Choosing the right Venue

Make a rough guest list first and see how many people you have. If you want to cut down costs of a venue do your wedding off season or on a Friday or Sunday those are generally half price. You can also get a hall that does the ceremony on site. My gf is doing her ceremony at 3 pm and then cocktail hour starts at 5 and then her wedding activities start at 6pm

Look at less conventional places that still host festivals and events - casinos, large bars that do dance nights, or maybe see if you can book a restaurant. I found, at least in my area, they don't triple the price on everything because the word 'wedding' is involved and they are generally open decently late.

My FH and I went with the local Casino's event room. They always are hosting shows for musical guests and business events. Apparently, they did the odd wedding too. The room and their outdoor area both for the full day was only $500 including all chairs and tables (which is there general event pricing). The room already has a good sound system installed too due to the events that are done there regularly.