Your wedding budget is one of the first things to consider before you begin to plan your wedding. Contrary to popular belief you can have a luxury wedding without spending a fortune.

The 5 tips below will help you cut costs without sacrificing the quality of your wedding!

1 - Consider the Time of the Year

As with any business, when you are planning your wedding you are creating business for wedding vendors. This means that you will encounter peak times and it is during these peak times the prices will be more expensive. The peak time of the year for weddings is late spring and the summer season. The date of the week that is peak is usually Saturday evenings. Consider getting married during the off season. A Sunday afternoon in February can be equally elegant and romantic if done right. In fact, winter weddings are just as stunning as summer weddings and are less expensive.

2- Wedding Dresswww.floraswedding.com/index.php/bridal-gowns/mermaid.html

Wedding dresses can be very expensive; however, elegant stylish wedding gowns do not have to cost a fortune! Consider visiting a sample sale within your city or travel to a large metropolitan city such as New York. When you visit a sample sale you can get designer wedding gowns at discount prices.

3 - Decoration

Decorations can be very expensive. Your flower and venue décor can cost as much as catering and securing a venue! A garden wedding hardly needs additional floral arrangements, while an ornate church may be breathtaking on its own. Try to choose a venue that is breathtaking at its own and you will save a ton on decorations!

4 - Consider Cutting the Guest List

The math is very simple: more people equal more money. Typically, catering costs are charged per person. For example: if the cost per person for food & beverage is $100, the difference between 100 and 150 people is $5,000! That's the cost a of luxury honeymoon at a top all resort. More people also means more tables which equals more linens and center pieces all of which are additional costs.

5 - Hire a Wedding Planner

They can negotiate better deals with vendors on their clients' behalf. For example: The cost of the venue for your wedding will hold a large percentage of your budget. Details need to be negotiated up front, so a planner can save you up to 20% per guest. Imagine paying $120 per head vs. $150? That's a savings of $3,000 for a wedding party with 100 guests!