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Jen Schefft gives us the inside scoop on how she was able to have the wedding she always wanted without spending a lot.

America’s former sweetheart—bachelorette Jen Schefft—stepped out of the limelight last Friday night leaving behind her days of public proposals and engagements to marry longtime love Joe Waterman in an intimate ceremony. The former reality TV star planned her low-key affair—on a budget. Recently laid off from her PR job, the perky girl-next-door found creative new ways to have the wedding of her dreams without breaking the bank.

We sat down with Jen before her big day so we could find out what all her budget-saving secrets were:

Q: How many people are you having at your wedding?
A: I am having about 100 people at the wedding, so I guess I would call it a medium-sized wedding. We wanted it even smaller, but somehow these things take on a life of their own.

These personalized M&M favors were a fun treat for the wedding guests.

Q: What are some special things you’re doing to personalize your wedding?
A: We’re doing personalized M&Ms as favors—some with our faces on it, some that say “I do,” some that say “We do.” I just think it’s a great way to add your personal touch to your wedding. Compared to a lot of favor options available, I found MY M&M’s to be cost efficient, and since M&Ms are my fiancé’s favorite food, including them as favors was a nice personal touch.

Q: I understand you were recently laid off. Like so many brides out there looking to cut costs on their weddings, what are some things you’ve done to keep your wedding budget in check?
A: First of all, I am planning the wedding myself. This was an easy one for me because I am in PR and event planning, but I would even say to brides out there—if they have any friends or family in PR or event planning, they could ask them for some help—maybe that could be their wedding gift to them. For me, I’d rather put the money I might spend on a wedding planner toward something else I care about more.

I’m also doing my wedding on a Friday night—a slight departure from the norm—but big savings there! That’s another easy way to cut costs. Fewer people want to have their wedding on a Friday than on a Saturday.

There are many ways to save money on your wedding—it all comes down to your priorities. I think you have to first figure out what’s most important to you, budget for those things, then figure out where you can save money and skimp on those items. To me, invitations were not that important. I have a lot of friends who went all out on their invitations—using letter press and other fancy things. Ultimately the invitations simply need to tell your wedding guests where and when the wedding is, and give them a way to RSVP. So, I didn’t go overboard with my invitations, because I felt that they would not affect my big day at all.

Flowers are important to me—but there are very simple ways to save on flowers. Go with what’s in season—it’s the cheapest option—and you’re sure to find something nice that’s in season. Ask your florist for creative ways to bring down the costs of your flowers without sacrificing the final product. For example, maybe you want to have more candles, and fewer flowers. Or, maybe you don’t want to go with traditional flowers or use a florist—you can make beautiful centerpieces on your own, or with the help of friends and family. There are so many creative things you can do!

Check out our DIY blog chock full of awesome Do-it-yourself wedding ideas!

People are becoming more conscious of money—whether you have been laid off or not because nothing is certain anymore. Yes, it is one of the most special days of your life, but it’s also just one day and there are so many ways to make it special without spending a lot of money. Ultimately it’s about the marriage, and in the end, you’ll be happy you’re married to the right person and not in debt.

Q: Have you felt you’ve had to sacrifice certain things you wanted for your dream wedding to save money?
A: I don’t think I’ve had to really compromise, maybe small little details here and there. For instance, instead of bringing different chairs to my venue because I don’t like the ones they have, I am just using what’s already there. Also—I am using basic linens, I’m not trying to match everything because that’s just not important to me.

Not willing to compromise on your dream wedding? No need to.

Q: How is this time different from the last when you were engaged to Andrew Firestone in front of the whole country?
A: Andrew and I were engaged and it was definitely a very real relationship, but we never got to the planning stages of a wedding. We were engaged because of the show and we were both serious about being in a relationship, but we knew we had to get to know each other a lot better before we planned a wedding.

Q: What’s your advice to all your fellow brides out there?
A: I would remind brides that the wedding is only one day, so to try not to get so caught up in the wedding that they forget the marriage is really what matters.