Fifty dollars here or a hundred dollars there may not seem like much at the time, but these little amounts can soon add up.
The following ten affordable wedding ideas can easily be incorporated into your wedding plans to help you cut costs with very little effort.
Traditional engraved wedding invitations can be costly. The good news is using your computer and printer to make your own invitations is easy to do and will save you a lot of money. You can find a variety of quality paper at both online and locally at craft stores or office supply stores. Web based and local stores that sells scrapbooking supplies will also have a nice selection of paper. In fact many discount department stores have craft sections that offer card stock and stationary paper. There are many websites where you will find fancy fonts(many that are free) that can be downloaded to your computer. You can look around at the different websites that sell wedding invitations to get ideas for wording and layout and then experiment with inexpensive paper until you get the look you want.
Wedding programs are another item that you can print yourself to save money. As with the wedding invitations look around for ideas and then create your programs yourself.
Don’t buy shoes that are marketed as “bridal shoes”, instead purchase a nice pair of pumps or sandals that you know you will wear in the future. There is little reason to spend a lot of money on something that almost no one will see. Your comfort should be the only real concern with shoes. 
Live bands are often the choice for music for the reception, but unless band members are your friends or relatives and offer to play for a reduced price, hiring a band is expensive. A more affordable alternative is to hire a DJ to take care of the music. An even less costly idea is to create a play list on your ipod and hook it up to speakers.
Wedding cakes are another expensive part of the wedding reception. One way to make the cake more affordable is by choosing a small wedding cake to decorate the table and use in pictures and then ordering sheet cakes in a quantity that will feed your guests. If the sheet cakes are made to match the small cake on the table and placed on plates in the kitchen, most guests will never even notice. Another idea is to order layer cakes in three different sizes and specify that they be frosted in your choice of icing with a smooth finish. The cakes can be placed on the table on pretty cake stands in different heights and fresh flowers can be used to pretty them up. 
An open bar at the wedding reception is one of the most costly choices you can make. A more affordable option would be to limit the alcohol served to only beer and wine. Skipping the alcohol altogether is the most budget friendly option. You can instead offer your guest iced tea, water or coffee with the meal and offer punch on the cake table. 
Elaborate reception table centerpieces are another big expense. While you don’t want bare tables, you can keep the centerpieces simple and save a good bit of money. A single rose or pretty candle floating in a glass bowl makes a simple, elegant and inexpensive centerpiece. Confetti in a color or colors that coordinate with the wedding decor can be sprinkled around it for additional color. 
Affordable wedding photographers can sometimes be hard to find and might require thinking outside the box to accomplish. An idea that was recently shared with me was to inquire at a local camera store for a photographer. The person who did this found an outstanding photographer who was just beginning his business at a very good price. The wedding pictures were fabulous.
Many brides purchase disposable cameras for the guests to use to take pictures at the reception. One drawback of this is the cost of developing the pictures which may or may not be good pictures. A cost saving method is to encourage your friends and family to bring their own digital cameras to use instead. You will still get the benefit of the candid reception photos, but you will only need to spend the money to print those that you really like.
Napkins that are stamped with the wedding date and the names of the bride and groom are nice, but are also an unnecessary expense, after all they will only end up in the trash. To cut costs purchase napkins in a solid color that coordinate with the wedding colors. I hope these affordable wedding ideas will help you to cut some costs for your wedding.
thanks to the following:
http://www.bestbudgetweddingideas.com/affordable-wedding-ideas-10-tips-to-save-you-some-money.html#more-233
