A wedding is one of the most important days of your life. Some people save up from the time they are children just to make this day a special occasion – which may cost a lot.

And yet, we don’t need a big budget to make a fine wedding. You can have just the same special day at low-cost, just by using your imagination and with a bit of help of friends and family. The money you save can then be used for a down payment on a home, or for a great honeymoon.

One of the big money eating parts of a marriage is the wedding reception. You have to pay for a location, a dinner, beverages, music, a wedding cake, guest favors and photography.

The best way to save money is not to have a reception at all, but not everyone likes that. So you can also try to find a place that is low-cost or even free. Why not ask your local church, or the fire department (etc) if their hall is available for that specific date? Or when you have enough space yourself (like a big garden, even a garage – it sounds crazy, but I actually went to a wedding reception that took place in a working garage) you can do it at home. Another tip: you can rent a location that will cost a bit, but you ask your guests to bring a reception dish along…

For the wedding dress there are also low-cost solutions. When you have a mum or aunt who’s good with the needle, you can ask her to design a dress for you. Or you can go to a thrift store or on-line auctions. With a bit of luck, you’ll come up with a nice gown that only costs peanuts.

Wedding rings also don’t have to cost a lot. You can go on alternative routes, like rings in bamboo or recycled rings (see my article on eco-friendly rings). Some shops offer discounts, and you can take advantage of these.

You can make your own wedding bouquet by finding flowers that you like in your own garden, or at florist markets. It takes no great skill to compose a nice bouquet and wrap some ribbons around the stems!

For the photography, you should rely on family or friends. Ask someone you know and who’s good with a camera to take pictures. With the modern day digital photography, you’ll have thousands of pictures to choose from, and you save only the best.

The same person who organized his wedding in his garage, also bought small noodle boxes (can be any other sort) in a store, and they only cost him a few cents a piece. He filled them up with equally cheap sweets and then attached name tags on them. Those boxes served as placement tags, and besides cheap they were also original.

And, by the way, did you know that you can have a White House Greeting for free? The White House Greetings Office honors citizens with presidential greetings on various occasions – the only thing you have to do is to fill out a form.