include only friends and family that are close to you. This is difficult, of course, but nonetheless necessary if the cost per guest is going to break the wedding budget. You're simply not obligated to invite everyone you know or everyone you meet prior to the wedding day. Take a good look at the list you've made and start crossing off names. When in doubt, cross out! Invite only the people who are important to you and your parents.

2. Choose a hotel as the venue for your wedding ceremony and/or reception. If you schedule out of town guests to stay at the same hotel, you can more than likely ask for a hefty discount for your event. To ensure that all goes smoothly on your big day, reserve a block of rooms for your guests and one for yourself starting the night before your wedding date. Speak only with the hotel manager when asking for discounts and reserving rooms.

3. Consider having your ceremony and reception in the same location for the simple reason that it makes things so much easier all around and for everyone involved.

4. Shave $100's off the bill of any single part of your wedding by asking friends and/or family to lend their talents to the day in lieu of bringing a material gift or a money envelope. Perhaps someone you know or someone close to you is a florist or a singer or a minister or a seamstress or a photographer. Don't be afraid to ask – most people will be flattered by the request.

5. Choose to have your wedding on a non-weekend day and/or during an off-season to take advantage of cheaper rates. Opt for a weekday evening but remember to schedule the event to allow guests time to arrive at the ceremony after work. Consider getting married between November and April to avoid higher seasonal rates at hotels and other venues.

6. In lieu of paying a professional photographer to take pictures throughout the reception as well as at the ceremony, place several disposable cameras on each reception table and encourage guests to snap candid photos all evening. Put a friend in charge of collecting all the cameras at the end of the night and dropping them off at a store to be developed. Although it's important to have a professional take the photos during and immediately after the ceremony, your quests will love providing the crazy, fun pictures of the reception.

7. Provide a catered buffet-style food event at the reception instead of an expensive multi-course sit-down dinner. For small weddings, you might even consider having family members cook or bring pot-luck food items.

8. Serve beer and wine instead of expensive champagnes and mixed drinks. Allow guests to bring their own special liquors if they prefer something else.

9. Opt for diy wedding centerpieces, diy decorations, and diy invitations. Buy your supplies in bulk for pennies on the dollar at the local dollar store and craft store. Enlist the help of bridesmaids and spend special craft days putting everything together.

As you can see, diy wedding planning is entirely possible. You will not only shave tons of money off your wedding bill and possibly come in under your wedding budget, you will add a personal touch to your wedding that no one in attendance will soon forget.

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