Weddings are expensive for the bride, groom and other family members, but costs can quickly add up for wedding guests, too! If you find yourself RSVPing to a few weddings this year, read on for a list of the most common expenses and how to combat them. -Andrea Woroch

Wedding Gifts

Use discount gift cards to buy the gift. GiftCardGranny.com sells gift cards to popular stores for wedding registries like Macy’s, Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, Bed, Bath & Beyond and more. By purchasing gift cards at a discount, you can save up to 10 percent by using it to purchase your gift. In fact, you can save even more when you look for coupons or buy the gift during a promotion.

Get creative. An invitation can be framed in a double-sided picture frame as a keepsake for the bride and groom. This gift offers sentiment without breaking the bank, especially since couples typically forget about their invites after they’re distributed.

Start buying now. My year is filled to the brink with weddings this year, not counting my own. With a total of seven wedding invites, we are facing big expenses in travel and gifts alone. To help reduce the blow to our budget, I’ve begun buying one gift each month. This way I can spread out the costs and don’t have to scramble at the last minute for a gift.

Travel Expenses

Shop around for hotel deals. Though you can score a deal through a couples’ negotiated rate, you don’t have to book your accommodations through their recommended hotel. Consider renting a nearby home and split the cost with other friends attending the wedding. This tactic is typically cheaper and represents a fun way to enjoy the festivities. Check VRBO.com for good deals.

Track airfare prices. Most industry experts recommend booking a flight no less than six weeks in advance to secure the lowest cost airfare. Use Yapta.com to help you track airline prices, and continue to use the service after you’ve booked your flight in case of unexpected price drops.

Bridesmaids’ Costs

Do your own makeup and hair. Not every bride offers to pay for beauty services and you could wind up paying over $100 for both. Let the bride know in advance that you prefer to do your own beauty so she doesn’t overbook stylists.

Look for pre-owned bridesmaids dresses. Once the bride decides on the designer and style, scope out eBay or Craigslist where you can find bridesmaids dresses that were likely only worn once for super cheap!

Pre-Wedding Festivities

Choose events wisely. Modern brides are adding more and more pre-wedding events to the list each year. From lingerie parties to bachelorette weekends to separate bridal and couples’ showers, attending all the events for just a single friend’s wedding could put you into some serious debt. If you’re responsible for planning, consider combining all the events into one festivity to keep costs down for all. If you are invited, select one event to attend.

Outfit

Formal fashion rentals. A basic frock won’t due for formal, black-tie events. If you’re invited to an upscale event, consider renting a designer dress from RentTheRunway.com where you can wear a gown from Nicole Miller for less than $75. Though you are paying for something you won’t keep, it’s much more affordable and realistic than blowing $350 on a dress you’ll likely only wear once.

Do the LBD. A classic black dress should be in every woman’s closet since it’s the perfect go-to dress for weddings and can be worn multiple times in one season. Though you don’t want to be dressed in the same attire at each event especially if similar guests go to the same weddings, you can make it fresh by switching up shoes, jewelry and cover-ups like a blazer.

First, to clarify: steampunk began as a sub-genre of science fiction, but has evolved into an romantic, Victorian-esque aesthetic that appeals to Jules Verne readers and corset-lovers alike. As any Pinterest wedding enthusiast will attest, more people have decided the poofy skirts, sleek top hats, shiny goggles, and neat bow ties make for a beautiful escapist non-traditional wedding theme (for more about the culture, see Steampunk District). If you’re thinking about throwing a steampunk themed wedding, we put together some ideas to inspire you!

-Natalie Brown

Your Invitations Are World’s Fair Posters

Steampunk invitations use graphic text to make the invites and save-the-dates set the mood: check out examples from Royal Steamline, “Purveyors of curious invitations,” or My Lady Dye. Consider extravagant phrasing, like “one-night-only wedding sensation” or “join us for a resplendent ceremony.”

Think Like Clockwork

Steampunk-themed weddings often incorporate clock gears and antique clock hands into their designs, drawing on the industrialism of the turn of last century. Bits of clockwork make great cake accents, like in the picture above, and clock hands look very pretty on luxe hats. We’re also fans of these simple place cards from Stacy and Eric’s wedding — and their cake, pictured above.

