In the last year I have helped with two low budget weddings, one of them was my own on October 14, 2005. You can have a low budget wedding for any size or level of formality if you use your head and weigh your priorities. There are thousands of resources you can use for ideas. I purchased, "Priceless Weddings for under $5000," by Kathleen Kennedy and a wedding planner that focused on low budget ideas. Cost $25 at Barnes and Noble. From my experiences I'm going to lay out some of the top ideas for low budget weddings.
Sites- There are tons of low cost options. If you are a member of a church your chapel may be free or reduced cost to you. If you are not a member somewhere check with parents and grandparents as you may get discounts where they worship as well. Many gardens, parks, state parks, bed and breakfasts, and other public areas offer low cost site fees. Also, think of family and friends that have homes or properties that may work. Pick somewhere that reflects your personality and the formality of the event. Booking the ceremony, reception, or guest accommodation with the same venue can save you big time. Also, bed and breakfasts and hotels may offer in house catering and would like to sell you a package deal. This may or may not save you money. Hosting your wedding off season can save here too. That means not a Saturday in June.
Dress-You've been dreaming of your dress since you were four years-old. Take the time to flip through magazines and get an idea what you want. I found Martha Stewart Weddings to be the most helpful publication on all levels since it doesn't focus on couture gowns and decor, but things closer to what you will actually buy. If you can find a dress secondhand, floor sample, etc. than that's a great way to save money. But, inspect the dress carefully and make sure it isn't damaged beyond repair, most of theses type sales are final. If you are having a very informal wedding like mine you may never have to step into a wedding boutique. I had a garden wedding and set out to find a white cocktail dress. I had a $400 budget for this and ended up with a $50 dress from the mall. It fit perfect and required no alterations. What more could I want?
Him- Unless he grew up in high society chances are your hubby-to-be doesn't own a tux (and if you did grow up rich, why are you reading my article?). Most bridal resources will tell you to rent his tux and those for his party, but to be honest with you MOST OF THOSE LOOK CHEAP. I have been to three weddings this year where the groom wore a white suit and I could see his boxers through the lining in two of them. If he has business suits or Sunday best see if you can pull from there. If not, many men's warehouses have sales where you can buy two piece suits and ties dirt cheap. My husband spent less than $250 on his attire and has been able to wear it since. He wore a dark gray suit with a pink button up shirt to match my flowers.
The Wedding Party- The quickest way to cut cost here is to keep it intimate. Do you really need your high school cheer leading squad all standing next to you? If you cut it down to each of your best friends you can save a ton of bucks on their accommodations, thank you gifts, etc. Make other friends feel special putting them to work elsewhere (trust me there are plenty of jobs for them). Also, help them out by picking low cost attire for them. Traditional etiquette states that they pay for their own outfit, but you can pick thrifty options for them. Department store gowns, cocktail dresses they can wear to parties later, vintage, closeout. There are tons of places to look besides bridal shops where the prices are the highest and the dresses are hot glue gunned together.
Flowers- You don't need a million lilies to make your big day special, that's what your spouse is for. That being said, there are tons of online companies that sell wholesale blooms to brides, but do a test run for quality before the big day. You should also look for flowers that are in bloom or locally grown. Or you can do what I did, get married in a garden! Limit personal corsages and such. Only decorate every other pew. Use things like potted plants, ribbon, balloons, babies breathe, foliage, etc. instead of flowers to save some green.
Photography- Of course you will want to use a pro to capture the ceremony, but does he need to hang around? Hire the professional to take pictures of the service, but you can always enlist friends to take candid shots of the reception. Set out disposables on every table and stress the importance to loved ones to use them all and return them at the end of the day. Make sure there are some high quality cameras and digital cameras available for your most talented guests to use. When you get them developed make sure to get a picture CD so you can crop, edit, and email until your hearts content.
Catering- As I mentioned earlier check with your wedding site to see if they offer catering. They may also charge you for not using their services. Start out by taking your total food budget and dividing it by the number of people attending, this is your cost per plate/person. This gives you a realistic idea of what you can serve. If your budget turns out to be $10 per person look for options that realistically can be made for that price. Stews, roasts, skewers, finger foods, or dessert only meals are all great ways to save money. Remember, you have to keep the food at the right temperature and find a way to serve it all so the fewer dishes, burners, and ice needed the better. I've seen beautiful meals that were all finger foods. Also, beautiful meals that were all desserts that complimented the cake. Serve a dessert reception with cheese and meat trays so balance out the sweetness. One last thing, serve a buffet or choose a restaurant. The less wait staff the better.
I've covered some of the biggest costs of your big day. The rest is either very personal to your needs or best researched locally. I hope I've helped and I only have one more piece of advice. You may ask yourself, what should I spend the big bucks on? Lingerie and the honeymoon suite!