Cutting your wedding budget doesn t have to set guests tongues wagging about a dreary location or bland food.

During 2008, couples spent an average $21,814 on a wedding, according to The Wedding Report. That s 24% less than they spent in 2007. But many couples are trimming their budgets in ways that aren t immediately apparent to guests, says Joyce Scardina Becker, the founder of Events of Distinction, a San Francisco wedding design firm. Guests don t necessarily notice something missing at a wedding, she says. It s what s inconvenient, when their needs haven t been met. (For example, it might be better to keep that open bar and limit liquor options instead of asking guests to dig out their wallets for a cash bar.)

Here are seven cost-cutting trade-offs couples are making that aren t obvious to their guests:

Old: Credit cards
New: Cash

Wedding vendors are eager to avoid credit-card processing fees and -- with the recession putting pressure on future bookings -- maximize their upfront pay. Offer to hand them cash or a check, and you may be rewarded with a discount of up to 10%, says Samantha Goldberg, a wedding planner based in Summit, N.J., and a counselor on The Style Network series Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Old: Saturdays
New: Fridays or Sundays

A Saturday wedding package can cost 10% to 20% more than an identical service during the rest of the weekend. For example, the Hermann Hill Vineyard and Inn in Hermann, Mo., charges $3,875 for its Ultimate Wine Country Wedding Package if you schedule for a Saturday. For a Friday or Sunday, you d pay $3,325 -- 14% less.

Weekday nights can be even cheaper, but not always. You may bump up against corporate event demand at some venues, which could actually increase the price, Becker says.

Old: Separate ceremony and reception sites
New: One location

If you book a venue that can host the ceremony and the reception, you can spend a little less on flowers and other decorations, says Vanessa Wakeman, the founder of The Wakeman Agency, an event-planning firm based in New York. You ll also save on transportation costs, she says.

Old: Summer
New: Winter

For more on winter wedding deals, click here

Old: Evening
New: Morning or afternoon

There s an air of sophistication about [early weddings], Wakeman says. Couples can also save on a range of expenses, even if they stick with a Saturday, summer event:

Food. More elaborate options for less. At The Valley Green Inn in Philadelphia, menu options for a $60-per-person wedding brunch include poached eggs with lobster, smoked salmon Benedict and Brie-stuffed French toast. For simple dinner options like rib-eye steak, pan-seared salmon and chicken marsala, you d pay $82 per person ($92 if it s a Saturday night).

Alcohol. Guests drink less at daytime weddings, Wakeman says. It s also easy to cut the number of bottles opened with traditional daytime cocktails like a Mimosa or Bloody Mary.

Lighting. Evening weddings, indoor or out, usually require extra lights or candles. Nixing that expense can save $1,500 or more, depending on the venue, Becker says.

Entertainment. DJs and bands are most in-demand for evening events, so many might cut you a break on daytime gigs, Wakeman says. Potential savings: 10% to 30%.

Old: Invitations stuffed with extras
New: Wedding web sites

Gone are the days when couples needed to stuff invitations with weighty extras like maps, accommodation suggestions, registry information and local amenities -- jacking up their postage costs in the process. Now free wedding web site providers like MyWedding.com let brides and grooms share that information online and provide guests with other details about their big day. Lightening the weight of an invitation from three ounces to one would cut postage by 34 cents a letter, or about $68 for sending 200.

Old: Purchase everything
New: Rent what you can

There s no need to buy a fancy designer cake, or even a wedding dress, Goldberg says.

Instead of paying $15 per slice of a fancy cake, rent a plastic model covered with fondant (and one real layer snuck in for the cutting ceremony) for as little as $100. Behind the scenes, an inexpensive sheet cake for $3 a slice will be what actually goes out to guests. Nobody will know it s not the same cake they saw in front of them, she says.

For wedding dresses, ask boutiques about rental rates. Typically, you ll pay 10% to 20% of the initial selling price, Goldberg says.