When it comes to life's special occasions they don't come much bigger and better than the day you say "I do". But, with the average wedding costing around £19,000, the big day also has a big price tag! Jessie went to Portmeirion and had some great tips to help you start married life for richer not for poorer.

Dream dress

Forget the favours, flowers and cake. For most brides finding the dress is priority number one. Whether it's a white meringue or a sparkly slinky number that wins your heart, it's likely to be the most expensive piece of clothing you'll ever buy.

When shopping for your bridal gown, don't be tempted to try on a dress that's way over budget. If you fall in love there could be heartbreak around the corner when no other dress will do!

Wait until your local wedding dress shop holds its end-of-season sale. You could get as much as £800 off a fabulous frock. And if you're buying your bridesmaid's dresses at the same shop then make sure you ask for a discount - you could even get a free tiara or veil thrown in.

Head to the high street where buying off-the-peg bridal wear could knock a zero off the end of the price tag. Popular chains offer wedding dresses from as little as £65, a fraction of the cost of a bespoke dress. You can always pay to have it altered or given extra detail by a seamstress.

Unlike most second-hand clothes, a wedding dress is likely to have been worn only once and some may not have been worn at all! There are plenty of specialist websites offering an array of such dresses at big savings:

www.thedressmarket.net
www.sharethedream.co.uk
www.almostnewweddingdresses.co.uk

It's also worth checking out charity outlets specialising in bridal wear: www.oxfam.org.uk/shops/content/bridal.html

Venue value

So the bride's been kissed and the confetti thrown, it's time to celebrate with the new Mr and Mrs. The reception is where the big bucks are spent but it could be where the biggest savings are made.

If you're not wedded to getting married in a church try and find a venue where you can hold both your wedding and reception. You'll save money and won't have to pay to transport your guests from venue to venue. Try and find a flexible venue, as sourcing your own caterers or entertainment will also give you more control over the cost.

Most couples choose a Saturday to get hitched but switch to a different day and you could take advantage of lower rates. Getting married in the cooler, less popular months between November and March could also save you money.

For example, if you got married in Portmeirion on a Saturday in July it would cost around £4,600 for room hire and food. But if you did it on a Sunday in March it would cost around £3,400 - that's a whopping saving of £1,200!

It's called a wedding breakfast but it'll set you back a lot more than a box of cornflakes. Ask if you can change expensive dishes on the menu for cheaper alternatives. If you get married later in the day you'll only need one meal for your guests.

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes...plenty of bubbly to toast the happy couple. Supplying your own wine can often work out cheaper, even if you have to pay a corkage fee.

Piece of cake

These days wedding cakes are more like artistic creations with the possibilities stretching to whatever your imagination can dream up. The bill can run to around £300-400. A cheaper alternative is to pick up plain icing covered fruit cakes which you can get from supermarkets for under a tenner. You could then try and decorate the cake yourself, perhaps even using flowers from your florist, or, even better, if you know someone who's good at baking then why not call on their talents.

Why not get your friends and family to pay for some of your wedding as a wedding gift. There's websites where your guests can contribute to various wedding costs such as your cake, rings, flowers and honeymoon rather than buying you another toaster that you just don't need.

www.youbuymywedding.co.uk
www.buy-our-honeymoon.com
www.trailfinders.com/giftlist
www.rainbowtours.co.uk/index.php?id=854

Blooms on a budget

From button holes to bouquets, flowers add a touch of elegance to any wedding. But they come at a pretty price, too.

Wedding flowers are likely to cost up to £500, so do-it-yourself is the way to go if you're on a budget. Markets and supermarkets are a good source of cheaper blooms. Instead of paying around £30 for a table decoration, cheap vases filled with flowers can be very effective.

But, if you do prefer to use a florist, keep your ideas simple because they charge not only for the flowers but the time it takes to create an arrangement, also try and choose flowers that are in season as they'll usually be a bit cheaper.

Bride and groom tips

Janice and Alwyn Thomas from Caernarfon tied the knot at the end of April and saved a fortune! Here are their top tips:

Janice: "We got married at 3 o clock and at six o clock in the evening we had a hot buffet, so that meant that we only had to have one meal and that helped us to save over £2,000."

Alwyn: "We hired suits for me and the best man which only cost us £75 each."

Janice: "All our flowers were artificial and I managed to get my bouquet for only £50"

Alwyn: "One of our friends is a photographer, so we got him to do the photos for the wedding and that saved us over £500"

Janice: "We bought a cake from the supermarket and we also bought some fairy cakes and we decorated them with white and red icing"

Alwyn: "We got married on a Friday in April instead of a Saturday in August, which saves you loads of money!"

Janice: "I had a budget of £300 for my dress, but I was lucky to find one for £250 in the sale."

Congratulations, you've now got all the tips you'll need to get wed without going in the red. What a great wedding gift!