(Source: zoonabar)

Spring is here and love is in the air. So don’t let the plans for your dream wedding be daunted by economic realities. These days, more and more brides and grooms are footing the bill for their weddings themselves. And a wedding can be one of the biggest expenses you’ll face as a couple. Instead of starting out your financial lives together many thousands of dollars in debt, consider these practical tips for saving money on your wedding.

Most people would just assume that cutting the guest list is the only way to go (less guests equals a smaller venue, fewer invitations, and less food to pay for), but it turns out, there are plenty of other options for couples who would still like to throw the wedding of their dreams.

“I actually don’t like to tell my clients to have a smaller wedding,” says Kathryn Kalabokes of Dream a Little Dream Events. “People are more important than flowers, and for a lot of couples, a smaller wedding just isn’t an option.”

We talked to Kalabokes and Alison Hotchkiss of Alison Events in San Francisco (and author of the recently released book Destination Wedding Planner: The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Wedding from Afar) to get some of their favorite cash-saving tips for your big day:

• Pick a less-popular day. If you want to save some serious cash, book a wedding on a Thursday, Friday or Sunday instead of the coveted Saturday slots. “There are only 52 Saturdays a year, and those Saturdays are gold,” Kalabokes explains. “Most vendors will offer heavy discounts on another day of the week.” Hotchkiss adds, “If it’s a three-day weekend, you can do the rehearsal on Saturday, the wedding and reception on Sunday, and then your guests have all day Monday to travel.” Also look at the off-season, especially if you’re doing a destination wedding. Prices tend to be higher during the peak months of May through September.
• For destination weddings, think locally. “If you have your heart set on a destination wedding,” Hotchkiss says, “try to use as many local vendors as possible.” Flying in decorations or a photographer, for instance, can all make your wedding a lot more expensive. “We just did a wedding where, if we hadn’t flown in the flowers, the couple could have saved a lot of money.”
• Cut your flowers-but not entirely. In order to keep things festive, Kalabokes suggests incorporating fresh fruit and vegetables into floral designs whenever possible; she estimates this could drop the price of a centerpiece from $250 to around $125 in a lot of cases. Also, let your bridesmaids feel adorned with strategically placed flowers, but don’t do a whole bouquet for each one. “If you’re doing peonies, have each girl carry a different color of each flower, or have them place one or their wrists or in their hair,” Kalabokes suggests.
• Be a smart shopper. For décor, raid stores like IKEA, Pier One and Cost Plus for things like candle holders. “This can be a lot cheaper than renting them,” Kalabokes explains. “Then, you can always sell them on eBay later. I’ve even bought stuff off of past clients to use again.”
• Serve beer and wine-but try not to go the cash bar route. “Cash bars are just seen as tacky; people don’t want to pay for their own drinks,” Kalabokes says. Instead, she suggests serving beer and wine, and perhaps one cocktail that fits in with the overall theme of your wedding (but that doesn’t necessarily have to be named after the bride and groom).
• If you have your heart set on a high-end dress designer, try to find a trunk show. At trunk shows, not only will you get a discount on the dress, Kalabokes says, but you may even score some freebies like a veil or alterations, which can add up to hundreds of dollars in the long run. “Even if you have to fly from, say, San Francisco to LA to go to a Monique Lhuillier trunk show, the money you save on the dress and the extras will easily pay for your ticket down there and then some,” she says.
• Don’t go crazy with your jewelry. “Why spend hundreds of dollars on a necklace that you’re going to wear one day?” Hotchkiss says. Instead, she recommends visiting stores like J. Crew, Anthropologie and even Forever 21 to find inexpensive baubles. “Especially if you’re just trying to match something to the dress, you can find lots of really cute, inexpensive options at those stores,” she says.
• On your wedding day, travel to the makeup and hair stylists, instead of the other way around. Having your makeup artist and hair stylist come to your home or hotel is typically much more expensive. “You can have all of the amenities you would in a hotel room if you just go to the salon, like champagne and food,” Hotchkiss says.
• Think “station” instead of “buffet” for food. Buffets were the traditional way to save money on reception dining, but these days, offering guests a variety of stations with small plates is a more stylish (and often cost-effective) way to go. “We’re not necessarily talking a cocktail party here, but rather dishes like short ribs on a bed of mashed potatoes,” Kalabokes says. “This can take you down to about $50 a head instead of around $130 a head for sit-down dinners.” Hotchkiss adds, “You can have one ‘wow’ factor at your event, like an oyster or sushi-rolling station, but really, it’s best to keep the food simple if you can.”
• Pare down your invitations. Brides and grooms today have the tendency to stuff their invites with several pieces: the invitation, a response card, a map, and even additional information cards. Instead, simply print the reception info on your invitation, and ditch the maps. “Also, you can just do a postcard for the responses, instead of doing another envelope insert,” Kalabokes adds.
• Go the DJ route. “Hire a DJ to play at the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception,” Hotchkiss says. “You might lose a little bit of ambiance, but we’re talking thousands of dollars here.” With bands and popular quartets, she notes, it’s easy to get saddled with hourly minimums, which can add up quickly.

