Weddings can be incredibly expensive. Although it’s your day to shine as you begin your new life as a married couple rather than as a single individual, it’s also important for you to remain financially responsible. It’s one thing to want your venue to be in a church and another to be in a church on the other side of the world because you happen to enjoy the lighting.

Therefore, here’s a number of ways to help you save on your wedding so you and your bride or groom can begin a new life together with money in your pocket for your honeymoon or new house.

1. DIY projects
   DIY projects are immensely popular right now because of the wave of demand for handmade products. If you can do certain things for your wedding on your own such as making the placards for your guests’ dinner tables (the average number of wedding guests is 136 people according to a 2014 Wedding Study from The Knot) or arranging your own flowers, you can end up saving more money than you would think. Little expenses add up, so even doing something as simple as decorating the pews along the aisles by yourself will save you a good amount of money.

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3. Rent a tent, house, or venue
   Party rentals can save you money too. By renting a house or a tent, you can have your ceremony and reception in the same place, saving money and travel expenses not only for yourself but for your guests as well. If your wedding is during the summer months, consider a tent rental. Tent rentals allow your guests to be shaded from the summer sun and provides your bridal party with optimal space for dancing and eating once you and your new husband or wife have said your I-dos.

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5. Get married on campus
   Speaking of party rentals, your college campus is a great place to get married. Not only will you save money (most colleges offer their alumni savings on wedding ceremonies when they’re done on campus or in the college chapels), but you’ll also have a beautiful venue. Many colleges are older buildings, which gives you a great backdrop for your wedding photos, and have beautiful landscaping designs in their yards.

It’s understandable to want to spend a lot of money on your wedding ceremony, but saving money doesn’t have to mean sacrifice. You have plenty of wonderful and beautiful options to choose from -- from party rentals such as tents and houses to cute handmade invitations -- as a means of saving money for your wedding. And whatever money you don’t spend on the ceremony, you can spend on specialties abroad on your honeymoon.