Before you make any decisions about the big day, it helps to make a list of your top priorities with your fiance. This helps in everything from deciding on dates, venues, guests lists, and ESPECIALLY budgets. Make a list of the major elements of a wedding.
Ceremony
Venue
Catering
Alcohol
DJ
Photographer
Decor and Linens
Gown
Guest List
Flowers
Bridal Party
Cake
Lighting
Ceremony
Venue
Catering
Alcohol
DJ
Photographer
Decor and Linens
Gown
Guest List
Flowers
Bridal Party
Cake
Lighting
Your list may be different, but that's what I came up with off the top of my head. Now you two should each number your list and compare to see if your priorities match. Give them a 1-4 for Very Important, Important, Not very important, or Least Important.
Ceremony 2
Venue 1
Catering 1
Alcohol 2
DJ 2
Photographer 2
Decor and Linens 3
Gown 2
Guest List 2
Flowers 3
Bridal Party 2
Cake 1
Lighting 4
Obviously this is just an example. But the above values show that the described wedding would be about food and fun.
For our wedding, our list looked something like this....
Ceremony 2
Venue 2
Catering 1
Alcohol 2
DJ 4
Photographer 2
Video 4
Decor and Linens 2
Gown 2
Guest List 2
Flowers 1
Bridal Party 3
Cake 3
Lighting 4
We didn't want a super serious, stuffy ceremony, so we gave it a 2. We knew we weren't going to be able to afford a large guest list, so the venue wasn't going to have to hold that many people. We DID want our favorite bbq chicken, and a lot of it, so we made that a priority. It's no secret we like to drink and have a good time, so alcohol was up there too (even though it'll drive up your budget). DJ? Nah. We were pretty sure we could make due with an ipod. We weren't too terribly concerned with video (someone taped the ceremony from their seat and sent us a dvd....fine by us!) I LOVE Flowers, so I gave that a high priority, and didn't care too strongly what the bridal party wore, hence the 3. We didn't want a huge expensive cake, so we settled for a little one. And lighting? Eh. We didn't need strobes or disco balls for dancing.
Each list will look different, and don't be surprised if your priorities change.