BLING IT ON! WEDDING JEWELRY FOR CAKES AND FLOWERS TOO!

Weddings certainly are sparkly affairs! The engagement had you at "I will" with a firey and brilliant gemstone, but now you're thinking, "why should it end there?" No need! Today you can keep the wedding glowing with Swarovski-accented cake and flower jewelry--and you can do it cheaply as well as chic-ly. How to? Basics first:

• Fake The Cake! No one will know--so don't tell.We found this beauty at Ultimate Fake Cakes

Don't worry, your guests won't go without. There will be a sheet cake in the kitchen. Savings here? With a real cake going for $3.50 a slice ( $525 for 150 guests), these fakes average around $110 per cake with the additional sheet cake going for about $17 per 50 guests. A sweet savings.

Still insist on the real thing?

• Downsize cake and upsize savings. Again, have a sheet cake on hand in the kitchen for additional servings. (Also, smaller cakes mean smaller jeweled -cake toppers which cost less too.)

Now for your shining moment. The cake jewelry. We spoke to Laura Lyon at Serendipity Tiara who suggested purchasing plain brush-metal monograms and DIY to save big . Flat back Swarovski crystals are readily available at local craft stores at incredibly low prices. Pick up some hypo-cement and you're good to go. Or, if you're not the DIY type, we liked this French-font, partially covered Swarovski crystal cake topper for only $29.00 at Laura's site:

Have a look at another jeweled-cake topper we took a shine to at Serendipity Tiaras for around half of what you'd pay the baker to supply:

Still looking for a little extra bling-zing on your cake/cupcakes? Time to bring out the little fairy-princess in you and sprinkle some gold (or silver) dust (notice we changed font colors) on your cake or cupcakes. Check out Fancy Flours for some edible shimmer. A 150 mg. box of these scrumptious-looking, and tasting, 23- karat gold-leaf petals are only $45--so you can go for the gold!

FLOWER POWER! Ready to catch some savings on yours bouquet and centerpiece jewelry? Basics first again:

• Keep flower costs down by choosing one type of bloom ( bulk-ordering translates into lower costs for you--you can vary color in this case for more visual interest) and stay with in-season flowers (local) to hold down on transportation costs which are passed on to you.

• Purchase individual crystals at sites such as Fusion Beads and create your own bouquet jewels with floral wire for up to 75% less than a florist would charge!

Or click and buy these crystal-cluster jewel picks at Wedding Factory Direct for $11.99 a pair.

Or check out Serendipity Tiaras for these showstoppers!

For more great on-trend tips on a discount budget, check out the Deal Diva Bridal Guide-How To Throw A Designer Wedding On A Discount Budget! at www.dealdivabridalguide.com