We talked with Barbara Messing, the Vice President of Travel Ticker, a division of Hotwire that tracks the best insider travel deals, including special limited-time offers, small hotels you wouldn’t normally find online and exotic locations. Messing publishes her own weekly picks of the best deals in the “Barbara’s Best” section of the site-and sees this as one of the best times to book a vacation.

“The silver lining of this economic downturn is that there have never been better travel bargains. These are truly the best deals I’ve ever seen,” Messing says. “It’s a pretty amazing time to travel if you can put down your credit card now. You’ll get more value than ever.”

(David Holland)

Here are some reasons why you should travel now:

Even luxury resorts are offering deep discounts. That’s right: You don’t have to stay in a cheap motel to get a good bargain. For the first time in recent memory, you can stay at the hottest properties in town without having to pay premium prices. “This is one of the most interesting trends we’re seeing: Luxurious, aspirational properties, like the plush new, four and a half-star Intercontinental in San Francisco, which has a fantastic spa or the Biltmore, which is a classic Phoenix resort, are offering great prices,” Messing says. “The Biltmore, for instance, is about 45% off, and we’re actually seeing this during peak season, not in the middle of the summer when you wouldn’t want to go to Arizona.”

(Chris Seufert)

Two favorite destinations-Hawaii and Vegas-are at all-time low prices. “All of Hawaii is basically on sale; all of the hotels are discounting heavily,” Messing notes, due to reduced flights to the always popular destination. Makes sense. They’d rather offer rock-bottom prices than have empty rooms. “In Vegas, there’s the combination of an incredible hotel building boom with reduced business travel, so it’s like a red tag sale of four- and five-star properties on the strip like the Wynn, the the Palazzo, and Palm Place.”

(Avodrocc)

All-inclusives are a great deal for the budget-conscious traveler and families. By going with an all-inclusive package, you pay one price up front for everything, so there are no surprises. “There are a ton of deals at all-inclusive resorts, especially at the new hotels along the Mexican Riviera, which would rather offer deep discounts than have empty rooms,” Messing says. “Resort pricing on food and beverage can be higher than you might expect, so this way, you can just enjoy that margarita without worrying about the $15 price tag.”

(damada2)

The deal can do all the talking. Instead of setting your heart on one particular destination, decide what kind of vacation you’d like and then explore the deals out there. “It’s such a great time to travel that I’d recommend letting the deal be the inspiration. For instance, if you want a beach vacation, be open to the Caribbean and Mexico and just look for the best deal.”

Even local vacations can be a good getaway. “A lot of four- and five-star hotels in big cities are empty on the weekends,” Messing says. “You can save on airfare by finding a great deal and driving there.” Now might be the ideal time for the weekend in the city you’ve dreamed about. You’ll probably have enough money left over for a meal in a restaurant and a show.

