This is my saga of trying to plan a wedding reception on a small budget- a very small budget. I currently write for a website and, during my research into wedding reception ideas for their wedding guides, I realized one important thing: trendy equals very expensive.

But I don’t have to have a trendy wedding; I want a nice wedding that reflects my fiancé and I as a couple. But how do I manage that on a wedding budget of $3000?

Here are 5 of the helpful hints I’ve discovered:

1. Attend bridal shows: as many as you can. I spent all of January attending bridal shows. It is a bit of a time commitment, but if you do attend, enter the contests. I’ve won hotel stays and flights, jewelry and a men’s wedding ring, and I found a lot of great ideas I could adapt to my budget.
2. Call in favors: You can be a bit more tactful, but in essence, find out what kinds of discounts you can get on products and services. My sister is a stylist (wedding day hair and make-up is solved), my mom works for the county (I booked the beautiful Provo Courthouse for half the usual cost) and I am lucky enough to have craft-minded family members who have offered their services to help with the wedding favors and decorations, which bring us to…
3. Do-it-yourself wedding favors: by making a few items yourself, and letting guests make favors themselves, you can save a lot of money compared to the costs of pre-made favors. Candy bars are very popular and I’ve decided to use a candy bar as both the dessert and wedding favors. Although you can rent containers, I decided to bring my own assortment of clear crystal vases and glass bowls, as well as borrow from family. They will be different styles and sizes, but that will only add to the charm.

Tip: Not only can the candy bar function as dessert and wedding favors, clear glass bowls, jars and vases filled with bright colored candies and set on tables can pull duty as centerpieces. Just add a few favor boxes or bags to each table for guests to make their own.

4. Shop local colleges: I found the perfect invitations on a website for hundreds of dollars. Both my fiancé and I love them, but there was no way we could afford $200 for 150 invitations. I found an art graduate student from a local college and asked her about creating something similar to the invitations I had found. She did, and made a few artistic suggestions, and they look amazing, and they’re my wedding colors.
5. If you can’t buy it, have it made: I found some bridesmaid dresses at a local wedding store, and they were very pretty, but very expensive and in need of alterations. After a suggestion from my future mother-in-law, I found a pattern I loved and shopped around for a seamstress. I am saving a few hundred dollars by having the dresses made, and they are more than very pretty, they are perfect.

Tip: Although it is tradition for the bride’s family to pay for the bridesmaids’ dresses, you can give your gals the opportunity to buy their own. These are friends and family who want to attend and want to save you money.

As my wedding approaches and I continue to research wedding reception ideas, I know I’ll find more ways to save money, which I can pass on to you.

Next in the saga, I’ll tackle food, music, transportation and more….