Speak to an expert before you start planning

The secret is deciding on a budget beforehand and sticking to it. Although it may not be possible to avoid debt altogether, it's a good idea to keep it short-term. Speak to a consultant at Tesco Finance in the early stages of planning your event, so that you know what financial options are available to you. If you are fortunate certain family members may offer to help pay for the event.

Choose your venue carefully

A good venue will set the tone for your wedding. Remember that it might not be as cost effective as you may think to host the wedding in a private garden or household, because you may still have to rent tables, chairs, cutlery and all sorts of items that are necessary for the comfort of your guests. All these costs can add up and there's the hassle of having to organise every detail and clear up afterwards.

Entertainment

Music is another factor that can make or break a wedding. Live music is costly and a DJ can help to save money, especially if you engage someone who is just starting out in the business. Quality is important so it's a good idea to get referrals from friends and family.

Another way to entertain guests is to do it yourself - some technical equipment is quite affordable and it's possible to get the party started with a good mix of songs downloaded onto a laptop and played through good quality speakers. Make sure you test it beforehand though, and don't leave it to chance on the evening!

Keep the numbers down

Nowadays not many people can afford the traditional big white wedding. At the risk of upsetting certain people, be brutal with your guest list. Keep it to family and close friends and keep in mind that once your guest list is over 100 people, it will be difficult for you and your partner to spend enough time with each guest.

And keep your wedding party small - perhaps the bride can have one attendant instead of bridesmaids and the groom can do with just a best man. This means less designing of the bridesmaid's dresses and hiring of outfits, for example.

The dress

And speaking of outfits - it goes without saying that every bride wants to have the wedding dress of her dreams. But if your budget is struggling to reach as far as a designer dress, there are alternatives. Consider borrowing a dress, perhaps you can borrow your mother's dress and have it altered for example, which will have significant sentimental value on the day. Some brides hire their dress, or you could consider buying one second hand and having it altered to suit you.

Consider the timing

A good way to save money is to have a wedding breakfast or lunch instead of dinner. Feeding people earlier in the day is much cheaper than a sit down dinner and it can help to keep other costs down too, like the cost of the venue.

Alcohol

People understand that the days of free flowing alcohol at the bar are now over and a cash bar, where people pay for their own drinks, has become very acceptable. As long as the venue allows it, it could be cheaper to buy a few cases of wine from a wholesaler and put a mix of white and red wine on each table. A good rule of thumb is to supply a bottle of wine per two guests.

Travel costs

Your honeymoon doesn't have to be exotic and top of the range to be memorable. And you don't have to travel far, in fact reducing the amount of time spent on the road after your nuptials will help to keep stress levels down. Think about taking a honeymoon in a special location in the UK, or something within a relatively short flight range, in Europe for example.

Apart from saving money, staying in the UK for your honeymoon can be more convenient. There's no need for a passport or any travel documents, and if you choose to drive there's less time pressure. And less time spent travelling means more time on honeymoon.

Here's a list of suggestions of popular honeymoon destinations in the UK and abroad:

• A week in a luxurious Scottish castle or country hotel
• An action packed honeymoon in New York, the city that never sleeps
• Walking or cycling in the Yorkshire Dales or Lake District
• A beach holiday in Dubai, take advantage of the shops and gourmet restaurants
• A week in a holiday cottage or boutique hotel in Cornwall
• A romantic hotel break on the Pembrokeshire coast
• A gourmet week in Italy or France enjoying restaurants and wine

Whatever you choose to do, keep it simple and meaningful, don't include detail for the sake of detail and make your choices carefully.

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