Hey LJ. Having read all these other posts, there is not much I can add. However, DW and I were really happy with our wedding, so I thought I would back some of these other ladies' opinions with my experience.

DW organised tiers of cupcakes for the wedding cake. We chose the icing colours and the wrappers to fit the wedding theme. You can either look at having a homemade job (probably done by friends and family) or ask a cake shop. I think we paid around $4-5/cupcake which wasn't too bad. We got a small top tier cake to cut though!

Bonbons (as I called them, much to DWs disgust ) were cheap, coloured shotglasses filled with wedding-theme coloured jelly beans and wrapped in celophane.

Music - We got the 2 piece band that we knew quite well from our local pub. It was one of the bigger expenses (apart from the reception centre) but well worth it. I have been to weddings that use mp3s and iPods, and they usually work quite well, however, it can sometimes be a problem plugging them into the reception places sound system, may not be loud enough, and when guests get a little tipsy, they may start skipping through the playlists to find the songs they like (I've seen this happen before....Metallica is not good wedding music)

We got a friend to do the photography, but didn't pay for an album. I know people who have spent hundreds on just the album layout. We got all the photos on a CD and, although we still haven't done it, we will make our own album.

The disposables are FANTASTIC but make sure your MC points out that they are not to be used in the toilets....oh, tell them not to take too many photos of the two of you. We had around 25 cameras and each of them had about 10 photos of us.....way too many. We would have preferred lots more of the guests.

Thankyou cards - I have had a number of friends do the same thing we did and they said it was a great idea. Get your bestman/bridesmaid/attendant to stand at the door of the reception place with a digital camera. Then, you and DF (DH then) welcome each guest or group of guests as the enter. You all turn to the camera person, they take a photo, and then the next guest comes in. That way, you can develop those photos, write your thankyous on the back, and send them as a reminder of the day. I still walk into friends houses and there's the photo of all of us on the wedding day stuck to their fridge.

Good luck with all your plans. Also, remember to take the weather of the season into account (wind/rain/heat/etc)