As a survey reveals that most couples drastically underestimate how much they will spend on their wedding - an average of £16,500 - Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings looks at how to keep the wedding costs down.

WHEN her big moment came, Melania Knauss floated down the aisle wearing a $100,000 Christian Dior wedding gown, which she had first spotted on a Parisian runway.

It had taken 550 hours to make by hand and had a 16 foot train and 1,500 crystals. After the nuptials, Melania and her new husband, the billionaire Donald Trump, held a lavish reception at the Mar-a-Lago Club in a 17,000 square foot crystal pavilion that Trump built specifically for the occasion, featuring ornate, gold-inlay dcor and a floor of French marble. Crooner Tony Bennett entertained the 500 guests, which included Clint Eastwood, Liza Minnelli, Bruce Willis and Bill Clinton.

At the reception, guests reportedly dined on delicacies such as foie gras toast with papaya mustard, lobster daikon roll with rosemary ginger sauce and caviar beggar's purse with gold leaf. The wedding cake was seven feet tall.

For Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt's fairy tale nuptials in California, the reported cost was more than $1m, while Madonna and Guy Ritchie spent an estimated $2.1m for their wedding at Skibo Castle in Scotland - including $292,000 on security, $58,000 on flights and $219,000 to rent out the castle's 47 rooms for guests.

But for those of us without the bank accounts of a celebrity or incredibly rich parents, how can you ensure you have a fabulous day while keeping an eye on the costs?

According to a survey by finance firm ING Direct, one in three couples end up using their own savings to fund their wedding with some taking out a loan for their big day. Most people (aside from Donald Trump, of course) believe their wedding will be less than £6,500 when the actual average figure is £10,000 more than that - £16,500.

But wedding planner Laurie Pilkington says it is possible to keep within a limited budget if you follow a few tips.

One of her key pieces of advice is use the Internet to shop for better deals, particularly looking for finds in America with the pound so strong against the dollar.

"You can try on a designer wedding gown over here and buy it from America where it is up to 40 per cent cheaper," says Laurie, who has recently got engaged to long-term partner Steven Breeze, 30.

"Even if it doesn't fit perfectly, there are plenty of people over here who can alter it for you. eBay is a great way of finding jewellery and shoes.

"People may also want to consider buying an ex-display wedding dress from a shop, which can be considerably cheaper. Someone may have tried it on 20 times but does it really matter?"

Another way of saving money is to find friends and family and utilise their skills. If your friend's in a band, why not consider asking them to play? Or they may have creative skills which could be put to good use making favours. If Aunt Nora is a fabulous cook, get her to make the wedding cake, and ask around to see if anyone is good at icing. Another option is to go for an arrangement of coloured fairy cakes as opposed to chocolate or traditional fruit.

"It's about being creative," says Laurie, who runs Darlington-based I Do Wedding Services. "Getting a coloured envelope and popping a Lottery ticket inside doesn't cost the earth but it makes a quirky, creative favour."

There are skills you can pick up yourself too by signing up to a college course before the big day, such as in flower arranging or calligraphy if you want to write your own invitations. For transport, ask around and see if anyone has a fancy car which can be borrowed for the day.

"For flowers, I would approach trained florists who work from home - because they don't have a shop, they may just charge you cost price with a bit on top. You can find them in the Yellow Pages or on the Internet," says Laurie.

"Another tip is to buy flowers which are in season. If you want a Christmas wedding do you really want tulips - they're going to cost you a fortune?"

But one area Laurie does not advise scrimping on is photography. Asking a friend or relative to take the photographs may save you huge sums but when the photos turn out blurred or with Uncle Frank's head removed then relations can really turn sour.

"One way you can make a saving is to always ask if they'll do it without the wedding album because they can often charge between £150 to £200 on top," says Laurie.

"Another big way of saving money is if you know anyone with a big garden where you can hire a marquee and get your own caterers because it's a lot cheaper than hiring a venue."

When it comes to entertainment, it pays to shop around to get the best deal, and always ensure you listen to the band or singer before you book them.

The main thing, says Laurie, is to set a budget from the beginning and stick to it as much as possible. She calculates budgets on the basis that 50 per cent of the wedding costs are usually in venue, food and drinks. To get an idea of overall cost, she will then double the figure.

"If your budgeting goes well then you can concentrate on what's most important - getting married!" she says.