A lot of time, effort, and ultimately money go into planning a wedding.
You will no doubt want to keep the amount that you spend of each of these to a minimum.
You may find that the less you spend the more time and effort you have to put in to planning your day.
Here are seven of the things that determine how much cash you will have to cough up for your wedding.

1. Top of the list is the size of the guest list.
   The more people you invite the more you will have to spend.
   The amount of people you choose to invite to your wedding affects a lot of other aspects of your wedding.
   The obvious things are your food and liquor bills.
   With more people to wine and dine, your catering costs can soon soar.
   Larger venues tend to be more expensive and may also require extra decorations, again adding to your costs.
   Put a strict limit on the amount of people you invite and make some tough cuts to your guest list to reduce your spending.
   
2. The date of your wedding affects the amount you spend as it determines how much competition you will have for your chosen venues and vendors.
   If you are getting married in a popular month you will find that your vendors are not short of work, which will allow them to hike the prices.
   If you marry in an unpopular month your vendors will be much more in need of your custom, allowing you room to negotiate on prices.
   
3. Similarly, the time of your wedding is also a factor.
   More often than not, the earlier you wedding, the cheaper it will be.
   Weddings held later in the day often have a reception that serves dinner.
   You will probably find that a dinner reception requires more food and is therefore more expensive than a breakfast, brunch or lunch reception.
   
4. The food you serve and how you serve it has an effect on your wedding cost.
   Some food is just more expensive than others so it is a good idea to keep the pricier items, such as lobster, to the hors d'oeuvres.
   The way the food is served is also important.
   A seated meal will generally be more expensive than a buffet as it requires more waitstaff.
   
5. Your reception site.
   Many popular indoor venues can come with a heavy price tag attached.
   This is often true of venues that mostly cater to weddings.
   Outdoor receptions are usually cheaper but if you are holding your wedding in a public park you might need to pay for a permit, which will add to your costs.
   
6. The formality of your event.
   Having a more formal event undoubtedly raises the price tag attached to your wedding.
   Formal weddings are more likely to have many of the traditional features that can be skipped in a less formal affair.
   Formal weddings also tend to have a larger guest list, which also increases the cost to you.
   
7. The location you choose to marry in.
   Some areas of the country are simply just more expensive than others.
   This is especially true of the major metropolitan areas such as New York and Los Angeles.