Mon. Jul 20, 2009 | 10:40 AM
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A beautiful wedding doesn't have to be a costly one.

Your wedding day should be the most beautiful of your life and you shouldn't be worrying about if it's going to break the bank. Celebrity event planner, David Tutera, visited with us and gave a few ideas for planning your big day on a small budget.

Here's a few ways you can make your special day especially cost-effective.

Fake & Bake
We NEVER would have thought of this one -- but man what a good idea. Instead of spending a small fortune on a bunch of cake and icing that eventually is nothing but a memory, rent a "dummy" cake from your bakery. David says you can even have your baker make the bottom tier real so you can cut it up and mash it in each other's faces -- as the tradition calls for -- and then when you serve your guests sheet cake they'll be none the wiser. But your newlywed pockets will be fatter for your honeymoon!

Not-So-Pricey Personal Touches
We know that the most important thing to you and your fiancé is making yourselves be seen throughout all the flowers and lace. Don't think that adding your personal touches has to be a costly affair, instead sit down and answer a few of these questions first so you're in touch with what you really want -- and what you will negotiate on.
1. Where did you and your groom meet?
2. Where did you get engaged? How did the proposal happen?
3. What are your top interests, individually and as a couple?
4. What is the style of your home?
5. What is your favorite color?
6. What is your groom's favorite color?
7. What is your design aesthetic? (i.e. Modern and Clean? Traditional & Lush? Romantic?)
8. What are 3 key terms that come to mind when you think about your wedding day?
9. What season is your wedding taking place in?
10. Where is your ceremony location?
11. Why do you like your location so much?
12. What is the style for ceremony?
13. What would your perfect bridal bouquet look like?
14. What color did you always envision your wedding being?
15. What are your favorite flowers?
16. What do you want people to remember about your wedding?

Bridesmaid on a Budget
Even if you're lucky enough to have a fairly large budget, that doesn't mean your girls do too. Being your bridesmaid is an honor and most of your friends will be happy to do it but that doesn't give you free range to ask crazy things of them. You should definitely be in charge of the color scheme and a few key things about the style, (length, level of formality, etc,) but let your gaggle of girls decide on where to get it. Definitely feel free to collaborate and have the final say, but remember not only do they have to be able to afford the dress -- they have to look good in it too! You're the star for sure, but please don't put your besties in burlap sacks.

Tell Us: What are your best money saving wedding tips?


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i think a mother should snoop on thier kids just not all the time just when u suspect something u r usually right so go with yr gutt feeling
Posted by amanda 07/22/09 10:54 AM
 
I thought the show was awesome and had very good advice on how to save money for your wedding, that I personally will keep in mind for my big day next summer. To all the people who left comments about the cake the 3 ladies dug threw for the keys. Don't you guys think Tyra has donated ALOT to different charities around the world?.. It was just a freakin cake people..like come on! And if you have that big of a problem with it, change the channel! Personally I love the Tyra show and watch it everyday!
Posted by Amanda Walker 07/20/09 4:05 PM
 
We are planning on getting married on a budget but making it very personal. My fiance is from Kenya and he absolutely loves Reggae music. Personally, I think there is nothing more fun than Reggae and I want to be sure to incorporate Reggae (on our iPod docking station) in our wedding. I think we may just get our marriage license and invite a JP over the house and whoever else can make it and do a simple little bbq in the backyard on a nice day. I don't see any need for a cake that no one is going to eat or flowers that die. All I care about is marrying the man that I love with the people that we love around us. I also don't see any need to spend thousands on a wedding dress that you're going to wear one day. There are so many beautiful affordable dresses out there. I also don't see any need for a tux. We're just not formal people and I don't see any need to pretend that we are because it's our wedding day. We're all about good people, good food, good times... what else do you really need??
Posted by Kelley White 07/20/09 3:48 PM
 
