Unfortunately, today $1,500 is not a lot of money to work with when planning a wedding, however don't let that get you down - anything is possible with a little creativity and determination. Although the average couple is presently spending about $22,000 on their wedding (based on national averages for the US and Canada), the creative and clever bride can successfully orchestrate a wedding on whatever budget she has available to work with.

So with that said, let's get you pointed in the right direction. You haven't told me how many guests you wish to have in attendance, and this will of course have major impact on your budget. You are certainly welcome to write me again with greater detail, however, in the meantime I can offer some general guidelines and ideas.

On $1500, a formal sit down dinner reception is pretty much out of the question, unless you are dealing with a very small guest list - for example, around 25 people.

I would recommend looking at options like an 'at home' reception. This can be done very elegantly in the form of a cocktail and hors d'oeuvres reception or an outdoor a garden party. At a garden party, refreshments might consist of tea sandwiches, fruit & vegetable platters, punch, coffee, tea, wine for toasting the bride and groom, and of course wedding cake. Other types of receptions along similar lines are cake & champagne receptions and stand up receptions. A stand up reception is similar to a cocktail and hors d'oeuvre reception except that the food selection may go a little beyond simply hors d'oeuvres to include things like lasagna, barbecued chicken , pasta, salads, etc. Food stations are set up and guests help themselves and then mingle with one another as they enjoy their food. Only minimal tables and seating are required - some guests will prefer to stand and mingle, while others will have the option of sitting while they eat. At any of these forms of receptions, if you need to restrict expenses even further, you may limit alcohol to only wine or champagne or an alcoholic punch.

It is possible to host quite a significant number of guests very affordably at all of the above types of receptions if you have friends or family members who are willing to pitch in and offer their help in preparing food ahead of time for the event.

The shorter you keep the reception, the lower the cost will be because there will obviously be lower food and beverage consumption. Therefore, consider limiting the reception to 2 or 3 hours. This duration is very consistent with the types of receptions I have described above.

You can save on entertainment expenses at these types of receptions by making your own tapes or CDs and having them played on a home stereo system.

For photography, look to a friend or family member who is good with a camera if a professional photographer is not in the budget. Alternatively, check the classified ads in your local paper for freelancers who do wedding photographer at very low rates. Again, with a short reception, photography expenses will be kept to a minimum as well.

Remember too that the fewer number of attendants you have in your wedding party, the more affordable the wedding will be. You will need to purchase flowers and gifts for each attendant and this can inflate your budget pretty quickly. Fortunately enough, it is now very fashionable to keep the size of the wedding party small. Some couples opt for only a maid of honor and best man, so feel free to exercise that option in order to stretch your budget.

When it comes to the wedding cake, you guessed it - these are pretty pricey too! Is there a friend or family member who has a talent for cake decorating? If not, look at renting an ornamental cake from a party rental store or bridal boutique in your area. This of course, will just be for show. You will still need a cake for serving, however a much less elaborate slab cake will do just fine, and this will save you a bundle over having a real, multi-tiered cake constructed and decorated. Another popular and elegant option right now is to forego the traditional multi-tiered cake, and opt instead for a series of heart shaped or round single layer cakes which can be displayed clustered together on the cake table. Its wonderful to have each one be a different flavor. Again, these can be baked by a friend or family member at home if necessary, in order to maximize the budget. You can simply adorn each cake with a few silk flowers (gently placed right atop the icing and then removed just before cutting)if you don't know anyone who is handy with a cake decorating tube!

Last but not least, there is the matter of wedding stationery - another significant expense. Today many creative brides are choosing to make their own wedding invitations as both a cost saving measure and a means of making their wedding more personalized. If you are not quite that crafty, check in at stationery stores (the large discount warehouses, if you have one in your area) for wedding invitation stock that you can run through your home computer. There are some beautiful designs available now that more and more brides are showing interest in this option, and the prices are extremely affordable.

There are many, many other tips and ideas I could share with you, but I'd be writing forever! Feel free to write again if you have more questions or specifics and I'll be happy to assist you further. Apart from that, you might find it very helpful and inspirational to head on over to our Money Saving Secrets section or our Creative Wedding Ideas area. Browsing though some of our other sections will give you a lot of other creative ideas for planning a gorgeous wedding on a very limited budget.

Don't hesitate to write again if you have more specific questions!

The very best to you,

Linda Kevich
Professional Wedding Consultant
Creator & Editor, SuperWeddings.com