The news is not all good. The larger airlines have tightened up on baggage restrictions and they’ve passed those costs on to the customer. But here’s one last tip. If at all possible, try to get everything into a carry-on. If you just can’t bear to leave certain items behind, try to avoid baggage fees altogether. “Look for flights on airlines like Virgin America, Alaska and Southwest, which don’t charge you to check a bag,” Messing explains.

That’s not to say that you can’t find plenty of gifts that say “I love you” without requiring you to take out a second mortgage. Here are some online finds for less than $50 that won’t cramp your style.

FOR HER:

QUEEN OF HEARTS. Etsy is the go-to online resource for cute-as-a-button handmade goods. On Etsy, you deal directly with the artists and craftmakers who set their own, surprisingly reasonable prices. This means you not only save money, but you may also even be able to come up with one-of-a-kind or custom options that just aren’t available down at the mall. Seriously, all you have to do is type “heart” in the search field, and you’ll come up with countless romantic gifts, such as this sterling silver heart pendant necklace from nicolesarvaydesigns that will have her—literally—wearing her heart on her sleeve. $26 at www.etsy.com.

PRET A PORTER. If she’s always on her MacBook, let her ditch the humdrum laptop totes you’ll find at most computer stores (yes, Apple Store, we’re talking to you). This ultra-chic floral laptop case from Shanghai Trio is both gorgeous and strong, made with plasticized cotton for durability. $48 at www.candystorecollective.com.

NEW SCENTSATION. Stressful times call for de-stressing in its purest form: a long, warm bath. With this beautiful collection of six bath salts from renowned French parfumerie Fragonard, she can treat herself to the most luxurious of soaks scented with the likes of Verbena, Orange Flower and Cherry Blossom. $26.50 at www.delight.com.

FOR HIM:

TO A TEE. If your guy is a Rock Band or Guitar Hero fanatic (and let’s face it, these days, what guy isn’t?), take his obsession one step further with this cheeky electronic drum kit t-shirt. The best part? All of drums on the shirt are actually playable, with seven different sounds, so he can act out his Tommy Lee fantasies on his own chest. $29.99 at www.thinkgeek.com.

BOTTOMS UP. Nalgeen bottles are so last year. For the athlete or all-around gent-on-the-go, a Klean Kanteen stainless steel reusable water bottle is a healthier, more environmentally conscious alternative to plastics. Plus, it’s durable, sanitary and toxin-free. $18.20 at www.reusablebags.com.

TOUCHDOWN PASS. For those with a passion for the pigskin, these vintage college football calendars aren’t just cool to look at, they’re a collectors item. Each team calendar, ranging from the classic Cal vs. Stanford rivalry to Boston College to Penn State, contains 12 frame-ready, 11″x14″ reproductions of classic game day program covers. $18.95 at www.asgardpress.com.

FOR ANYONE:

RAISE THE BAR. Sure, the old heart-shaped box of Russell Stover candies has some cache. If your guy or gal is an adventurous eater, may we recommend this “library” of mini exotic bars from Vosges instead? This chocolate house has become synonymous with unexpected flavors, such as the Naga: deep milk chocolate with sweet Indian curry and coconut. $25 at www.vosgeschocolates.com.

ROLL PLAY. Hey, everyone’s love life can use a little spicing up not and then. Why not introduce a little adventure into your next, ahem, get-together with these “get lucky dice” from Red Envelope? The idea is that you act out whatever words you happen to roll, making it much more to the point than a game of strip poker. $34.95 at www.redenvelope.com.

SNAP SHOT. Let your favorite aspiring photojournalist punch up their Flickr account with this Kermit-green Lomography Fisheye camera. Its 170-degree view transforms any subject into a distorted circular image, making for instantly artsy pics. Oh, and did we mention that it uses regular old 35mm film that can be processed anywhere? $48 at www.urbanoutfitters.com.