6. Plan a destination wedding. Destination weddings, where couples invite their guests to their wedding at their honeymoon destination, are gaining in popularity. The travel industry is just waking up to the concept of destination weddings, Fields says, and there are some great deals to be had.
For example, you could add a wedding to a honeymoon in Aruba for an additional cost of $500 to $1,000, far below the cost of a traditional full-blown wedding, he says. Since it's likely that far fewer guests will travel that far to attend the wedding, your costs for food, drink and other expenses will fall dramatically. Airlines are offering group discounts for parties of 10 to 15 or more traveling to destination weddings.
7. Consider a package or all-inclusive. If you've got enough on your hands planning the wedding, take advantage of package or all-inclusive trips. Many resorts offer packages that not only include meals, but also popular activities such as wind surfing or scuba diving.
Just make sure that you really want to take advantage of these opportunities, otherwise you'll be paying for things that you won't use, Ingram advises. Also, if you're the type who gets bored eating dinner at the same place every night, you may end up paying for meals both at the resort and at off-resort restaurants, which doesn't make a lot of sense.
You can book such trips yourself on the Internet or through a travel agent. Ingram notes that when you use a travel agent you have a safety net if something goes wrong because they can help you out if you have a problem. Whichever route you choose, consider buying travel insurance in case your resort is flattened by a hurricane the day before you're scheduled to arrive.
8. Cut back on the length of your trip. Couples who budget too tightly may be disappointed at the quality of their hotel, Hyman says. She recommends cutting down on the length of a trip, say from 10 days to seven days, and upgrading to a better hotel, rather than risk spending one of the most important trips of your life in a flea-bag.
Want even more money-saving tips? Consider these 10 ways to save on your wedding.