Our budget has been pretty slim, so I did tons of research (mostly on BDW). Since we were having everyone come to Mexico for our wedding we wanted to pay for our wedding party attire. I got my bridesmaids' dresses at Charlotte Russe for $40 each since they were flowy summer-ey type dresses. They are casual enough for my beach wedding and they can definitely wear them again. I also ordered my dress online at NetBride.com and it came in perfect condition and I saved over $300! Just with the wedding attire we have already saved $600. There's tons of stuff you can get cheaper online then in the stores.
Plus, I'm all about the DIY stuff. I'm doing my own std cards, invites, website and spanish guides for the OOT bags. It's more personable and if you give yourself plenty of time you can create lots of stuff!