As you're probably already aware, financing your wedding is a huge undertaking. The actual ceremony and the reception are usually the most expensive parts of the big day. All the small details that make the day extra special may not be very expensive in themselves, but can soon add up to a very big bill!

So here are a few ways to save on - and manage - your wedding finances.

Make a budget: It may seem obvious, but the first thing you should do is work out what you can actually afford to spend on the wedding. You might be surprised to learn that many couples don't actually do this and then find that they have booked a venue or a caterer that takes up so much of the budget they have to scrimp on other aspects of the day. This of course leads to huge disappointment and can make you both miserable. So, sit down together and allocate how much you want to spend on each part of the wedding. Do this by prioritizing what means most to you. For example, would you like really stunning flowers or would you prefer to spend less on flowers in order to allocate more money to your wedding cars?

Choose the time of year carefully: Having your wedding 'off-season' can save you a great deal of money. Spring and summer tend to be the busiest times for weddings and you'll find that venues, cars, caterers etc., are consequently at their busiest at these times too. That being the case, they may charge a lot more at these peak times for exactly the same service that you would receive in, say, October, at hundreds less.

Bulk buying: If you expect to have a large number of people at your wedding - the ceremony or the reception - you can make great savings by buying some items in bulk. For example, wedding favors can be purchased in lots of one or two hundred so rather than buying them retail, look for a supplier who will reduce the cost if you buy in bulk.

Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life and you will want it to be as special as it can be, but remember that 'special' doesn't have to mean 'expensive'. By budgeting, marrying outside of spring or summer and purchasing items in bulk, you can make huge savings without affecting the quality of your special day.