I am a Banquet Manager at The Depot and there are many ways that you can save money. For invitations, you can go to any paper warehouse and find the paper and cheap envelopes. Sometimes they have an area on "clearance." You can create your invitations on MS Word or Publisher. I just created my neighbors and found that a laser printer works the best for quality. You can also use Publisher for the response cards - use the postcard kind, it will save you money on the return stamps. The stamp is a great idea. You can stamp your invitations and the response cards. Make a list of things that are most important to you, such as photography, cake, food, etc... that way you will know how/where you want to cut the corners. For example, if you are not that concerned about the cake, get a simple 2 tier for the reception and get the rest in sheet cakes. Huge money saver. For the ceremony & reception, when looking at places, see if you can get a better deal if you booked both there. Make sure you see what the Food & Beverage minimums are and check to see all the additional costs for things like a dance floor, bar, etc... Sometimes a place may look expensive, but after adding up all the little things for another place, it would make just as much sense to take the one you like for the same price. Upon finding a hall, see what they also offer for the table set - candles, mirrors, etc... You can get cheap centerpiece bowls from IKEA and other warehouses. Just shop around and since it's not until next year, take your time and find the best deals. If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact me anytime. Good luck!