Save $3,000 on Your Wedding Day

May 25, 2006 — -- With the average American wedding coming with a price tag ranging from $20,000 to $25,000, couples are looking for any way to keep down costs.

Thankfully, it's Millie Martini Bratten to the rescue. The editor in chief of Bride's magazine shared three simple ways that could save you $3,000 on your wedding.

You can find her tips below:

"Hire" a Friend to Disc Jockey
A DJ typically charges about $850. Having a friend create a music mix for the cocktail hour, dinner and then dancing on his or her iPod can save you money, as well as your friend, because that can serve as his or her gift!

Forget the Flowers
Floral centerpieces for tables can cost about $150 a piece. Multiply this by 11 tables -- the average number of guests at weddings is 165 -- and table flowers will cost around $1,650.

Instead of flowers, rent 11 large, low glass bowls for $10 each, fill them with colored water that matches your color scheme, and float five colored votives -- $30 for 60 votives -- in each along with a few flower heads -- $1 a piece. The centerpieces will cost about $215, which means more than $1,433 in savings on flowers.

Get Two Wedding Cakes
A designer wedding cake costs about $12 a slice, so a cake for 165 guests costs $1,980. To save money, buy a smaller designer cake for 50 -- $600 -- that you can cut at the ceremony and have a sheet cake -- about $575 -- in the kitchen that you can serve to the guests. You'll save $805.