Gah, this is expensive! What are some other ways to do this?

The reception is where most of the money is spent so you'd save some, but not a lot so I don't think it would make much sense to have the ceremony at the courthouse followed by a reception.

You can definitely have a small wedding, but depending on the time a full meal would definitely be expected. You could get away with serving cake and punch if you have the reception at a non-meal. But you'd still need tables and a seat for each guest.

Depending on the destination, it can be very expensive, especially for guests to attend. We got married four hours from where we were living and we did travel there several times, but I had to rely a lot on reviews in order to pick vendors and things so it was a ton of research and time.

If you don't love cruises then I wouldn't have a wedding on a cruise. Plus, it can be expensive for guests as well. A friend of my husband was going to have a cruise and we weren't going to be able to attend because 1. The cruise was very long so we would have had to take a ton of time off work and 2. It was very expensive.

Have you looked at the difference in off-season pricing to see if that's enough for you to still get the big wedding and party? Our venue price is half what it would be by us holding the wedding in March as it would be if we held it even 2 months later. Also, find a venue that has a lot included; tables, chairs, staff, glassware, etc. That eliminates a lot of planning and cost on your end. Cutting guest list down is the easiest way to save on food. Sticking with beer, wine, and well liquor will decrease your bar cost.

You can also choose a venue that doesn't require a ton of decoration. I probably wont do much more than very simple table settings and some string lights at mine because the aesthetic is already so beautiful.

You can save a couple hundred dollars by doing your own hair and makeup and having your bridesmaids do the same.

Forego favors.

Dont hire a planner and have an experienced friend, family member, or venue coordinator help with day of stuff.

forego real flowers for something different like silk, paper, or wood.

Getting legally married at the courthouse and having a friend or someone "Officiate" your formal ceremony would save a couple hundred as well.

Cupcakes over a big decorated cake

There are tons of ways to cut down cost and some of them are as easy as adjusting the date.

I am same as you. I have never dreamt of a wedding. I am getting married at a restaurant that does events in their garden area and then we are going straight into dinner. Check out a reddit group called WeddingsUnder10k. It has been so helpful. I got really overwhelmed reading on this forum and seeing how much everyone is doing and feeling silly for doing so little, but guess what you can do whatever you want. Look into restaurants. You can do a court house or private ceremony and then a dinner celebration.

You definitely don't have to do everything that is suggested by the wedding industry, like flowers, decor, wedding favours etc.

The real cost is in the number of guests, in a significant way smaller weddings are less expensive. As long as you're hosting the event well, it can be pretty much anything. A private room in a restaurant with food and drink could be cost-effective? As long as you're covering the bill.

If you had your event at a non-mealtime ie 2 pm or something, you could do cake and punch type of wedding. Serve non-alcoholic drinks and cake with maybe some veggie trays.

You could skip having a wedding party, then you won't need to buy gifts for your bridemaids/groomsmen.

The one real etiquette rule here if you invite guests is that you must host something to thank the them for attending the ceremony.

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Great ideas throughout the thread. Tying into Elycia's recs, also look into changing the time of the day. A Saturday night event is usually premium price, compared to a Friday evening or a Sunday afternoon. Depending on how many of your guests are local, some venues offer a weekday/weeknight special package for your ceremony and reception. Are you or is someone you know a member of a local museum or arts space? You might be able to host your reception there at a lower cost. Look at city and state parks and check for unique spaces on college campuses near you. Plus colleges usually have their own conference/event services team to help you plan.
If you don't need mics, connect Bluetooth speakers and create your own playlist.
See if there is a culinary school that provides catering services or operates a restaurant.
Buffet setup costs less than plated service. And you could modify your bar offerings to provide beer, wine and soft drinks. Another idea is to serve beer and have one signature cocktail named for you and one signature cocktail named for your FS. If you choose a venue that is BYOB, look for a distributor that will buy back unopened alcohol.

My friend had a wedding on a cruise ship before it departed and then the couple and a bunch of people went on the cruise and those of us not going got off the ship. I think it was comparatively inexpensive. The downside was it was very quick (like two hours max), but the people going on the cruise had a few days to celebrate with the couple. This was on carnival at port canaveral.