People may not understand how much even a smaller wedding costs in certain states now. I got married about 5 years ago, budgeted 25K spent about 19K.
10K of that was the venue/food which included a large cabin rented for our family for the weekend. Rehearsal dinner 25 people (hotdogs, burgers and salads because I'm classy), cocktail hour, open bar, dinner, about 90 people. Photographer 5K Videographer (I got a student) 500. DJ (got a discount) 500. My dress/shoes/jewelry/everything 800 Husbands 800. 500 for favors. 500 for cake + delivery.
I made all the decorations, flowers, invitations, programs, menus and some favors myself with supplies around 500. I did my own makeup, friend did my hair for free. Had a relative perform ceremony at venue for $0. About another 500 in tips to the staff at the end of the night. Our rings, mine was 200 something his was 300, + 100 or so for engraving but I didn't include that into the wedding budget, nor my engagement ring which was 1K and thats without any diamonds as he knew I didn't like them. Only thing I wanted to not cheap out on was the photographer, wedding lasts a day pictures last forever still not as big of a price discrepancy between best and bargain bin as you'd expect.
I was working full time, he was military we had disposable income neither one of us ever spent. We already had house downpayment socked away but couldn't buy one, vacation funds never spent because we hadn't been able to go anywhere in years. We hadn't seen alot of our family and friends in awhile and our families had hardly really met each other, he hadn't met half my friends from back home. Our wedding served as all of that for us.
I'm a frugal person, so is he I had a cash back credit card I put everything on (and paid before the bill of course) for the kick backs. I used store rebate programs to cut the cost of all the decoration supplies and damn if he didn't ask every vendor if they offered a military discount (everyone but the photographer did) I had Mommy hem my off the rack davids bridal dress because I wasn't paying for a seamstress (should have paid for the seamstress but never tell her that =) )
Talking with friends who got married in the last few years they couldn't believe how little we spent. We chose out in the boon docks (which people very graciously drove to for us) they got married in a more urban area and spent 2 to 3X more for similar sized weddings.
All in all and sorry for the wordy reply, I'm glad we spent it. Neither of us really had birthday parties or anything like that growing up and we had the money for it. I'd been to other weddings and parties and knew some people, here I knew everyone and they all really seemed to have a great time. I didn't think I'd feel that way once we spent so much but he related it to buying a new car, we could drive our hoopties a few more years and have a wedding. Now 5 years later I'm glad we chose that and I'm still loving my hooptie. I get buyers remorse about damn near everything but honestly, zero about spending 19K on a wedding.
We still toss around the idea of renting a VFW by where all our friends and family live and throwing a costume, or no occasion party just to have fun with everyone in the same room again.