I just got married 9 month ago. We had a wedding with 6 (supposed to be 7) attendants, 140 guests and a catered sit down meal for less than $5,000. It was great! Everyone really enjoyed it.
For details, check out my wedding planning bio:
http://eisor.myweb.uga.edu/personal/biocss.html
I agree with the suggestion of not buying things that are labeled wedding. Also, comparison shopping is your best friend.
One thing that isn't in my bio, but we got a TON of compliments on was our music. Everyone LOVED it! Plus, it added a subtle personal touch.
We used music from this group:
The String Quartet Tribute CDs by Todd Mark Rubenstein
We found a coupon code online for emusic for free downloads, and downloaded our ceremony music for free. We had some Shania Twain, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Tim McGraw and other well known songs. It was great!!
If you have ANY specific questions at all, feel free to ask me.