How to Plan a Simple and Frugal Wedding in 6 Months - Part 2

Step 13: Assemble your wedding invitations. This is more involved than it sounds. For each one, you'll need to include an invitation itself, a reply card and a self-addressed, stamped envelope for people to return it. You also want to put hotel information, a map of your area, and directions to the hotel, to the ceremony, and to the reception. Also directions from the ceremony to the reception! You want to also decide if the outermost envelopes should be written in calligraphy.

Step 14: Shop for veil, shoes, undergarments and purse. Those are probably each of their own steps, really.

Step 15: Shop for groom's getup, including tux or suit and shoes. Hooray for being the uncomplicated groom!

Step 16: Hire a photographer. We found ours on Craigslist. In our ad, we were totally transparent about our needs and budgetary concerns. Our guy had a great looking website and seemed very nice and professional on the phone.

Step 17: Price out your flowers. I can't offer any more input on this, because we didn't have flowers. Instead, I had my good friend Laura Knott hand-paint some white wedding roses on our candle holder centerpieces.

Step 18: Make a list of songs you'd like to hear. Mine was very long, but I gave the wedding band/DJ free reign over which ones to play.

Step 19: Look into the details of getting a marriage license. Call your local town clerk and ask questions.

Step 20: Choose your hotel. It should be near the wedding venue so people can drive or be shuttled there easily. Ask the hotel manager about saving a block of rooms – most hotels offer a discount on this. Also ask for direction cards that you can include with your invitations.

Step 21: Mail out your wedding invitations!

Step 22: Collect replies as they arrive in the mail. I kept mine in a Yes or No pile.

Step 23: Arrange for a limo ride from the hotel. Our "limo" was my husband's father. Yes, we are as frugal as it gets!

Step 24: Plan where your rehearsal dinner will be. We didn't have one, because we're THAT laid back! Seriously, though... if you're having a simple wedding, there's really no need for a big fuss on the night before. We all know what we're doing – walking down the aisle!

Step 25: Order table favors if you plan to give these away. We did not have table favors... instead, we gave away our hand-painted candle centerpieces to anyone who wanted one.

Step 26: Purchase things like table cards, candles, thank-you cards, a box to hold the gifts in, the ring pillow, decor, and anything else you may want to have at your wedding. Pick up a stockpile of stamps on your way home.

Read Steps 27 through 47 here