Ways to cut costs

Hey ladies...

I recently became laid off from my job unexpectedly and money has been especially tight. I had a great interview the other day and I'm hoping for the best.

FH and I are going away next weekend to discuss our wedding plans and ideas. I've been doing as much homework as I could the last few months... but I know one of FH's big concerns is about $$$. Seriously, we have a house already so I think his mindset is more on upgrading the bathroom and the kitchen rather than spending $30k on a big party. He joked earlier that we should just elope and this way we take care of the wedding and the honeymoon - scary enough he may have been partly serious.

Basically, I know that I better put on my best sales presentation ever next weekend to eliviate his mind - which is not easy to eliviate someone's concerns over $$$ when you are unemployed trying to convince them that you'll take on the bigger burden. Here is my list of things that I'm planning on telling him to either eliminate certain costs or add to our budget:

1- Tax refunds, pending I get that job and don't need mine to make my minimums on my bills. He however, should use his toward the mortgage - not the wedding.

2- Continue with my p/t job even once I'm gainfully employed again.

3- Have an informal engagement party hosted by my parent's at their house (maybe dad will slip me some extra cash since he doesn't have to pay for a catered affair - but I doubt it). I feel this way we'd register at one or 2 places but send out invitations (like the kind you buy at a hallmark store or maybe my dad can make them on his computer) and maybe we'll get some monetary gifts - or at least people will buy the non-monetary gifts for this and give us cash for the wedding.

4- Have a Friday night wedding instead of Saturday or Sunday - depending on the hall whichever day or time is cheapest.

5- DJ - get the most basic package - no bells and whistles, just introduce us, make a few announcements here and there, play what we want him to and that's about it. No smoke, no toys or any of that garbage that goes unappreciated for the most part anyway (not putting it down if anyone's doing that, but if it costs money it's not worth it to me).

6- Flowers - no floral centerpieces - use candles and make them with stuff from Michaels. Only flowers will be the bou-k's.

7- Small Bridal Party - about 3ppl each, plus maybe a ring bearer and flower girl (his son will be 9, so maybe he can be a JR. groomsman and eliminate the RB).

8- 100 guest or less - only kids are those in the BP and have an A and B list so that this way FH doesn't freak out that he can't invite some guy he went to grade school with that he hasn't spoken to in 10 years. MEN!!! Then if someone from A sends back a 'no' he can pull someone off his B list to replace them, but we stop at 100 guests.

9- Buy invitations as cheap as possible since they'll end up in the garbage anyway.

10- I'm make the 'save the date cards' somehow.

Anything else anyone can think of? I'm hoping to stay under $15k which I know is painfully hard to do, but unless I want to get married on a beach in Mexico - I'd better be prepared to show FH that we can do this somehow. The priority items to me are good food, the photographer and the videographer (and the honeymoon - FH agrees with this one). I know - videos not that necessary - but I have to admit - FH's first wedding was taped and is at his mother's house somewhere b/c some of their dead relatives were there so she can't part with it, but I have an issue with that being on tape and not ours. I know - stupid, but it's life I guess. Any other suggestions?