DC, I am sure that you did it he cheapest way possible for you, according to your likes and dislikes. But I have made weddings that didn’t cost me that much and I was just involved in a wedding for one of my “kids” that has been together with me for 8 years and it didn’t cost him that much. It cost him a little over $20,000.
Again, it depends on the venue, the caterer, how much you budget for flowers, music, photography, liquor, and how many guests you invite. If you can’t afford 400 guests, then don’t invite them. I just told a relative of mine that whoever didn’t come to the last wedding, remove them from the guest list v’gamarnu. That is how you chisel down your list. Stop inviting people because you were once friends with them. Don’t invite everyone in the shul because you say good Shabbos to them. How many times do you get an invitation and you have to figure out who the people are? How many times do you get an invitation and you wonder why they invited you. How many times do you feel obligated to go to a simcha but don’t really want to go and cut out at the very first opportunity. Well guess what others feel the same way, so take a good hard look at your list and make sure the people you invite truly want to participate.