Catering
Our reception was a Sunday morning which lowers costs as does the buffet service.  Don't forget, you also need to feed photographers, videographers, band members, etc.

Cake
Some caterers provide a cake, others don't. Veniero's is a very reasonably priced Italian bakery in the East Village owned and operated by the same family for over 100 years. Their cakes also taste great too!

Wedding Attire
I actually purchased my wedding dress in Florida because I decided it would be easier to plan my fittings. I really lucked out because I unexpectedly found a store that was in the process of remodeling and as a consequence, selling the sample dresses for 50% off. I used this opportunity to purchase a dress that I could not otherwise afford.

I found my headpiece at a small wedding specialty store (also in Florida) and was surprised by the price. Headpieces at other stores I visited were charging a minimum of $200 for the headpiece and another $100 for the veil. And of course, the sales associate was very insistent that I wear a floor length veil. If possible, I would suggest borrowing a veil, if a friend or family member has one that you admire - it saves you money and gives you the "something borrowed."

I did borrow the crinoline slip from my sister-in-law which saved me at least $100.

Rings
This was an area where we splurged. Our rings are platinum and 18K gold which is more costly than a plain 14K gold band. However, we did spend the day strolling up and down 47th Street (Diamond District) to shop around for a good price and then did some bargaining as well.

Flowers
My flower arrangements were on the simple side and I had decided to forgo the bouquet for the bathroom and the cake knife. I chose my florist not only based on price, but on the attention I felt I would receive and the unique quality of the flowers used in the arrangements - I didn't want it to look like I called FTD.

Printing/Invitations
We were able to get a really good price on our invitations due to a business relationship with the printer. We also went directly to the printer and by-passed the fancy stationery store. The programs were produced by us with paper purchased through a catalog and the help of our local Kinko's.

Photography
Three photographer's books were reviewed before making a decision. All three had basically equivalent prices and the choice was made based on rapport and her book. She produced one 40-page album for us, several enlargements and gave us all of our proofs and negatives to keep. We did not purchasing any parent's albums.

Music
We reviewed five bands and made a decision based on sound and price. We had a solo pianist for both the ceremony and cocktail hour and then a 5-piece band for the reception. Our reception was shorter than usual (1:00-4:00), so that helped to keep the costs down. Obviously, more band members and a longer reception time add significantly.

Ketubah/Kippot
The ketubah is the Jewish marriage contract. It does not have to be an expensive item if supplied by your officiate, but many are now beautiful works of art and this was something that we decided we wanted to have. Artistic ketubot range from $40 and up depending on how much work is hand done by the artist. The kippot (yarmulkes) were purchased in the Lower East Side and are fairly simple. They are printed with our names and marriage date. Our officiate felt that it was important for us to provide our male guests with kippot. If you get married in a synagogue, they may be able to provide you kippot for your ceremony.

Transportation
I really didn't need a limo to travel around in for the day, but somehow I didn't think it would be appropriate for a bride to hail a cab to get to her wedding site. Unfortunately, most limo companies charge you for a minimum number of hours even though you only need them to drop you off and pick you up afterwards.

Honeymoon Night
Since we have had to postpone our honeymoon until the spring, we thought it would be nice to stay in a really nice hotel on our wedding night. I visited suites in about a dozen hotels in NYC with prices ranging from $250 -$500. If you tell them it's your honeymoon, they will generally upgrade your room for you or offer you a package. The Essex House (aka Hotel Nikko) is situated on Central Park South and our room had a lovely view of Central Park in autumn. We had the honeymoon package which included a suite, breakfast at the Cafe Botanica (their in-house restaurant) or room service, chocolate truffles, champagne and flowers.