Let Your Guests Escape Into Another Era

Many steampunk weddings invite their guests to dress up in Victorian-era costume to complete the entire experience. Of course, you should probably make this optional (“costumes are encouraged”), so your guests don’t have to spend cash on a costume.

Remember the Details

Most steampunk weddings create an alternate, sci-fi-ish universe exclusive to that event. Find elements that reflect you as a couple: for example, Kate says she and her husband Jacob “scoured junkyards, flea markets and strange stores to find everything.” You can go casual, like they did, with an outdoor ceremony with hay bales for seating, or dress it up a little like Stacy and Eric did.

Big Swishy Skirts

Like in any wedding, the day’s about you and your groom. Because steampunk is so heavy on the artistic, visual qualities of its world, you both should look the part. Morgan hit the steampunk wedding aesthetic head-on with her ensemble, which mimicked a turn-of-the-century cut, and paired it with lacy Victorian boots and a top hat.

Like Morgan, you can have a steampunk wedding without forsaking the white wedding dress, but the aesthetic does give you freedom to choose a colorful dress, too. Etsy’s a great resource for steampunk wedding dresses, but the genre’s becoming popular enough that local wedding studios may be able to accommodate you, as well.

So you’re the MOH, tasked with throwing a bachelorette party. Problem is, you’ve never actually been to a fun bachelorette party. Somehow, they always end up a boring, watered-down version of what you imagine them to be, with box wine and penis-shaped straws. Friends, it doesn’t have to end this way.

While there’s no exact prescription that fits every variety of bridal party, keeping a few particulars in mind while you plan can make your final experience soooo much cooler. -Natalie Brown

Keep the bride in mind

Most importantly, keep your lines of communication with the bride open the entire time: make sure you ask her who she’d absolutely like invited. Don’t stress too much about accommodating everyone, especially if they’re scattered to different cities, but do make sure everyone who needs to be invited gets their invitation. Pick a date that’s not too far away, and not too close to the wedding day. You and the bride don’t want to be hungover on the day of the wedding!

Whatever you’re planning, make sure to discuss it with the most important invitees (that is, the people the bride wants sticking around all night). You don’t want guests ducking out before the party’s over, and you don’t want them sulking in a corner because they’re offended by the strange stripper in his underwear.

Don’t just focus on penis-shaped cakes

Chances are, the bride has seen a penis before. Why put it at the center of your all-girls fun fest?  It’s her day, so do something that she’ll remember and love — if she’s not into drinking, don’t buy a bunch of alcohol or plan a wine tasting. Of course, if she’s told you she’d love penis-shaped cakes and male strippers, go for it! …but if those typical “bachelorette party” accoutrements will make her (or too many of the guests) uncomfortable, don’t buy that cake or hire those strippers.

Don’t make the bride pay for anything!

It’s a big night for her, so unless you’re planning a week-long bachelorette vacay, you and the rest of the bridal party can pay for her dinner and the rest of the party. Another thing to remember: stick within your budget. You don’t want to feel guilty about how much money you spent, and you don’t want your guests griping about how much money they had to spend. It all depends on your particular situation.

Plan In Advance

Group classes — salsa, pole dancing, belly dancing, exotic dancing — make for awesome bachelorette parties. You all get to learn something fun and feel sexy, and spend time with each other without having to come up with random topics to talk about. But you’ll want to book your classes as far in advance as possible, and make sure you’re confirmed a couple days before it’s supposed to happen.

Dinner, whether you start off your evening eating or head over after learning how to sexily slide down a pole, is an essential part of a night out. You don’t want people getting hungry! Go somewhere your bride loves (ask her!) and make reservations several days in advance. If you plan to go to bars afterward, or drink, consider renting a limo, if it’s in your budget. That way, no one has to be the designated driver.

A word of caution: don’t overschedule yourself, you want plenty of time to relax and have fun with each other without having to worry about what to do next.

Not Into a Night Out?

Sometimes, not all of the guests are under the age of 40…or maybe the bride just doesn’t want to dance on a bar with a costume veil on her head. So don’t schedule a bar hopping trip! Instead, look into booking an afternoon at a spa, or a wine tasting at a nearby vineyard.

