The average cost of a wedding is at an all time high; with an average day costing around 25,000 dollars it accounts for why the industry is worth an astonishing 25 billion dollars. There is huge pressure on young people to spend vast sums of money on their wedding but it really isn't necessary; although you may not believe it now, a cheap wedding can be arranged which everyone will enjoy. However, sometimes all that is needed is some help with the planning to help lower that total; generally making savings on those aspects that are always expensive.

1. Hand Made Wedding Gowns - Fortunately there are several options available to help reduce this cost, including the option of a dress that has been worn before. As the wedding dress has probably only been worn once anyway and you can get a once expensive dress for half the price; consider buying an evening gown or cocktail dress from a department store perhaps even look into renting your dress for the day.

2. Wedding Reception Preparations - The wedding reception is normally the biggest expense and where costs can get out of hand; to reduce the financial outlay look at how many guests you plan to invite to your cheap wedding. Don't invite everyone you know, in particular relatives you haven't seen since you were a child; as far as the meal is concerned why not have a buffet instead of a full, waited on, three course meal.

The venue of the wedding reception can also be somewhere less expensive than the local golf club or hotel; using a small club for example will mean the drinks bill is less by only catering for wine, beer and soft drinks at the bar.

3. Your Wedding Pictures - The obvious choice is to shop around for the best rates, but look at hiring the photographer just for the service; ask family members and friends to take photos of the reception - most will be more than happy to do this. Although it may sound like an unusual idea, you always have the option to not use a professional photographer at all; there is no reason why the photos can't be taken by your guests and you will find yourself saving many hundreds if not thousands, of dollars.

4. Cheaper Contemporary Invites - It is also easy to save money on your wedding by designing and printing all your own stationery; with a good computer program and a home printer it is amazing how professional the results are these days. With sophisticated customization tools you'll be able to enter your own text and preview it before you print; so as not to make any costly mistakes, all from the benefit of your probably underused PC.

5. Wedding Flowers - Florists and flower arranging can be very expensive, especially for special occasions; why not buy them direct and arrange them yourself or enroll a friend to do this for you. Wedding cakes are another costly item but this can easily be made by a friend; these days' people often experiment with different fillings that do not rely on fruit - which has been used in cakes for generations.

6. Wedding Cars and Limousines - Lastly, instead of a limousine why not rent a car or borrow a luxury car from a friend or relative; most will be pleased to help.

Remember, a cheap wedding does not necessarily mean a bad wedding; just think of how much you will have saved to start your new life together!