Jean talks to three guests who share their best tips for planning the perfect wedding, even when you’re on a budget. David Tutera is a celebrity wedding and party planner; Carley Roney is co-founder and editor in chief of the online wedding resource The Knot; and Katie Dunsworth, a recent bride and member of Smart Cookies Money Group , which has been featured on both Jean’s show and The Oprah Winfrey Show . Here are their tips for you:

* Overbudget, David and Carley say. When you’re allocating the money, make sure to reserve about 10 percent in case you go over—it is very likely that you will.
* Use a wedding budget calculator (you can find them online) to figure out how much should be spent on each expense.
* Consider a destination wedding. These are often mistakenly pegged as the more expensive option, Katie says. The truth is, if you pick an all-inclusive location, as she did, it can actually be cheaper because you save on food and drinks.
* Bargain, bargain, bargain. You can negotiate for everything, from flowers to the band to the venue. Katie says she got a deal on her dress and the bridesmaid dresses by purchasing them from the same shop.
* Cut back on things that guests won’t notice. Carley suggests eliminating a couple of courses from the dinner, limiting the bar by featuring a special cocktail, or only buying flowers that are in season.
* Don’t lose sight of the purpose. The wedding is to celebrate your relationship, so focus on creating a memorable time as opposed to simply a lavish one.

- By Jean Chatzky, as seen on www.oprah.com

Homemade bridal shower favors may seem like just one more thing to do with an already filled “to do” list. There are easy ways of making great homemade bridal favors however. All you need is a set of wedding themed cookie cutters. Buy a cookie mix if you want to. Make a few dozen cookies, let cool, add a white icing glaze and voila! Instant homemade bridal shower favors. Insert cookies into sheer wedding favor bags, tie them up with personalized ribbon and your bridesmaids will appreciate the special attention you’ve put into the gifts.

Even when the bridal shower favors are purchased off the shelf, there are ways to turn them into personalized bridal shower favors. Have the gift engraved with the recipients initials and add a hand-written note of thanks and appreciation.

You don’t have to make your own bridal shower favors, but you should add as much of your own personal touch as you can.

- www.lifetips.com