Or, head over to Goodwill and find the best 80s prom dresses your $20 can buy. Get all glammed up like you’re in middle school giving each other makeovers, watch 80s movies, dance to 80s music, and make a sleepover of it all! This isn’t the brides last “night of freedom,” whatever that means. This is a chance for the bride and all of her best friends to celebrate her and her wedding before the formal ceremonies begin. Don’t let yourself get all tied up in expectations — just have fun with it!

Yes, it’s your special day. But it’s a pretty expensive day once you tally all those price tags. Why blow the budget on the perfect pair of sparkly wedding shoes, when you can buy any of these completely gorgeous, totally sparkly, blinged-out and bejeweled pairs of “I Do” shoes for under $100? -Molly Friedman

These Platinum by Dyeables Jade Sandals ($44.94 at dsw.com) feature a dainty jeweled t-strap and comfortable heel height.

Dress – check. Shoes – check. Venue – check. Hair – ….wait a minute, you didn’t forget your hair, did you? It will frame your smile in all the pictures, hold your veil in place, and keep those pesky strands out of your face while you’re dancing. Okay, you probably already knew it was important, but how do you find the perfect style among the thousands of ideas out there? -Natalie Brown

Answer These Questions

They will provide you with a few basic guidelines to help you think about what will work best before you begin looking around.

1. What type of bride are you? Girly? Sophisticated? Playful? Glamorous? Traditional?
Only you know the answer to this question. You’ll want a hairstyle that fits the look and feel of your dress — whatever you think will fit it best. Don’t feel like you have to stick with an updo if that’s what you mom considers mandatory for weddings. You can wear your hair down!

2. How do you want your veil or hair accessory to work with your hairstyle?
Will it stick out funny from beneath your veil? Do you want flowers cascading down the back — and if you do, will they be covered for part of the ceremony?

3. Consider your venue for both your ceremony and your reception. How much will you be dancing or jumping around?
You want to be comfortable and to look great the entire time, and that depends on you and your reception style.

Prepare in advance

Browse the internet for your favorite styles — Pinterest, theknot.com, and brides.com are great places to start. Don’t feel overwhelmed by the variety of choices. Pretend you are your own weddings editor. Start your own Pinterest board to keep all of your favorite ones in one place, and spend a few days collecting them. Then, print out your top 20, and narrow it down to five from there.

Get the right accessories

Traditionally, brides wear a veil (more on how to find your perfect veil here). Consider whether or not you’re going to wear your veil during the reception. If not, you’ll want to find a style that works both with and without the veil. Brides breaking tradition — not a bad thing! — will want to make sure they know what other accessories, if any, they want to wear.

A note on fresh flowers: you won’t want to put them in your hair until the very last minute. Keep them in water in the refrigerator until you put them in your hair, and apply your final coat of hairspray before pinning them in, because the chemicals can damage the flower.

Meet with your stylist beforehand

Bring your veil and anything else you want in your hair, unless of course you plan to wear fresh flowers. Show them your top five styles, and talk to them about timelines, pricing, and what final style you’d like.

You’ll probably want them to try the style out on you during your consultation, so you know you get exactly what you want. Wear a white tee with a neckline that matches your dress — that way, you can get a good idea of what it will look like in photos.

Speaking of photos, take a few pictures of the final product. When you get nervous about it later on, you’ll be able to look at them and reassure yourself, or call for another consultation in case you change your mind.

You can also request that your stylist try two or three different styles on you, so you can have time to think it over and choose — just make sure you get photos of both of them from every angle.

Do you have any ideas or suggestions for deciding on your perfect style? Share below!

Details matter when planning a wedding, down to the exact shade of pink Essie polish you and your bridesmaids wear and the post-reception shoes you slip on when you head to the airport. But all of those little things can add up to one big price tag if you’re not careful. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you find shoes, jewelry, and even bridesmaid dresses for less than $100 (and in some cases, less than $20). -Natalie Brown

Shoes

You don’t have to buy Choos to have fab feet on your big day. Whether you go for an accent color or a basic white, you can find almost any look for less than $100. The BCBG Paris Faythe Metallic Sandal ($59.95 at dsw.com) is strappy and elegant, and definitely has wearability potential beyond the ceremony. Going for something more sparkly? Try rsvp Gigi in Gold ($79 at zappos.com). For a shoe that lets you dance until the wee hours of the morning, pick the Lucia Metallic Jewel Encrusted Flip Flops ($29.50 at davidsbridal.com).

