When Deb Lee and Bill Banford got engaged in January, all they knew was that they were in love. They wanted a traditional, beautiful May wedding with all of their friends and family there to celebrate.

They also didn’t want to spend more than $10,000.

“It was a number we thought we could pay back without sacrificing eating out or seeing a movie every now and then,” says Lee, a professional organizer who lives in Upper Marlboro with Banford, a landscaper. “We like to take road trips, and we wanted to be able to still do things and not have our life disrupted by, well, one day. A very important day, but it’s just one day.”

Banford and Lee ended up pushing their wedding date back from May 2009 to May 2010 because of their difficulties finding a venue that would fit their budget.

The couple are among a growing number nationwide who are scaling back their weddings in light of the economic downturn. As many as 75 percent of couples this year are expected to cut costs on their big day, according to a recent survey by David’s Bridal.

Free. Wedding. Do we have your attention now?

We thought so! Ok, so here are the details: Head to the DC Couture Bridal Show on Saturday for the chance to win a $50,000 ecofriendly wedding. The fine folks at the Washington DC Couture Wedding Consortium are offering up a dream green wedding with the Decatur House as the venue, the planning services of Elegance & Simplicity, catering from Avalon Caterers, music from Mydeejay.com, and more.

In addition to the ecofriendly vendors who’ll plan one lucky couple’s free wedding, even the wedding date is green—April 22, Earth Day!

Registration for the bridal show is free—just sign up here. The event runs from noon to 5 on Saturday (1610 H St., NW), where brides-to-be can meet with an array of vendors and catch glimpses of an exclusive collection of dresses from Promise for the Savvy Bride.

More>> Bridal Party Blog | Wedding Guide | Wedding Vendor Search

It’s no secret that the holidays are a popular time to pop the question. If Santa left you a box under the tree with something sparkly inside, you’re probably hot on the trail of wedding planning already. But before you decide on the venue, you might want to take a daytrip to Charlottesville.

If you book your wedding at Clifton (1296 Clifton Inn Dr., Charlottesville; 888-971-1800) by January 31, in addition to helping you plan your big day, the hotel will throw in a five-night honeymoon in a Paris penthouse—for free.

I had been looking forward to Saturday all week. My fiancé, Andrew, and I planned to spend the morning browsing home stores and setting up our wedding registry.

My studio apartment in Dupont Circle was filled with hand-me-downs and bargains, and Andrew had always shared mismatched furniture and kitchenware with roommates. We were excited finally to start living like adults.

Although we had dated for five years before getting engaged, we’d never shopped for something we’d use together. Our plan was to check out Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, and Crate & Barrel in Clarendon, then start zapping with the scanner. We were overwhelmed as soon as we saw the first wall of cookware. There were dozens of pots and pans—stainless steel, copper, Calphalon, cast iron—in countless combinations of colors and sizes.

Every time we turned a corner, we had more questions: Did it make sense to register for a coffee table when we didn’t know what our apartment would look like? We liked plain white ceramic plates, but would we get sick of them? Did we really need 12 place settings of silverware?

In theory, registering sounded like a blast, almost like a shopping spree. I thought we’d spend a few hours picking out things we liked, and that would be it. I didn’t realize we were embarking on a six-month process.

■ Buy a used or sample gown. A used gown was probably worn only once. I Do-I Do in Gaithersburg has more than 900 consigned gowns that have been discounted, sometimes up to 90 percent, and range in price from $150 to $5,000.

The once-a-year Running of the Brides at Filene’s Basement stores isn’t for everyone, but brides up to the challenge—waiting outside, then charging through when the doors open—will find designer gowns marked down to $249, $499, or $699. The next sale is August 1 at the Mazza Gallerie location.

In March, Goodwill of Greater Washington held a bridal sale, similar to the one at Filene’s, at Westfield Wheaton mall; plans are to make it annual. All dresses were donated and sold for $400 or less; many were under $125.

Some bridal shops, such as Hitched in Georgetown, host sales where sample gowns sell at reduced prices.

After work, I’m jumping on the $25 bus bound for my NYC bachelorette party. My girlfriends have the weekend pretty much under wraps, but I’ll give you all the juicy details in a post next week!

This past weekend, Drew and I drove down to Virginia Beach for a sunny July Fourth to visit a friend, Charlotte, who is also our wedding’s singer and scripture reader. We had a great time catching up with her and her family, playing in the pool, zooming on the Jet Ski, and swimming in the ocean, though we did get sunburned, stung by jellyfish, and bitten by horseflies. Note to self: No crazy adventuring right before the wedding unless we’re okay with lobster-colored (maybe peeling) skin and red welts in the wedding pics.

Last week I mentioned scheduling a meeting with our wedding photographer. As anyone who has planned a wedding knows, photographers are très cher. In our online search of Nashville photographers, we found many who charged $4,000-plus for just a few hours, which would not include rights, prints, or an album.

Last Friday, I promised to write about my bridesmaids’ getups, but the dresses haven’t arrived, so instead I’m going to blog about flowers.

I love daisies. In the chick flick You’ve Got Mail, Meg Ryan’s character says daisies are the “friendliest” flower, and I agree. There’s something pretty and understated about their yellow upturned faces and white, uneven petals. Also, they’re cheap—and when you’re buying flowers in bulk, cheap is good.

“Don’t spend money on flowers” is a sentiment shared by a number of previous DIY brides. Especially if you’re planning a wedding on a budget, spending a ton of money on resplendent bouquets and centerpieces doesn’t make a ton of sense because what happens when your ceremony and reception are over? All those beautiful blooms and elegant arrangements are trashed. If you do have an unlimited budget and absolutely adore flowers, I’d suggest making sure family and friends take them home. That way, they provide further delight.