Maggie Hull-Tietz and Kevin Tietz were married in South Park last July.

Maggie and Kevin collected 50 wine bottles of different sizes from a friend's wedding reception and cleaned the labels off, wrapping twine around them and filling each bottle with one gerbera daisy in it for her own wedding reception.

Nash and Carmen Riggins were married in Stirling, Scotland in December 2012.

“The center pieces were easy peasy because we just had Carmen's step dad cut down a tree,” Nash said laughing. They then sliced the trunk into flat pieces so they looked like place mats to put on the table with the jarred tea lights (jars collected from friends) arranged on top.

Nash and Carmen hung photos of friends and family around the reception space as meaningful (and free) decor.

Nash and Carmen's rings made by close friend Allison Ice.

Some people have been planning their magical wedding day since childhood. For others, planning starts with suggestions by family, friends and Pinterest wedding boards. One thing’s for certain: the dollar signs that come along with each brilliant idea can add up pretty quickly. And with the never-ending checklist of essentials, the wedding starts to become a financial nightmare you never imagined.

Three couples in the throes of wedding planning or who conquered it have shared with us some creative cost-cutting advice to help put together a beautiful day that won’t break the bank.

Maggie Hull-Tietz and Kevin Tietz

Save the date electronically

Maggie Hull-Tietz, assistant varsity softball coach at Baker University, and her husband, Kevin Tietz, personal trainer at Next Level Rising in The Summit — who were married in South Park last July — saved money and time (also important) by making their save-the-date cards electronic. Wait until the official invitations before splurging on specially printed paper invites. Your guests will silently thank you for a more handy reminder that they can’t lose.

DIY wine bottle centerpieces

Beauty doesn’t have to be bought, especially with something as versatile as a centerpiece.

“At a wedding that I went to while I was engaged, we asked the bartenders if we could take all the wine bottles they used off their hands,” Maggie said. “They would have all been thrown away. That gave us 50 wine bottles in three different shapes for free.”

After cleaning them to get the labels off, wrapping twine around them and filling each bottle with one gerbera daisy in it, they had plenty of simple, pretty centerpieces.

“Then we just sprinkled dark chocolate kisses around, and there you have it: our table-setting,” Maggie said.

They then changed up the head table by tying lace around the bottles and filling them with white gerbera daisies.

Nash and Carmen Riggins

Table decor the recycled way

Nash, a Lawrence native who now reports at Dundee Evening Telegraph , and Carmen Riggins, an elementary school teacher, were married in Stirling, Scotland, in December 2012. For them, decorating was about repurposing items they already had or could dig up.

“The tablecloth wasn’t some poncy silk or satin,” Nash said. “We just got loads of burlap and ran that down the table.

“The centerpieces were easy-peasy because we just had Carmen’s stepdad cut down a tree,” Nash said laughing. They then sliced the trunk into flat pieces so they looked like place mats to put on the table with the jarred tea lights (collected from friends) arranged on top. They tossed holly on the table to complete the winter look. All under £50 (or about $83).

Focus on meaningful decor

Selecting Crear for the reception, a venue with a minimalist aesthetic, they decided to simply hang gingham bunting and fairy lights, draping it from the rafters. Then they brought in items that carried an emotional tie to both of them. “A lot of photos, family heirlooms, bits and bobs,” Nash said. “Anything we had a connection to.”

DIY music

For the first half of the night, they hired a Scottish ceilidh band to get everybody up for some highland dancing. For the second half, Nash plugged his iPod into the PA system so they could pick the songs that mattered to them without hiring a DJ.

Hodgepodge favors

They burnt a compilation CD of their wedding songs, from romantic to trashy, and used a scanned caricature that Nash and Carmen had gotten done years ago print out for the cases. This came with a Cuban cigar — “which wasn’t cheap, but not awfully expensive, either” — and a whiskey miniature from a local distillery.

“A family friend was one of the distillers, so we got a huge deal,” he says. “In fact, the best way to save at a wedding is by knowing people!”

Rings by friend

Speaking of knowing people, a longtime friend of theirs and Lawrence resident Allison Ice made their silver carved bands, only charging them for the materials she used.

“And it was much more special having her do them because she knows us so well,” Nash said.

Soul food

“Totally got a catering discount for asking for the simplest, yet happiest food ever,” he said. The menu consisted of gumbo, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and mac ‘n cheese.

Jaimie Vaughn and Nathan Greenwood

Jaimie Vaughn and Nathan Greenwood are engaged to be married this June.

Artificial flowers

For their forthcoming wedding this June, Kansas University students Jaimie Vaughn and Nathan Greenwood, decided to use fake flowers for the reception purchased at Hobby Lobby during a 50 percent off sale. The boutonnieres will also be made from fake flowers.

“Too many times I have been in weddings where the florist had to prepare back up boutonnieres for the guys because the flowers wilted form being out in the sun for too long,” Jaimie said. “Another plus to buying artificial flowers is that you can resell them after you are done with them.”

A family-made dinner

The wedding will start at 5 p.m., meaning that a full dinner would have to be provided for the guests. Catering deals still seemed too pricey, so they called in reinforcements for a BBQ meal.

“My father’s friends volunteered to help him smoke the meat, and we have family and friends who are putting together all the sides,” she said.

Keep a running checklist

Look into online wedding resources, such as Pinterest, to keep the anxiety down and stay ahead of the game to avoid unnecessary last-minute expenses.

“Be sure to join theknot.com because they give you a checklist for each month leading up to the wedding,” Jaimie said. “I cannot tell you how helpful this was.”