Weddings are special. In fact, they are some of the most important events in your life. But, if the event leaves you in debt at the beginning of your life together, an expensive wedding just isn't worth it. In these times, the bride's family is not always willing (or able) to foot the bill for a big wedding. More and more the bride and groom are paying for their own weddings, and want to do it responsibly. The good news is inexpensive weddings don’t mean you have to give up on style. You can plan a wedding within your budget - you just may have to use your imagination more.

Number one, you can go away, just the two of you, and elope. That way you would save on a wedding party and be able to move from wedding to honeymoon in one fell swoop. Or, if eloping is out of the question, you can hold your wedding and reception at an inexpensive, yet fun, venue, like a bowling alley or roller rink. That way it's a big, memorable party held cheaply.

Of course, renting any venue may be too expensive for you. In that case you might consider holding your wedding outdoors at a friend's or family member's backyard. If there is a pool available, you could turn it into a fun wedding pool party. If you live near a public beach which allows weddings, you could hold your wedding there and have a beach party afterward.

If you're holding your wedding at your house or the house of someone you know, a Wedding theme party can be a creative, fun and inexpensive way to get married. You could go to an inexpensive craft stores to create any kind of theme wedding you want: Western, Hawaiian, Fifties, Elvis, Star Trek, "Lost" (yes, that's right, a "Lost" theme wedding.)

What other ways can you save money on your wedding?

- Buy your dress secondhand.  You should be able to go to an upscale resale boutique in your city or shop eBay.

- Ask your friends and family to make your food and cake for you in lieu of a wedding gift.

- Instead of using a DJ or live band, use an iPod or MP3 player.

- Stay away from "expensive foods" like shrimp, lobster and beef tenderloin and thow a barbecue instead.  Or, if you have chosen a theme wedding, choose food that goes with the theme. 

- Hold the wedding and reception at lunch time and serve lunch instead of dinner.

- Buy flowers from a local wholesale flower mart or nursery.

- Have a buffet-style meal instead of a more formal dinner.

- Skip the alcohol.

- If no alcohol is not your style, choose bottles of wine and champagne (and beer, if that's your preference) that won't break the bank. If you live in California, inexpensive wines are easy to find. But, if you live elsewhere, there are always labels like Columbia Crest, BV Coastal and Mirassou that are great tasting and inexpensive. Chandon, a label from California, has good, inexpensive sparkling wine for around $13.99 (from dealtime.com). You can always have a more expensive bottle of champagne reserved for the bride and groom.

It's all about priorities. Decide which elements of your wedding are most important to you and which you want to reserve for a major part of your budget and which elements aren't all that important to you.

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