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The average wedding in the United States sets couples back a whopping $20,000, but with a little ingenuity you can plan a gorgeous affair for a whole lot less.

Here's how to stretch $5,000 further than you ever thought possible. We also encourage you to check out Bridal Guide's How to Plan the Perfect Wedding…Without Going Broke (Warner Books), by our editor in chief, Diane Forden, which offers even more great cost-cutting advice.

1. Prioritize

Deciding what wedding elements matter most is the first rule of planning a great affair on a four-figure budget, says Erwin. "Sit down with your fiancé and talk about what's important to you, and then focus your resources on those areas," she says. If music really matters to you, but flowers aren't as important, then your budget should reflect that.

Also, accept that you will have to compromise and cut back on some areas more than others, she adds. For example, after getting expensive quotes from florists, Celine Hagan, of East Brunswick, New Jersey, decided that spending a chunk of change on a bouquet wasn't important to her. "Instead of paying the florist $50, I bought a few calla lilies myself and tied them together with a pretty ribbon," she says. The final cost: about $12.

2. Be flexible

Saturday is the most popular day of the week to get married, which means it's also the most expensive. Keep reception costs in check by having your wedding on a Friday or Sunday instead. You can save as much as 40% on your catering costs this way, says Beth Hickman of Storybook Weddings in Sacramento, California. And consider getting married during the "less popular" months of the year—November through March. Businesses that aren't busy may be willing to cut a deal rather than risk having no booking at all.

3. Think outside the ballroom

Instead of holding your affair in a banquet hall or hotel, consider non-traditional venues, like museums, lighthouses, mansions and botanical gardens, which can usually be rented for a small fee ($500 or so on average, as opposed to the thousands of dollars you might spend to book a hotel space). Doing this could save you money on decorations as well.

A garden setting, for instance, doesn't require additional centerpiece blooms (you might use votive candles instead), and a museum's fabulous art gives your guests plenty to look at. Warning: Make sure your venue of choice has had experience doing weddings, or you may be setting yourself up for disaster. Also, confirm that it has all the equipment you'll need (like tables, chairs, china, stemware and so on) for the party—it's incredibly expensive to rent all of that, says Erwin, who adds that, for this very reason, having a backyard wedding at a private home is not a good idea for a couple on a tight budget.

Once you've found the right place, and if your religion allows, hold both your ceremony and your reception there. Paying fees for two different venues will only stress your budget. Another plus: You can save on transportation costs, since you won't need a car service or limousine to go from the ceremony to the reception.

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