In April, Sharon Naylor, author of more than 30 wedding planning books, said "I do" on a beautiful spring day with cocktails, a dessert buffet and family and friends.

Naylor said her No. 1 tip to brides is to pick the five aspects of a wedding they think are most important and spend their money on that. She splurged on food, her gown, the entertainment, photography and the flowers.

The newlywed said she has no regrets of the money spent on her big day.

But Linda Shaps-Shanin, who has been married for four years and works as a vice president for David's Bridal, does have some regrets. Her big expenditures were her gown, flowers and venue. Although she had a wonderful wedding, she wishes she had spent money on a videographer and a wedding album.

"I made some compromises to do some other things and then, after the fact, I regretted it a little bit," she said.

How To Avoid Regret

Alicia Rockmore, CEO of Buttoned Up Inc., an organizational company, said there are multiple areas where brides can cut costs early in the planning process to ensure that she gets everything she wants.

"Weddings are one of those things where you can spend a little bit or an absolute fortune, but you won't necessarily be able to tell the difference," she said.

One area where brides can spend less is invitations.

"People look at the invitation, then they throw it away," she said. So use Web sites to print your invitations, or don't even print them at all. Rockmore said some brides simply send e-mail invitations and set up an RSVP function on a Web site.

"Another way that I love (to save money) is having your wedding on an unconventional date or time," Rockmore said. "So, the Thursday night wedding, the Sunday wedding. It's significantly less expensive than a Friday night or Saturday night wedding."

Along the same lines, Naylor suggests getting married outside the peak wedding season, which is May through September.

"We chose an April date because it was one-third the price of a September wedding," she said. "It was an identical wedding ? It couldn't have been better."

Long Engagements Can Save

With her April date, Naylor was able to plan for her wedding for about 11 months. She said a long engagement could help save money.

"I think, overall, you make better decisions when there's more time, and that gives you access to every season's sales," she said.

She was able to get her bridesmaids' dresses on sale during the holidays, and gifts for them were 40 percent off.

How The Business Works

Naylor said the biggest secret to planning a wedding that won't break the bank is simply knowing the business.

"You really have to understand how each industry works and where the money is," she said.

She used flowers and cakes as examples, saying most of the cost is incurred in the labor. If you choose a simple yet elegant design, your cake shouldn't cost much. You can still have exotic flowers, but have them displayed in a less time-intensive manner.

Another tip she offers is being aware of the potential for good deals.

"Brides and grooms need to know they have a tremendous bargaining power," she said. "The wedding industry is very competitive, they want your business, and they want you to be so happy with them that you will recommend them to your friends, so they'll throw in extra stuff," she said.

But she warns people to do the bargaining in a subtle manner.

"Mention that most of your friends are going to be getting engaged soon," she said. "Mention that you have a crowd. You have sisters and you have cousins. Everyone's getting engaged around the same time. Try to do it without being manipulative, because they can smell that."

If done correctly, bargaining could get you a few extra flowers or maybe an extra dish on the buffet line.

Another tip Naylor has for making it look like you spent a lot of money without actually spending is choosing foods that are unique or different and jazzing up their presentation. She also suggests not putting expensive foods, such as shrimp, in a buffet line. Make sure waiters pass the more expensive options, which limits the amount the guests can eat.

Get Organized To Save

No matter who you ask, you'll always get the tip to be organized.

"Set yourself up a wedding binder to organize everything for the special day," Rockmore said. "Use a three-ring binder with tabs for each section and clear sleeves for holding business cards and magazine articles and ads."

She also suggests creating a collage on a poster board of clippings, color swatches and Polaroids. This board can be shown to florists, caterers, and boutiques.

What Really Matters

No matter how much you spend on the dress, flowers or food, Rockmore said, it's important to remember the reason for the wedding.

"All these things add up," she said. "I think it's just remembering that at the end of the day, people are there to celebrate your wedding. They're not there to see what $500 flower arrangements you have on every table. Just remember that people, your guests, are never going to notice the details that you do ? Don't get overwhelmed on every little, tiny thing that you need to spend money on. The most important thing is that they're going to be there to support you."

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