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Today the average cost of a wedding is well over $20,000. Here, two couples tell how they kept spending down and loved the results.

Love Boat

When Tanja Kern, 29, a freelance writer, and Skip Motsenbocker, 38, COO of his family-owned business, imagined their ideal wedding location, they first thought of Las Vegas. "But once we looked into it and realized how much it would cost for all our guests to get there," says Tanja, "we decided it would be more economical for everyone to have our wedding in our hometown of San Diego instead."

The ceremony site presented them with their next challenge. "We didn't belong to a church, and our backyard was too small." They decided to enlist the help of wedding planner Norah Edelman to find a great venue and set it up for their ceremony. She suggested the Surprise—the reproduction English sailing ship used in Russell Crowe's film, Master and Commander—which was docked in San Diego Harbor. "When we saw how amazing it was, Skip started grinning from ear to ear," Tanja says. "He thought it was so cool!" And the real surprise was that the ship was quite affordable.

The couple wanted to host the reception at their favorite local restaurant, George's at the Cove, but they knew that dinner for 40 would overwhelm their budget. However, lunch proved to be the perfect alternative—they could offer guests a tempting menu without breaking the bank. Ultimately, they choose to serve hors d'oeuvres, a salad and a choice of three entrées (skirt steak, tuna and chicken). Even better, the restaurant allowed the couple to bring in their own wine and champagne (from Costco), although they did charge a corkage fee of $8 a bottle.

On the day of the wedding, guests rode a double-decker bus down to the harbor. Once everyone was onboard and had taken a bit of time to explore the beautiful ship, Tanja and Skip, along with Skip's two children, Ashley and Brandon, stood up for the ceremony. A champagne toast followed the vows, and then guests piled back into the bus to go to the restaurant for lunch. (Tanja and Skip followed in a glamorous 1920s Franklin, one of their budget splurges.)Tanja chose beautiful flowers—calla lilies, tulips and roses—for tables and bouquets, but kept them to a minimum. The couple decided that they could do just fine without a cake. "We didn't care that much about it," Tanja explains, "and for what the local bakers were charging, we decided it wasn't worth it." Instead, the couple served crème brûlée with fruit.

Good photography was important to them, however, so they hired a top-notch photographer. "That was our biggest splurge," Tanja says. "But having a great record of the day was our priority."

So, looking back on the day—and the grins she sees in those wedding photographs—does Tanja think you can pull off a dream wedding without breaking the ban? "Absolutely!" she says. "I think we could have cut our budget even more."

Natural Charm

Melissa Barrett, 31, a public health consultant, and David Phillips, 36, a special education statistician, knew what they wanted for their Vermont wedding: a ceremony in a field of wildflowers, a boisterous dinner and dancing in a cheerful red barn and a guest list of 85 that included everyone they love. The question was whether they could do this on a strict budget.

A Green Idea: Do you have a favorite environmental charity? Give them a donation in honor of your guests instead of giving away traditional favors. The I Do Foundation offers a simple and easy way to make your donation. You can choose an organization from their list or suggest your own. Place cards are also available for purchase to let your guests know about the special gift.

A little bit of planning and a few smart ideas later, Melissa and Dave said "I do" without compromising on what they wanted for their event or how much they planned to spend. "We set our priorities very early," Melissa says. "The location and delicious food and a laid-back atmosphere were very important to us."

The bulk of their budget went to the location, near their home in Montpelier, and the catering. First they found the perfect spot: a red barn set in a grassy meadow with a mountain view ("so Vermont!" Melissa says). Then the couple tracked down the right vendors. They chose a local restaurant to do the catering and designed a simple menu of grilled chicken, grilled steak and stuffed portobello mushrooms, plus one special touch. "The restaurant is known for its sticky buns," she says, "so we served those instead of rolls. I thought it would go over well with Dave's family, because they all have a sweet tooth," she laughs. Also, the caterer agreed to take back any unopened beer or wine, which resulted in huge savings.

Melissa hired a woman from her mom's church to whip up a vanilla and chocolate swirl cake, tied with bright ribbons and crowned with fresh gerbera daisies. She also ordered flowers in bulk from Costco. "Everyone said, ‘Oh, my God! You're doing the flowers yourself?' but it turned out to be awesome," Melissa says. She chose long-lasting gerbera daisies in punchy oranges and pinks, and enlisted friends the day before the wedding to help make bouquets, centerpieces and small arrangements for the cocktail tables. They filled two galvanized steel tubs with flowers to use at the ceremony, and then placed them so they flanked the barn doors at the reception later. The effect was of a bounty of blooms. "It looked as though there were flowers everywhere," Melissa says.

