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.

* Make your own wedding invitations instead of having them printed. There are lots of websites that will enable you to print your own invitations. Again go to your favorite search engine and type in do it yourself wedding invitations. You will be shocked at what a beautiful invitation you can do yourself.

* Create your own minister. Get one of your friends to become a certified minister. There are tons of places on the net that will certify you as a minister for a small fee.

* Look at alternatives to buying an expensive guestbook. Head to a local hobby store and look at similar items that are much less expensive. Even consider a coffee table book.

* Borrow instead of buying or renting. Check with family and friends and see how much of the items you need they already own. Punch bowls, tables, chairs, linens are just a few of the things you may find you can get for free.

* Give away small treats like candy instead of favors. Whether you put them in some sort of tulle bag or just have them in large jars(with scoops and paper cups) by the exit doors. They will make a much lower cost alternative to an expensive favor.

* 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.

* Reconsider getting an expensive wedding cake. You know how much of the cake is wasted. Consider a smaller single tier cake or even cupcakes.

* Two costs that can also be reduced are your pictures and wedding video. See if one of your friends will act as your photographer and also one to act as your videographer.

* Look at different venues. State parks are great choices or even a friend who has a large backyard are great low cost alternatives.

* Don’t plan to serve dinner at the reception. Small finger sandwiches and other munchies are very popular with people and are much lower cost than a full sit down meal. Also try mid afternoon for your wedding when people are not that hungry.

Using these tips you should be able to have the wedding you desire at a cost you can afford. Your wedding is a very, very special occasion and so should be looked back upon as a joyful day. Knowing that you were able to put on a great event at a reasonable cost should be very satisfying.