Are you kidding? A $375 fake cake? My cake cost $125 including delivery and it was delicious. My secret was to go to a Mexican bakery and request a tres leches cake to serve 150 guests. The cake was so good, the caterers were begging for the address of the bakery. And it was gorgeous. Did I mention that this was in NYC, where average cakes go for something like $9 per SLICE?!
Posted by Maureen 07/20/09 2:51 PM
 
I just got married in Cabo San Lucas in Mexico in March and my best trick I used was I bought a bridesmaids dress in ivory and got a a-line dress for under $300!! Also, reccrute your family and friends to help you with anything, it helps alot. My cousins owned the resort we were married at and saved a ton!!!
Posted by Kendra 07/20/09 11:35 AM
 
I loved the bouquet that david tutera displayed on the show today. She wasn't to thrilled about the fans and umbrelllas for the bridesmaids so please send me a picture of the flower bouquet! I want to make it for my sister's wedding
Posted by nancy 06/08/09 2:59 PM
 
I just saw a rerun of a pregnacy episode. There was wigs for infants that haven't grown hair yet!!!! Ridiculos!!!!
Posted by monica 05/27/09 9:58 PM
 
I loved the little tips and stuff you gave on your show. As a military wife now for almost 4 years i never did the big extravagant wedding that we always planned. But we still plan on doing it and renewing our vows with all of our families there which many were not able to be there at our very small ceremony. I love hearing the budget wise tips. Thank you and i hope to incorporate some of the ideas i saw on the show. =)
Posted by Judith 05/26/09 1:28 PM
 
I'm getting married in 6 days. My crazy thing is I had a $300 budget. Crazy huh? Sometimes I can't help thinking this is just some Hill Billy wedding. I had three weeks to plan it as well. I know it shouldn't matter on what the wedding is like because it's about who your marring that day. Thats true. I love the man I'm marring. He's my best friend and soul mate. But I wanted this perfect for him. He's in the navy and so I had to do this on my own. I didn't realize it was so stressful and now that it's getting closer to the wedding, the worse it gets and to top it all off... We don't have the money for the rings. No money because I'm also moving in with him two states away. Leaving everything behind. So between getting a place to live, because they no longer alow him to live on base, and getting married with $300 bucks and having three weeks to plan it left us broke. I don't know what to do now. I don't know if we should exchange flowers instead of rings or what. I can't help to wonder why I'm so sad instead of excited like I should be. Worried it's not the wedding he will love.
Posted by Kimbelry Welker 05/25/09 9:58 PM
 
Saturday night (sunday morning) I saw a nightmare.Did you see this same NIGHTMARE ?
Posted by Anonymous 05/25/09 5:53 PM
 
I never contact TV shows but I made an exception and went online specifically to tell you exactly what Steph already mentioned. Having those brides dig through an expensive cake like that to compete for an expensive dress--when a billion people on this planet are starving to death--how Marie Antoinette!
Posted by Cindy 05/25/09 3:16 PM
 
Yes I totally agree with steph it did look tacky. There could of been plenty other contest they could of did instead of wasting all that cake, when there is people starving in the world..
Posted by Tiff 05/25/09 1:09 PM
 
I am upset over the competition on today's show. I have nothing against three brides competing for a flashy wedding dress, but watching them pounce all over that cake was disgusting. Tyra, don't you know there's a recession going on? Didn't your mama ever teach you not to waste food? I understand that displaying the cake on the street was great PR, but it would have been even greater if it had been donated (intact) to a local shelter or hospice. Those poor girls looked like greedy pigs, and your show looked tacky. Couldn't you find a more appropriate contest for them?
Posted by steph_e1 05/25/09 9:38 AM
 
It was great to have David Tutera on your show "Wedding Divas". Who else would you have to give brides great advice for their most special day other than the wedding guru himself. It's great that he is able to give tips and advice for brides on a budget, especially when most of his clients are not. I wish there was a way to have him as a wedding planner for a bride on a budget for myself.
Posted by Tashea Lowery 05/25/09 8:28 AM



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