Can I have a nice wedding without selling my unborn children??!?

I am on a hunt. This hunt is to de-commercialize my wedding as much as possible by doing as much as I possibly can without what I call The Vendors. I will explain that part later. I hate what weddings have become. A flashy status symbol that is no longer about the sharing of vows and making a covenant with your loved one in front of your friends, family, and God of choice (mine is Jesus).  With that said, I am still me.  I'm a self proclaimed fashionista. I like glitz. And glam. And bling. A diamond cannot be my best friend because it would hurt the feelings of the rest of my precious stones.

I live in Saint Louis.  For a city with so much history, a strong connection to the expansion of colonialism, and ties to the likes of Harry Truman and the Louisiana Purchase, our wedding landscape sux arse.  There are very few venues that allow you to choose your own vendors. Everyone wants to give me these factory choices.  I call them The Vendors.  These are the few caterers in this city that clearly have friends in high places.    

They have a net over every formidable wedding venue it seems.  They all want 50 dollars a person plus tax and 22% gratuity.  Ha! I'm not about that life.  That is my entire honeymoon budget plus some.  No madam.

The hunt is on.  I am determined to have the fabulous wedding my huzzie to be and I dream about without spending our down payment on our first home.  The budget is a firm 12 stacks.  Firm.  I WILL figure out how to evade the net The Vendors have cast over STL.  I will find small/indie businesses to do as much as possible.  There are people that need to make a living who are not in The Vendors club.  Indie wedding biz folks, I am on the hunt for you.