Any hacks?!

Make a list of 3-5 most important elements and skip the rest.
Get a grocery store cake.
Have your favorite restaurant cater.Get a bouquet of flowers from Costco or the grocery store or DIY at fiftyflowers.comCheck out Peerspace.com and Eventective.com for outside the box venues.Off-peak season dates are cheaper. Avoid the word "wedding" whenever possible when shopping.Use clear Christmas lights for decor $1/box for 100 lights vs $20 for 50 wedding lights at Michael's.Take advantage of Etsy.comOnly invite people you and your fiance can't imagine the day without. No obligatory invites or parents' coworkers' mailman.

Here's mine:
-made my boutonnieres, bouquets and flower crowns
-made my decorations-made my guestbook, card box, ring box and cake stand-bought a cute ceramic figurine on ebay and repainted it to use for our cake topper-making my own wedding cake and cupcakes-sister is smoking the pork roasts for pulled pork sandwiches, then getting sides from Sam's club-Sister is our officiant-FSIL is our photographer-reception is at the hotel where my fiance works so got a deal on the reception room

Our cake was from shoprite for $29.99, got my bouquet from two small rose bundles from walmart 4.98 per one, my neighbor did my hair for $60, my FH painted my nails and toes, our catering was from a local soul food place for $350. Super cheap

Photography can be done cheap by getting a student photographer or someone just looking to expand their portfolio

Dress: sample sale from Kleinfeld's - 10% of retail price. Even after alterations, I paid less than 50% of retail price

Flowers: fake, from Budget Bride - bouquets, bouts, centerpieces, less than $500.

No favors

Videographer: coworker is an up-and-coming filmmaker: $1000, got a 5 minute highlight video in FIVE DAYS, and, for the price of an external harddrive, literally every second of film that she and her assistant shot.

No photobooth, extra lighting, extra decor, etc.

We also planned in under 8 months, so we got all the same-year pricing.

And, since we're in theatre, we worked our network a little. My HMUA was a friend, who gave me a sizeable discount. Our photographer was rec'd by a friend's (famous) photographer husband, and apparently he gave us a discount, as well? (...Photography was a splurge for us, so I don't want to know what he usually charges.) DJ had done a friend's wedding, is not nearly as known as she should be, and so was affordable.

Dark humor hack: ...piss off half your family! Suddenly, your guest list is TINY! (Not recommended unless said half of your family is super not healthy.)

View Quoted Comment Wow, you sound like a professional. Kuddos to you for all the DIY. I'm too lazy lol.

View Quoted Comment Thanks for the advice, Jana! I'll definitely look into those options.

View Quoted Comment Oh how cute! The FH painting nails reminds me of an episode I saw on cheapest weddings on netflix. I recommend it if you haven't watched it yet.

View Quoted Comment Wow, sounds like you're really good at networking. Lol to the dark humor hack.

View Quoted Comment I've seen it and love it lol

View Quoted Comment Far from professional 😅 just tried real hard to save money. The wedding cake is where I got lucky. My mom used to make wedding cakes when I was young so she taught my sister and I a few things. I cant pipe small lace detail like she did, but thankfully don't need to since our wedding is rustic.