Jewelry

You can have matching jewelry for you and your bridesmaids without splurging on real pearls. Go for understated sparkle with the Givenchy Crystal Stud Earrings ($32 at nordstrom.com). Your bridesmaids will be amazed when you pass out Nadri Pearl Hand-Knotted 8mm Pearl Necklaces ($65 each at dillards.com). Or, opt for something more ornate with these Opal Essence Opal Double Drop Pierced Earrings ($55 at carolee.com) — you’ll get a discount if you order 5 or more, so you can hand one out to every bridesmaid.

Hair Accessories

You can have a gorgeous handmade accessory for less than a typical Starbucks order, like this Champagne Satin Flower ($11 on etsy.com). Go feminine with the Bridal Classic Bow ($45 on shopbando.com), or sparkly with the Belle Hair Comb ($35 at lovealwaysannemarie.com).

Bridesmaid Dresses

Put your besties in something they’ll really love, like this Ally McTeal Dress ($59.99 at modcloth.com), a strappy, flowy number. The One Shoulder Chiffon Dress with Petal Detail ($99.99 at davidsbridal.com) comes in over a dozen colors, so you can make sure it fits your wedding’s theme. Go for ultra simple and accessorize in this Pleated A-Line Dress ($24.80 at forever21.com).

Reception Dresses

We like the idea of wearing something white to the reception, even if you don’t want to be burdened by your heavy ceremony dress. Save a little cash for your honeymoon with this Feather Ice Dress ($89.99 at modcloth.com). Looking for something with girly lace? Try this Pleated Texture Lace Dress ($29.80 at forever21.com). Option three: pick an ankle-length maxi, like this ASOS Maxi Dress ($93.25 at asos.com).

Getaway Clothes

Because really, who wants to wear a cocktail dress to the airport? Stay warm on the plane in this Merino Boyfriend Sweater ($88 at jcrew.com) and your favorite pair of jeans, then pull it off to reveal the Soutache Embroidered Henley in Marine ($68 at cwonder.com). Wear cute but comfy shoes, like the Audrey Slip-On Boat Shoe in Platinum Leather ($80 at sperrytopsider.com).

You know your best friend’s outfit is taken care of on her big day (dress, veil, garter, check). But what should you wear when you want to look gorgeous and stylish without stealing any — and we mean any – of her thunder? We’ve got you covered. -Molly Friedman

The Dress

The style of your dress will depend on how fancy your friend’s wedding is, ranging from a casual beach wedding to a fun, nighttime soiree at sunset, or a formal church wedding. We suggest going with either a classic color like blue, black or red, or a simple pattern like polka dots. See above for a few suggestions, from left to right: Milly Eclipse Dress ($395 at millyny.com); Nikki Poulos Garbo Polka Dot Dress ($185 at sheckyscloset.com); J.Crew Sinclair Halter Dress in Yacht Green (on sale for $99.99 at jcrew.com).

The Jewelry

Spring and summer weddings usually mean you can go a little more colorful with your jewelry than usual. We love these Mad Jewels Angelina Earrings ($84 at sheckyscloset) for an outdoor event, and this Bita Poortavousi Big Chunk of Turquoise Ring ($60 at sheckyscloset) if you’re stuck wearing a super-formal black or white gown. We’re also a fan of floating stones since they tend to go with everything. Try the Dara Ettinger Harmony Necklace ($99 at shopbop.com).

The Bag

Stick to clutches. The last thing you want to do at a wedding is lug around a heavy shoulder bag. It’s hard to resist this Street Level Cool Mint Square Clutch ($44 at sheckyscloset), or this sparkly Nine West Magic Mirror Small Clutch (on sale for $29.99 at macys.com). And for more formal affairs, hold on to the Street Level Sleek Black Lasercut Envelope Clutch ($44 at sheckyscloset.com).

So you found the guy, the dress, the cake, and the waterproof mascara of your dreams. But what about finding the perfect scent to wear down the aisle? With the launch of Oscar de la Renta’s Something Blue perfume, we decided to investigate which fragrances are worthy of the most romantic day of your life: your wedding day.

