12 Creative Wedding Ideas That Won’t Break The Bank

Just like prom dresses, wedding dresses are usually one-and-done when it comes to times you get to wear them. Many brides sell their wedding dresses after they get married, and most of the time, they're much, much cheaper than getting them brand new. You can get really expensive designer dresses for well over half off the retail price, and plenty of former brides sell their dresses for next to nothing…or even free, if you know where to look. And to get a little extra cash for the honeymoon, you can even resell your wedding dress after your big day if you're not too attached to it!

You'd probably be surprised at how many of your friends have some pretty great talents that could be used at a wedding. Maybe you have a cousin who DJs in her spare time or a friend who's an amateur photographer. Ask them if they'd be willing to provide their services or even just give you a discount instead of a wedding gift. If you're lucky, this could save you a couple hundred dollars, and it adds a personal touch to your big day.

If you believe all the wedding boards on Pinterest, your wedding wasn't even really a wedding unless it contained enough flowers to satisfy all the bees in the state. But flowers are super expensive, and setting a bouquet in the hands of every bridesmaid and in the center of every table at the reception can get unnecessarily pricey. Instead, opt for a classy minimalist look by giving each of your bridesmaids a single rose or sunflower to hold during the ceremony, and look up different options for centerpieces so you can spend as little money as possible on pretty plants that are going to wilt before you even know it.

You could spend over a hundred dollars a head by hiring a fancy catering company, or you could see if your favorite local restaurants offer catering services and save well over 50 percent of the cost of feeding your guests. Plenty of small, family-owned eateries would jump at the chance to serve their food for such a big event. It's great business for them, and it's way more cost-efficient for you. Just check that your reception venue allows you to bring in your own caterer — some places have pretty strict rules when it comes to catering, so be sure to clear that up before you set anything in stone.

I know, I know: Blasphemy! What's a wedding without a wedding cake?! Cheaper and pretty darn tasty, that's what. There are plenty of amazing desserts that can act as a stand-in for a cake that can cost thousands of dollars. I know lots of people who have used pies or cupcakes instead, and a former teacher of mine actually used donuts! If tradition is extra important to you, many bakeries will allow you to get a wedding cake that is perfectly sized for you and your new spouse: enough for each of you to have a piece or two at your wedding, and enough to save in the freezer to eat on your one-year anniversary.

No, I'm not suggesting you actually show up naked to your wedding. Naked marriages have become popular among Chinese couples who are tired of their families' pressure to have an extravagant wedding. Instead, they ditch all the frills, sometimes even choosing not to wear wedding rings. It seems extreme, but for anyone on a very tight budget, being as cheap as possible might be the best option if you want to get married immediately. Plenty of people have a simple courthouse wedding and either leave it at that or have a big ceremony on a later date after they've had time to save up. Or, if that's just not an option for you, you can cut out and DIY as much as possible to make sure you're saving every penny possible.

Open bars are great for when you go to weddings, but when you're having your own wedding, if you want to save cash, keep it simple when it comes to the drinks. Stick with beer and wine only, or if you feel like it's just not a wedding without cocktails, do some research and find a recipe that you or one of your friends can make beforehand that can be served from a pitcher. You can even make it match the theme and color scheme of your event!

There are people out there who can DIY pretty much everything when it comes to weddings, but even the least creative of us can manage to whip up some pretty snazzy invitations with a tutorial and some basic supplies from the craft store. If you're short on time, too, there are also plenty of printable invites that only require you to have a printer, ink, and the right kind of paper on hand. And the ease and affordability isn't just limited to invitations, either; you can use this same method for just about anything else that requires printing, including table place cards and signs.

If it's possible for you to have your wedding outside, you should really consider it if you're on a budget. Many venues charge a lot of money for you to have your ceremony indoors, whereas plenty of farms or even beach locations allow you to say your vows on the property for a low cost (or even free). Just be prepared for inclement weather by renting a large tent to protect you and your guests.

Unless you are going to a wedding every weekend or have money you just like to throw around (in which case, you probably aren't reading this list anyway), there is pretty much no reason for you to actually buy a tuxedo. In fact, plenty of places will offer discounts for group rentals, meaning that all the gentlemen in the wedding party can look fancy without going broke. But it's not just tuxes that can be rented instead of bought; more and more brides are choosing to rent their dresses rather than buying them, and even some decorations can be rented and returned. Do some research and see how much stuff you actually have to buy before shelling out a bunch of cash for stuff you'll never use again.

If you're willing to go outside the box of what most people consider to be a "normal" wedding, you can spice things up and save money. Instead of serving expensive meals to individual guests, consider setting up a taco, burger, or s'mores bar instead. It's a great way to make sure that guests with special dietary needs can be sure that they're avoiding the ingredients they want to avoid, plus you can easily set it up by yourself or with friends. And it costs a fraction of what it would to give each guest a heaping plate of food they probably won't even be able to finish.

Nobody will blame you for wanting to spend a good chunk of cash on nice, durable wedding rings, but those are the only pieces of jewelry you should be spending a lot of money on for your special day. Plenty of brides have necklaces or earrings passed down to them from other family members, or they just have all the jewelry they'll need already sitting in their room. But if the only way you'll be able to get the accessories you need is by buying new ones, don't hit the expensive jewelry stores. Get stuff that's on sale, and if you look hard enough, you can even find some pretty convincing pieces in the cheapest of places. One of my friends got tons of compliments on her earrings when she got married, and nobody had any idea that she'd actually picked them up for $12 at Claire's until she told them!

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