Wedding season is fully under-way! Between May and August every year is when excited, loved-up couples are either starting their plans or finalizing the ones they already have.

Your wedding should be the perfect day that you’ve always dreamed of. For the perfect day to happen, the amount of work and effort put in is often mind-blowing. From the dress to the venue, the cake to the rings, and the cars to the food, there is a huge list of things to remember when planning – and a huge list can often mean the need for a huge budget.

However, there are ways you can cut back, without having to compromise on the things that are most important to you. Take a look at our tips for saving money when planning your wedding…

Budget, budget, budget – this is probably the most important, and first, thing you need to do! If you start by setting a budget first, you’ll know how much you have to work with to create the best day possible. By setting a budget before you start planning, you’re less likely to overspend as it’s very easy to get carried away with what you want for your wedding.

Organize and list – once you know what your budget is, the next thing to do is to organize the different parts of your wedding and to list them from the most important to the bits you’re less fussed about. Prioritize! With your budget in hand, you’ll be able to work out how much you have to spend on the different areas of your wedding. By doing this you may realize there are some parts you don’t need to spend money on at all.

Get DIY’ing –  there are some areas of your wedding that you can cut the cost of massively by doing yourself; wedding invites, dinner place settings and table favors to name a few. You’ll find lots of ideas on the web and why not enlist some friends to help get everything done in time – we’re sure they’ll be more than happy to help if it means making your wedding day as special as possible.

Ask your friends and family – using the talents of your friends and family is a great way to save money but still get everything you want for the day. This could be the perfect wedding present from them to you as well!

Don’t mention the word “wedding” – if one thing is sure to increase the price of your special day, it’s when the suppliers you’re buying from know you’re buying for a wedding. So when negotiating the price of anything make sure you stick to the words “party” or “celebration” until after the price has been agreed! (However if you’re after smaller bits and pieces, throw the “wedding” word as you’ll get freebies thrown at you here, there and everywhere).

The most important thing is that the day is exactly what you want it to be, without overspending by a huge amount!