Make it a game to see how much you can beat your original pricing estimates, and celebrate when you really score a major discount. If you keep a positive attitude, you'll enjoy this process so much more, and you won't feel like the Budget is in control. Being playful allows you to have a sense of humor about money, which is the first thing those Bridezillas and stressed-out brides lose when they feel out of control. So even when the videographer bill is way more than you expected, you can just accept it for what it is, and you'll still be okay since you know that you have so many opportunities to cut costs elsewhere.

It will be *far* more enjoyable for you and your groom to partner up on wedding tasks when you're smiling and laughing about the fun challenges of wedding planning than if you're tense, scared and cranky about the wedding bills. My fiance and I are just a few months away from our wedding, and we're e-mailing messages with subject lines of 'Score! No extra postage on the invitations!' and 'Two points for us! The groom's tuxedo is free!' When the news is not good, such as really high prices on catering menus for the rehearsal dinner, our message might be, 'This round goes to the caterer.' We're keeping it fun and light, and accepting that weddings are expensive.

And when one of us starts to stress about the wedding budget, the other steps in with a reminder of all the ways we *have* kept our budget in check. We're on it...and so too will you when you keep the 5 tips in mind!

How are you celebrating whenever you beat your original estimates....or get things for FREE?