We have all dreamt about throwing one of those picture perfect weddings. You know the ones that are deliberately stylized to within an inch of a spread in Martha Stewart Weddings. But let's face it, we don’t all have the budget to support a Kardashian-style affair. And, we are here to tell you the only thing worse than not being able to afford everything you want for your wedding is to pretend that you can and exceeding your budget by a long-shot.

The thrill of “look at what we pulled off!” will instantly vanish with the shock of "how much did we spend?"

No matter the number of times your wedding pictures are repinned on Pinterest, having to pay off your wedding debt will disrupt your quality of life on every level for a long time to come.

If "magazine-worthy" and "penny-wise" are the orders of your day, then embrace DIY, or do-it-yourself. This time-honored tradition has saved both budgets and relationships ever since two tender loves first skipped down the aisle. Because, firing up your glue gun and recruiting your Etsy army is as much a matter of saving money as it is making memories.

DIY gives friends and family the opportunity to lend their special talents to your big day and give you something much more valuable than a gift: their time. You will always treasure the fun and sense of accomplishment in finding resources, learning new things and spending time working on projects together that will create truly unique moments. And, big savings.

One important DIY disclaimer: these projects take a lot of time.

Make sure you complete as many of your DIY projects well-ahead of your big day and make sure you have sufficient "elves" at your disposal for those tasks that have to be done nearer to, or on the day. We want to make sure that you enjoy your savings as much as you enjoy a stress-free wedding day.

As you experience your big day and the quirky thrills of the florals done by your best gal pal and a cake rustled up by your "Cake Wars" winning neighbor, never forget this golden rule:

DIY will always trump APR.