It is possible to plan a very nice wedding on a $5,000 budget. Without knowing all your details I have listed 6 important rules to follow. The first of these is enlisting the expertise of a wedding planner that has a good vendor database. Even with a smaller budget, a wedding planner is an asset. Wedding planners know the hidden secrets of the area. They can refer you to QUALITY service providers within your budget.  For example, I was asked by a very sweet couple to plan their wedding with the same budget. They did not have any family assistance and were really concerned about their wedding day. Because they enlisted a wedding planner, they were able to secure a beautiful, unadvertised location for 6 hours, on a Sunday, for under $500. What a deal!
 
Secondly, be prepared to do some things yourself. Establish what the most important item is for your wedding day and what you can do without. This will help you put your money in the right places.
 
Thirdly, plan your wedding in the slower wedding months where rates are lower.
 
Fourthly, have your ceremony and reception at the same location to eliminate the need for transportation from ceremony to the reception.
 
Fifthly, schedule a daytime wedding with an early reception.  This will allow the venue to book another wedding later in the day and will reduce your costs dramatically.
 
Finally, limit your guest list to 100 people. Not only will this reduce the catering expense but it will widen you venue selections.
 
All the best,
Khaliyah Barakhyahu
Heavenly Haven Productions