After watching the economic news today you may be hesitant about your wedding plans. You need to remember however with just a little creativity you can have your dream wedding at a cost you are comfortable with. Imagination and creativity are two weapons at your disposal that can get what you want at the price you want. I will give you some advice on how to get going:

* Seriously reconsider if you want flower centerpieces. These are gorgeous but also high cost. Something such as a floating candle centerpiece can be done much cheaper and by using a nice container and putting some colored pebbles in the bottom you can have an exquisite centerpiece at a very reasonable cost. Head to the dollar store for great deals on containers.

* Design your own invitations. If you can operate your computer then you can design your own invitations. There are several low cost software packages that allow you to do this easily and the end product is very professional.

* Make your own minister. Your friend can get on the net and easily become a certified minister. Usually it just involves a small fee.

* Think about using a coffee table book instead of a guestbook. It will make a wonderful addition to your decor and will be something your friends will enjoy looking at when they come over.

* Consider renting many of your items instead of buying them. Visit your local rental store and look and see what can be rented for your wedding. Common items include tables, chairs, linens, and even your punch bowl.

* Set up large decorative jars or bowls full of candy at your exit doors. These make a wonderful alternative to wedding favors. Just have a small table with the bowl and a scoop and some small paper cups so your guests can enjoy them as they leave.

* Check and see how many items you can borrow. A lot of your family and friends have been married and may have bought and kept some of their items. See what they have and do not be afraid to ask if you can borrow it for your wedding.

* Look at getting a single tier cake or even cupcakes instead of a fancy multi-tiered cake. You know much of the wedding cake is wasted and thrown away.

* Enlist your friends to be your photographer. With the digital cameras today find a friend who has a knack for taking pictures and ask if they would act as your wedding photographer. Also find a friend to shoot the wedding video.

* Shop around and haggle to get a lower cost venue. Also see if any friends have sufficient property that can host a wedding and a reception. Even consider a state park.

Try to have your wedding in mid afternoon. This is when people are least hungry and instead of a full meal have a table full of snacks and munchies. This will more than satisfy most guests.

Your wedding day is possibly the most important day of your life. It should be awesome. Hopefully you can incorporate some of these tips so that you can have a wedding that you want at a cost you can afford.