- Molly Friedman

Oscar de la Renta Something Blue ($85 at oscardelarenta.com)
With base notes of amber and vanilla and top notes of fresh mandarin, neroli, and a touch of Lily of the Valley, this is definitely Mr. de la Renta’s most romantic fragrance yet.

Planning a budget wedding isn’t new, but with all of those fabulous wedding shows (Say Yes to the Dress, anyone?), it can be tempting to go all-out on your big day. Your wedding doesn’t have to seem bare-bones to cost less than $5,000, though and we’re here to prove it. Don’t believe us? We’ve put together an entire budget, which you can check out at the bottom of the page. -Natalie Brown

Pick the Right Date
Many people get married in the summertime so that their friends and relatives with children can attend. But, if you can manage to book in the off-season, like November, January, February, or March, then you will save exponentially. You should also choose a Friday or a Sunday for the big day. Everyone gets married on a Saturday, so — if you recall that supply and demand thing from high school econ — basic economics means prices go up on that day.

Invitations and Save the Dates
Despite what Pinterest may lead you to believe, you don’t need a save-the-date! Between printing and postage, these can run you between $100 and $400. If you absolutely must have a save the date, do one via email. You can still make it e-cute!

For your mailed invitations, don’t buy anything too bulky or large. You’ll want to make sure they mail at standard postage, which is 45 cents per letter, if you use a Forever Stamp. That also means they can’t weigh more than 13 ounces each. Instead of including a formal RSVP card and envelope (which will double your postage costs, considering you’d want to stamp the return envelope for them), request an RSVP to a personalized email address, like JohnandPocahontasWedding@gmail.com.

Guest List
We have four words for you: the smaller, the better. The fewer people you invite, the fewer invitations you have to send out, the fewer chairs and tables you have to rent, the fewer people you have to wine and dine, the fewer favors you have to buy…and so on. Keep it to just close friends and family — the people most important to you as a couple.

Dress
We promise that you won’t have to sacrifice your dream dress to your budget, if you look hard enough. You don’t even have to fit into a sample size, although if you can, go for it. Call different wedding boutiques in your area to see if they have a sample sale scheduled.

Some wedding dress sales benefit charities, like Brides Against Breast Cancer, which takes gown donations and uses the money from gowns sold to benefit breast cancer research.  For that particular site, though, you’ll have to find them at a show near you. Lucky enough to live in New York? Head over to The Bridal Garden, which sells one-of-a-kind designer gowns at up to 75% off to benefit the Brooklyn Charter School.

You can also try hunting Craigslist, Etsy, and eBay for brides selling their gowns. You can also find websites devoted to wedding resale, like Tradesy – you might get lucky and find your dream designer dress for half the price.

Venue
For those of you wanting to get married in a church, especially if it’s your church, you can probably rent their reception halls or other rooms for a discounted rate. Otherwise, go for parks, beaches, private homes, zoos, farms, ranches, aquariums, gardens…do some research to find out what’s available in your area. Again, if you get married in the off-season, then you will pay much less for your venue. Country clubs, hotel ballrooms, and, um, castles all run up the bills really quickly.

Decor and Flowers
Flowers, especially florist-designed flowers, can really run up your costs. Instead, try buying loose stems in bulk from an online flower retailer like FiftyFlowers, and making the arrangements yourself. There are thousands of DIY instructions around the web, like this one from Wedding Chicks. If you’d rather just order them from a local florist, stick to in-season blooms, and avoid cascades, which require more labor (and therefore cost more).

Cake
There are a couple of strategies you can use to save on your cake. We don’t necessarily recommend you do it yourself — a cake is quite an undertaking — unless you’re an experienced baker and have some help. You can order a small fancy cake for your photos and for the fun cutting photos, and have a simpler, larger sheet cake in the back to serve guests. Or, you can order a very basic cake from a baker, and decorate it yourself. Use fresh flowers (like leftovers from your bulk flower order), real satin ribbon, or whatever you want to have. Individual sugar fondant flowers may look nice, but they can be more expensive than real flowers.

