10 tips for a stylish (low-cost) wedding

7. Flowers
Enlist a keen friend to arrange flowers or go minimalist with a single lily or rose. Alternatively, ask guests to each bring a single bloom to your ceremony then collect them into a ready-made bouquet. Hire or borrow bay trees, hanging baskets, pots and topiary. For tables, ignore expensive cut flowers in favour of small pots of sweet peas, herbs or silk flowers.

8. Photography
Some couples regret the quality of their photographs, as they are one of the few tangible memories of a whirlwind day. Do check out lots of portfolios and ensure value for money by detailing every shot and size of print you want. Look for a photographer who captures sharp, expressive portraits combined with the communication skills to organise large groups.

9. Food and drink
Wedding catering can be notoriously stingy so negotiate hard over quantity and quality. Be wary of hidden costs like corkage, staffing and table decorations. If at all possible, buy your own soft drinks and alcohol. Ordering from an online supermarket means cases can be delivered straight to your venue. For the wedding cake, home-made sponges often taste better than professional iced blocks and can double as desserts. Alternatively, most supermarkets now offer boxed wedding cakes at around £60 compared to the average confectioner's cake costing £275.

10. Honeymoon
The average couple spend £2828 on a honeymoon, but a little creativity can buy something unforgettable for as little as £500. Organise a house swap or borrow a friend's house abroad. Rent a romantic cottage far from the crowd. Consider low cost flights plus a discounted hotel in a romantic city of Europe. Don?t forget that many honeymoon competitions get low entries due to date restrictions ? so start posting entries early

Laura Bloom's journal The Wedding Diaries - How to Get Married in Style Without Breaking The Bank is available from good bookshops or from www.whiteladderpress.com (01803-813343) priced £9.99

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