We are paying everything ourselves.  I opened an account yesterday where I can't touch the money until I take a hold off of it until next year.  I tend to spend the money I have, so this made things much easier.  I'm less tempted to use the money if I can't touch it.  I set up my direct deposit today.  From now on, half of my pay check will go to this account.  I only work part time and don't get a guaranteed amount of hours, but I'm estimating at least between 100-120 going into this account each week.  I have 25 dollars from each of hubby's checks going into this account as well.  This means that this time next year, we will have at least between 6500 and 7800.  We're still going to continue saving through until our July wedding date.  I am really surprised we are able to save that much!  I'm not expecting to pay that much, so we might use any money we have left over to buy some furniture or continue saving for a down payment on a house.  

Here are some things we are doing to cut costs:

Bought my dress at an outlet mall (paid 630 for a 900 dress- I was only looking to spend 200, but I found THE dress)  It's my only "splurge."
Ceremony will be at my Parish (cheaper for members, and I love the Church)
Reception: we MIGHT do an outdoor ceremony at our local metro park and have a cheaper caterer 
OR go with a hall.  I have an Excel spreadsheet with about 40 reception venues, how much they charge per person for food, drinks, and gratuity + tax.  I added up a total for 150 people, and we will choose from the cheapest places.  
There is a package with one of the cheaper venues that includes invitations, cake, dj, and linens.  
If we don't go with this place, I am DIYing invitations, centerpieces, and probably using fake flowers
We have 2 cousins on each side that are amateur photographers, and we will have them do our wedding.  
We will probably find a DJ from our friends or family.  

At the end of the day, I know, I know, it just matters that we are together.  

I went to Charter One and changed one of my accounts.  Now I have a hold on it unless I speak specifically to Carol, no one else, to remove it.  I'm not removing it until 2012.  

I changed my direct deposit, too.  Now half of every week's paycheck of mine will go into this account.  

Next year at this time I'll have more than 5200 dollars in the account.  I might sneakily add 50 dollars from Bobby's paycheck to this account each week, too.  That would be 7800 dollars.  We'll be saving well past February 2012.  Add that amount to our tax refund, we'll have a bigger wedding.  I'm so excited.  I've never been so excited to save.

I guess the hardest thing about wedding planning, for me, is going at it by myself.  It's very rare that I have a bridesmaid help me plan at all.  Whenever I try to get everyone together, they seem to all be busy.  I'm at the point I want to ask, "Do you really want to be in this wedding?  Are you too busy?"  I beg and beg for help, and my pleads go unanswered.  Maybe I'm trying too hard and pushing too hard.  I'm feeling really depressed about the wedding lately though because I feel I'm funding, planning, and deciding everything myself.  I should just marry myself by myself.