Many brides are searching out hot wedding deals online, as 2009 could be the “Wedding Season of Savings.” Brides are looking for ways to cut costs while still having the wedding of their dreams. Online bridal shopping can be a great way to save, if you know the best way to go. Here are some of the hottest ways to have a dream wedding on a tight budget.

• Try Ebay and other online auction sites. These sites are great for buying one of a kind items, such as a wedding dress or wedding jewelry. If you plan on using an auction site for buying wedding items, give yourself a lot of time in advance, to be sure you can get your items in plenty of time for the wedding. For wedding dresses and other widely variable clothing items, go a size up if the cut looks questionable. You can always have a dress altered down to a smaller size.
• Compare online wedding vendors. With the internet, there is no reason to not have the best deals on the personalized items of your wedding. Affordable wedding invitations can be customized to your specific needs, and online vendors often take extra care to make sure all the details are exactly right. If you are nervous, allot extra time here too.
• Explore your local online community. In many areas, there are Freecycle groups that are made up of people giving away their gently used items. You can find a wide variety of items here, from potential creative wedding decorations to wedding dresses. These groups can be valuable throughout your married life, as many household items are given away here too.

What money saving wedding ideas have you encountered while planning your wedding? Share them here!

Kimberlee Ferrell is the Wedding Correspondent for Beautiful Wedding Invitations.