Reception
Never have a cash bar! If you don’t want to have an open bar, serve signature cocktails, a champagne punch, or just beer and wine. For many brides, a Champagne toast is very important, but you can save on the cost by choosing a Prosecco or Cava instead of an authentic Champagne. Both bubbly wines are made in the same way as real Champagne, but are made in Italy and Spain, respectively.

Food-wise, you have to decide whether you want a full meal, or host a simple cocktail reception. Full meals tend to be less expensive if they’re lunch or brunch instead of dinner. You should also opt for a buffet over a waiter-staffed meal, that way you have fewer staff to pay. Many venues have packages, if you ask.

The Music
Don’t hire a string quartet for your ceremony, and don’t hire a DJ for your reception — unless you know someone willing to give you a discounted rate. Instead, make several playlists and load it up on your iPod. Make one for your walk down the aisle, one for your party, and one for your grand exit. If you’d like, you have your guests suggest a song that they like in their RSVP.

Favors
How many weddings have you been to? How many of them had any favors that you haven’t thrown away? Skip the favors, or give away little edible things, like cookies. Depending on how many guests you’re inviting, you can even bake your own, with the help of a few friends.

Or, make a donation to your favorite charity in lieu of favors. You can print out a little sign about it to have on a table at the reception, and maybe put out a little bowl of candy.

Photography
This is the one area where we advise you not to skimp. You — and your children, and your parents, and your grandchildren, and your nieces, and so on — will look at these wedding photos (hopefully) for the rest of your life, so you want to make sure they will be photos that you love.

That said, you can work with your photographer so they only charge you for a minimal amount of time — ideally, the ceremony, the beginning of the reception, and the cake-cutting. Have your friends take your getting-ready pictures, and have all of your guests download one of the many wedding photo apps out there, like WedPics or WeddingSnap, which then download all of the photos your guests take into a single album. You can go in afterward and pick your favorites to keep forever.

Where to buy everything in Shecky’s Does a Wedding
Invites: Bride and Groom Billboard on 123Print; Venue: The Pavilion at Queens County Farm Museum; Chair Rental from Ace Party & Tent Rental; Dress: Oleg Cassini Dress on Tradesey; Bouquet and centerpiece flowers: 50 Rose Wedding Pack from FiftyFlowers; Cake: Basic Buttercream Iced Cake from Truly Custom Cakery; Drinks: La Marca Prosecco from Ultimate Wine Shop; Champagne Flute Rental from Ace Party & Tent Rental; Hors d’oeuvres from Fresh Direct: 4 Antipasti Platters (serves 50 people, 10 people/platter), 2 17’’ Crudites Masterpiece Platter (serves 48 people, 24 people/platter), 2 European Specialty Cheese Plates (serves 28 people, 12 people/platter), 2 Large Assorted Pinwheels Platters (108 pieces, 54 pieces/platter); 600 Paper Plates on Amazon; 500 Paper Napkins on Uline; Favors: Feed a Family for 2 Months at Feeding America; Photographer: Associate from Maggie Marguerite Studios

Whether you’re in an LTR or totally single, it’s always fun to fantasize about finding the perfect engagement ring. You probably know about the “4 C’s” — cut, color, clarity and carat — but have you considered the 5th “C”? Yes, we’re talking about celebrities. Hollywood engagement rings have gotten bigger and badder than ever in recent years, and they make for great inspiration when picking out your own bling. We rounded up a list of the most unique celebrity engagement rings, as well as some pretty freakin’ good replicas. If you’re looking to score one, we suggest “accidentally” leaving this article open the next time your boyfriend’s around. Hey, Valentine’s Day is coming up…you never know!

–Lauren Urban

Blake Lively’s Engagement Ring (left), Lookalike (center)

One of the most gorgeous Hollywood engagement rings belongs to Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively, who got hitched to Ryan Reynolds in September 2012. The 10-carat sparkler, which was custom designed by  Lorraine Schwartz, features an oval-cut, light pink center stone set in a rose gold band with pave diamonds. While you can’t have Ryan (wahhh), you can have a Blake lookalike ring! Check out the Blake Lively Engagement Ring Inspiration With Ziamond Cubic Zirconia ($3,995 from ziamond.com). The impressive fake Blake ring boasts an oval, 9-carat center stone with three rows of pave. You can even customize the colors, metals, shapes and stone.