Since the couple wanted to keep photography costs to a minimum, they hired a pro for just two hours. Melissa got the images on disc, and eventually plans on making her own album. The bride and groom didn't stint on special touches: With stunning natural backdrops for the ceremony and the reception, they didn't need a lot of extras, but splurged on guest favors—leaf-shaped bottles of maple syrup—and filled the barn with fragrant beeswax candles. Melissa's mother designed the programs, place cards and table-number cards on her home computer, and printed them in fuchsia ink at Kinko's.

Did all the planning pay off? Melissa and Dave think so. "I looked up during the reception, and almost everyone was dancing. They all looked so happy. We both feel that we got exactly the wedding we wanted."

Melissa & Dave's Budget
Invitations $342
Officiant & license $130
String quartet and musicians' tent $611
Programs $15
Stationery (seating cards, table cards) $15
Location $2,180
Rentals $580
Catering & Bar $3,530
Cake $165
Flowers $560
DJ $925
Photography $648
Favors $150
Vases,candleholders, candles $149
Total: $10,000

The $5,000 Challenge

You can throw a wedding for $5,000 or under—true or false? We put three of America's top event planners to the test.

Guest List: 40
Philadelphia wedding planner, Melissa Paul of Evantine Design, envisions a formal sit-down breakfast on a sunny terrace. Arrange for a classical trio to accompany the meal—the perfect finishing touch.

Why this is smart: Mornings are an off time for hotels, Paul says, so you'll save signficantly on catering. The hotel will supply crisp linens, tableware and everything else you may need.

Budget:
Invitations $150
Officiant $150
Bride's bouquet $200
Bridesmaids' flowers (3 bouquets @ $100 each) $300
Boutonnieres $30
Ceremony location $200
Ceremony music (your house of worship's organist) $150
Reception music (conservatory students ) $400
Photography (photographer's assistant) $400
Catering $1,700
Bar $1,000
Cake (from local bakery) $200
Total $4,880

Cake and Champagne Wedding

Guest List: 100
New York event planner Karen Bussen, author of Simple Stunning Wedding Flowers, dreamed up an afternoon cake and champagne reception. Start with a ceremony in a beautiful park (find a spot with a view),.and hold a restaurant reception with that features a fabulous cake. Splurge on music by a solo violinist or guitarist.

Why this is smart: The park setting is an obvious savings, and the dessert menu cuts way down on catering costs.

Budget:
Invitations $300
Ceremony location (park permit) $50
Officiant $150
Bride's bouquet (splurge!) $225
Bridesmaids' posies (2 @ $60 each) $120
Boutonnieres $30
Ceremony décor (ribbons and chair rentals ) $175
Ceremony music (student musician) $150
Reception location: site fee for the restaurant $400
Photography (photographer'sassistant) $750
Catering (bar and waitstaff) $400
Bar. $820
Cake (splurge!) $1,200
Reception flowers (8 floating flower arrangements) $200
Reception music (iPod mix) $50
Total $5,020

Late-Night Tapas Wedding

Guest List: 50
A sassy late-night tapas fete is a great alternative to a big dinner and dance event, says Bryan Rafanelli, a Boston event coordinator. Choose a sleek, private room in a hotel or restaurant that has a high-end lounge feeling. Have the ceremony on one side of the room, then launch straight into drinks and savory tapas (with a DJ spinning jazz to set the mood). Serve a three-tier cheesecake instead of a traditional cake.

Why this is smart: Holding your reception in a hotel means no rental costs; the room, tables, linens and glasses are all included in your catering fee. Tapas are perfect for nighttime receptions—they satisfy your guests without breaking your budget.

Budget:
Invitations (handwritten on nice paper) $50
Officiant $150
Bridal bouquet $250
Single stems for bridesmaids $50
Boutonnieres $25
Catering (rentals and tip) $3,000
Centerpieces for cocktail tables (5 @ $75 each) $375
Photographer (2 hrs @ $350 an hour) $700
DJ $400
Total $5,000