Do wedding dress prices make you flinch? Is it hard to imagine paying big bucks for a dress you'll wear for mere hours? Chances are, if you're a bride-to-be interested in a blog about coupons, you're also interested in having a wedding that's fabulous but frugal.

Some brides these days are checking out gently used dresses, but if you want to shop new, here's a few suggestions to cut down on the cost of your dress.

Shop outside of bridal sections.

The wedding industry is huge. Merchants know that many brides are willing to pay any price to get exactly what they want, and prices reflect that. Steer clear of bridal stores and departments and instead, shop during spring and summer to see what non-wedding dresses you can find in white. The three dresses above are all from Saks Fifth Avenue's regular women's department. The Shayna Vintage Lace Dress by Lily Pulitzer (1) is a cute, 1960s shift dress with delicate lace detailing you might expect from a bridal store, but clocks in at $368. It would be adorable with a bouquet of daisies at an outdoor wedding, and the not-too-busy details mean you wouldn't have to accessorize much. If you're looking for something with more length, this silk gown by ABS (2) is $430 and has a very fashion forward look if you want to treat the aisle like the runway. Don't want to have bare shoulders? Consider finding a bolero or ethereal knit wrap to keep the chill off. BCBGMAXAZRIA's one-shoulder jersey gown (3) is $328 and has very classic, clean lines and a silhouette that's just a tad Grecian. It would look super glamorous at an oceanside wedding this summer.

I know Saks isn't what you immediately think of when you think of bargain shopping, but consider that in 2009, the average cost of a wedding dress was $1,075. If you check out non-bridal white dresses in higher end stores, you can technically have a designer wedding dress for under $500. If these styles don't suit, there's over 300 other white dresses you can peruse at Saks right now. If you want to avoid designer prices altogether, check out dresses from places like Windsor that specialize in other formal events. Their Pilar Ivory dress (left) is meant for prom, but I don't think anybody would think twice that it was anything but a wedding dress if you wore it for your big day.

Forgo white entirely.

I know this option isn't for everyone, but it's in the same vein as my last tip. You're typically going to pay a premium for a formal white dress, and if wearing a dress that isn't white won't give your grandmother a heart attack, it's worth considering. Why not pick a dress in your favorite color? This strapless pink peplum dress by ABS (right) is $275 at Saks and would be nice for a smaller-scale wedding or even a courthouse ceremony. Worried that people won't be able to recognize the bride? Nobody said you can't still wear a veil! If you need anymore convincing, consider that you'll be able to comfortably dance at your reception and maybe even re-purpose it for another formal event (or throw a cropped cardigan on and wear it to a business casual office!).

Get crafty.

If you're into DIY in other aspects of your life, there's no reason you should have to throw a ready-made wedding. Even if you're a beginner seamstress, check out these dress patterns by Kwik Sew (available at Fabric.com), a brand that claims to make easy-to-follow patterns. Not so confident? Maybe there's somebody in your family who would be honored to help you with your dream dress.

Knitters and crocheters with enough time before their wedding date could try their hand at a one of a kind dress; this lace crochet dress pattern by Interweave would make a dazzling wedding dress in white, and would become a heirloom you could show off for years to come.

Discount stores.

A lot of the same sites you probably already frequent for marked down clothing often have bridal sections. Overstock and Bluefly both have wedding sections, and there's always more wallet-friendly wedding stores like David's Bridal.

Pushing the boundaries of wedding wear isn't for everybody, but thinking outside of the box won't just make your dress more unique, it'll probably save you a bit of cash to spend on that honeymoon, or to put away for a rainy day. Whatever it is you want out of a wedding dress, we hope you get a good deal!

Let us know if these tips helped you. And to those of you who have already tied the knot, how did you cut corners on your wedding dress?