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Slashing costs without sacrificing style? Really, it's possible! Here's how to get the best of everything-for a whole lot less.

"They were perfect," says Kendra Petrone, 28, referring to the gorgeous invitations she found at an upscale paper company. "But for over 300 guests, the cost came to $3,000! There was no way I could afford that," recalls the Dallas, Texas, resident, who wed Michael Petrone, 27, in October 2002. "Still, I was determined to find a way to get those invitations without the hefty price tag." Using corporate contacts to hunt down the exact paper quality she desired, Kendra bought in bulk, then surfed the Internet until she located a manufacturer in Wisconsin that offered the same high-quality printing at a fraction of the cost. In the end, she paid less than $800 for nearly identical invites. And with the excess paper, she created program covers and place cards, adding up to even greater savings.

Like Kendra, while planning your dream wedding you may already have found a gown, invitations, favors and a cake that are simply way out of your budget. Instead of settling for less than the best (or robbing a bank!), however, simply get creative. Experts say there are plenty of ways to get what you want without sacrificing quality. Here's how.

Invitation to Style

Like Kendra and Michael , many couples today save as much as several thousand dollars on invitations by going the do-it-yourself route. But even if you won't settle for anything less than the pricey, custom-made kind, there are still ways to shave dollars. First, consider forgoing engraving and opting instead for thermography, a process that uses heated powder to give the print that three-dimensional look. It appears almost identical to engraved print - and you'll save as much as 50% of your total cost. If you still want engraved invites, but don't want to pay the price, have the invitation and reception card engraved, and have the response card thrermographed, says Leslie Reed, personalized products manager for Crane & Co. Inc, based in Dalton, Massachusetts. Second, flat cards, rather than those that fold and open up, can cost a lot less, says Reed, because they're not as expensive to manufacture. And, cards with a colored border are cheaper than ones with beveled gold or silver trim and look just as pretty, she says. Another savvy move: Print the addresses on your envelopes on your home computer instead of hiring a calligrapher.

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