The big wedding news is that this year the recession has hit the budget. Couples are spending on average £5,000 less than this time last year.

A survey by Living TV found the cost of a marriage celebration stands at £15,261 compared with £20,273 last year.

The good news is that you can cut the cost of the reception without making it any less memorable

The six big expenses are:
1. Venue
2. Decorations
3. Food
4. Drink
5. Entertainment
6. Extras

The basic rule of thumb is that you can cut the cost of each by at least a third. So you can pick the ones you don't mind compromising on, choose how to cut the cost, and voila! You've shaved £5,000 off your budget without having to sacrifice anything you really care about.

With a venue you have a couple of options. You can pick somewhere less expensive, such as your local church hall, cricket club, or a marquee, and get creative with flowers, balloons and drapes to make it look special. Alternatively you could pick somewhere more sumptuous and compromise on when you hold the event. A midweek midwinter ceremony will cost far less than a Saturday in peak season.

The decorations are again another area where you don't have to spend so much. Think big impact for little cost. So balloons, gerberas, streamers, and candles. If you place candles on a mirrored tile (cheaper than a mirror) then you can get double the candles for a fraction of the cost. Also consider decorations that double as something else. A fresh fruit display as a centrepiece looks every bit as special as flowers, and can be dessert too; ditto for big bowls of marshmallows (especially if you go for a chocolate fountain instead of a weding cake).

With the food, again you have a couple of choices. You can trade down from a sit-down meal to a buffet, which will cut at least a third off the price. Alternatively you can think about the food you serve. Bangers and mash, for example, will be a fraction of the price of a beef dish, and just as welcome. Plus you can cut the dessert course in favour of wedding cake.

The drink costs can be cut two ways too. You can opt for cheaper booze - like cava instead of champagne and the house wine. Alternatively you can bring your own (from a booze cruise). The venue may well charge you corkage, but this is one of the areas where haggling can yield best results, as there's very little justification for a corkage charge.

With the entertainment, you can go for a lower priced live band. A friend of mine found a brilliant band busking down the road from her and she booked them. Alternatively you can opt for a disco. At its cheapest this can simply mean an ipod loaded with your favourite songs, plus an amp and speakers, which isn't going to break the bank.

And finally, the extras. This is essentially personal choice. For some people favours and a master of ceremonies, gifts for the bridesmaids and having the photographer stick around all night are absolutely essential. For everyone else you can just ditch the things that you're not so bothered about. Bridesmaids will be just as pleased with a thank you card, and when was the last time you went to a wedding and particularly noticed the favours?

The beauty of this approach is that you can keep the budget down, and still get your favourite covers band, or meal, or booze. You only have to give up the things you don't care about.