by Cara Davis

Saving money as you plan the most important day of your life isn't about cutting corners; it's about avoiding being taken advantage of. While the nationwide average for planning a wedding takes 11 months and nearly $30,000, Cheap Ways to Tie the Knot shows how you can plan a beautiful church wedding in less than six months for no more than $5,000.

This ultimate guide for the engaged busts myths, shares negotiating tactics and points out easy, no-effort ways to save on invitations, flowers, pictures and entertainment without sacrificing quality. Most importantly, it deals with the underlying issue of good stewardship that young couples can develop at the outset and continue throughout their marriage.

Each area of wedding planning (dress, invitations, decoration, ceremony, reception and photography) is broken into three different scenarios (bargain=$, budget=$$, bling=$$$). Depending on their budget, the reader can follow one track, or mix and match to splurge in areas they feel more strongly about (like pictures vs. food).