On average, couples spend about $27,000 for a wedding. Yikes! We’re not even including the honeymoon or engagement ring into the figure. For someone in school, forking over that much money is pretty much an impossibility. However, your big day doesn’t have to be that expensive. Here’s a list of 12 ways you can have a wedding on the cheap.

1. Have the ceremony and reception at someone’s house. Renting a reception hall is expensive, and often churches charge a hefty fee for using it for weddings. Why not save some money by having your wedding at yours or someone else’s house? I’ve been to a few weddings where people have done this, and it’s been great. They just set up some chairs in the backyard that has lots of pretty flowers everywhere. Not only do you save money on the location, you save money on flowers.

2. Keep it small. Do you really need to invite 500 people to your wedding? By keeping the guest list to family and close friends you save on the amount of food you have to buy for the wedding. But besides saving money, you keep your wedding intimate. My wife and I had a small wedding. I think we had 75 guests, just family and a few close friends. What I liked most about it was I was actually able to talk to everyone at my wedding.

3. Hire a friend or student to do your photos. Wedding photos can cost a fortune. If you have a friend who does photography as a hobby or if you know a student who’s studying photography, hire them instead of a professional to take the photos. My wife and I had one lady who does photography as a hobby take our engagement photos and some of the pictures at the wedding. She did a great job and she didn’t charge that much either.

4. Buy your wedding rings on the internet. You can save some big bucks if you buy your rings on the net. My wife and I bought our rings on the internet and got a really great deal on them. We saw the same ring at a jewelry store for almost double the price.

5. Have wedding pie instead of wedding cake. Wedding cake is overrated. Plus, I have a theory that kno one really likes wedding cake, but everyone loves pie! My wife and I did this for our wedding and everyone loved it. Instead of having one huge expensive cake, we had several different pies.

6. If you have to have a cake, keep it small. Don’t go overboard on the cake. Honestly, no one remembers what wedding cakes look like. Why spend a ton of money on it?

7. Rent your wedding outfits. Rent your wedding dress. You only wear it once in your life. Dudes, just rent your tux.

8. Ladies, have someone make your dress. Ladies, if you want to keep your dress, instead of buying one at a fancy wedding botique, have somone make it for you. My mother-in-law made my wife’s dress and it turned out great. The only cost was material.

9. Don’t use tuxedos. Instead of a tux, I got hitched in a suit. I bought a new one for the wedding, but the investment was worth it because I’ve been able to wear it since then. Have everyone in your wedding party just wear a suit and you save a ton of money on rentals.

10. Make your own invitations. One friend of ours did this and the invitations were pretty cute. I’m sure she saved a ton of money by doing this. Computers now a days have some awesome publishing software. Take advantage of it.

11. Make your own DJ. DJ’s are expensive and annoying. I don’t need someone to tell me to raise my hands in the air or do the chicken dance. Here’s how to make your own DJ. First, make a huge playlist of music on winamp, iTunes, or Windows Media. Borrow someone’s stereo and speakers. Plug your laptop into the stereo, push play on your playlist, and whola! Instant DJ.

12. Ditch the alcohol. Booze at weddings can really raise prices. You can save a ton by not serving it. If you decide to have alcohol, don’t do the full bar service. Instead, buy your own wine and champagne and serve it yourself.

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