The biggest piece of advice I can give you...

So far I've covered a variety of things that can help you plan a budget wedding, including invitations, photography, etc, etc. It's now 7 months into my engagement and wedding planning, and I have discovered the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak.

Guests. That's it. Guests. Having a smaller guest list will save you money. SO much money. It's simple, really. More guests add costs all over the place, not just in the catering department. For instance, our venue comes with 13 tables that can seat 10 people each. I'm expecting about 150 people, so I need to rent at least 2 more tables. And 20 more chairs. And two more table cloths. It's insane, and you probably won't think about it until you start adding up costs, but it's absolutely true. 

There are pros and cons to both small (intimate) and larger weddings, and obviously each bride and groom is different in their preferences. Personally, I'd rather have a small wedding because I can actually spend time with my guests, I will know everyone pretty well, and it would save a lot of money. It didn't work out that way, simply because my extended family is large and I was sort of guilted into inviting everyone. But if having a small wedding or if keeping costs low is important to you, stick to your guns!

This is the biggest money-saving advice I can give you. A guest list of 75 people can easily bring the total cost of a DIY wedding down around or around $5,000. Add 25 more people, and you're looking at around $7,000. I'm not saying it can't be done both ways. There are ways to have a lot of people for not much money, but it will take a lot of savvy and know-how. And there are limits. You can't have a guest list of 500 people and want to only spend $5000, unless you're just inviting everyone to your JOP ceremony and not having a reception! Most of this is common sense, but some of it you may not figure out until 2 months till your wedding (like me...lesson learned!).

Planning a wedding has taught me so much. I have learned that, although I won't have the wedding I dreamed of, I will have my wedding and it will be awesome. But my planning has also taught me that when the day comes for my daughters to have quinceneras or sweet sixteen (they'll be half white, half hispanic, so they can choose!), I'll be able to plan that for cheap. And I'll be able to give my children advice for their own weddings. So live, learn, and love. But mostly love. :)