The venue is usually far and away the most expensive part of a wedding. Your first thought when choosing a venue might be your local banquet hall, but those places are often expensive — I know the venue where I worked charged around $120 per head, and it was $130 on Saturdays.
Another money-saving tip: Don't get married on a Saturday.
But other venues, like country clubs, public event spaces, rec centers, parks, museums, or restaurants, are often much less expensive and more flexible on cost, as well as on other things. Some of these places might be free to use, or could cost as little as $500. Imagine what else you could splurge on with all the money you save doing that.
You also often get a really unique experience when you go with an alternative venue. One of the coolest weddings I ever served — the same one with all the cookies — took place at Franklin Commons, a combined events center and art gallery in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. It was a great space, and there were interesting sculptures and art pieces everywhere.