There are many other ways to save for a wedding, depending on your daughter's desires. The trick is to think about ways you can reuse items from the wedding and take an inventory of what you own and who you know.

Clothing

Since weddings are becoming more and more like stylized fashion shoots, some brides are opting for less formal wedding dresses (which we covered briefly earlier in this chapter). However, don't berate your daughter if she has decided to wear the “cutest cocktail dress she has ever seen” — one she knows she will wear again. Weddings are not considered “conventions of social etiquette” anymore but rather expressions of the couple and their lifestyles. Don't force her groom to wear a rented tux when he is truly dashing enough in a fantastic navy suit (that he will use again). Both the bride and groom may opt for conventional wedding clothing, but go for super-interesting shoes that they can wear again and again!

Nonprofits

You will be surprised when you dig deep into the information of some nonprofit organizations. You will find that they not only have interesting spaces to rent, but some of the rental fees for their building are actually tax-deductible. Be sure to take a look at interesting local museums, galleries, animal sanctuaries and parks. With interesting artwork and motivated staff, you might even find the service to be better at some of these facilities. A bonus is that you'll be giving back to the community while enjoying your daughter's wedding day.

Call in the Troops

Remember those pot-lucks and those fantastic yard sales you have put on with your neighbors? Why not ask some of the same people to help the day of the wedding? If you just can't afford a wedding planner, ask a neighbor who loves to entertain to help out. Ask your friends about their local babysitters for taking care of the little ones. Ask about borrowing your brother-in-law's BMW to drive your little girl to the ceremony. The list is endless. If saving money is a top priority, take stock in the people you have in your life that can help save while making your daughter's day extra special.