DIY Wedding

i need help

Welcome, you are going to love this site. And just a tip, if you upload a picture, literally anything, to your post then people will be more likely to look at it and it might show up on the main page.

welcome :) try places like efavormart.com, etsy.com and making as many things as possible (you will find lots of DIY projects on here) they will all give you ideas and help you save money, happy planning!

FYI...in your pic above you have m & m in your colors I'm assuming for favors.  We also did this and spent a fortune on them.  They are really expensive to buy from the m&m site.  If you are really set on it I would try to find them at your local craft store...Michaels in my area has them and you can use a coupon for 40% off that they have on there site almost every week.  
Also another tip...if you are doing things yourself, the best way to save money is to slowly buy things from stores that you can get coupons for.  Me and my hubby did this starting at one year and we saved over 500 dollars on vases and flowers by buying them each week with 40 or 50 percent off coupons at Michaels!!

-try to find a location where you can have both the ceremony and the reception... ( this will save you time and, hopefully money )

-don't be afraid to look at places that may be out of the norm for you... When I looked at the first vendor, I told my FW to sign the papers and we were taking it... She convinced me that we needed to look at other places, and boy am I happy I did... the second place we looked at was a "lions club" like a legion... when I think legion I think of a bunch of drunken old men lol so i was a bit upset. but when i saw it i was soooo thrilled and we booked it... $500 (for less than 150  ppl, if more than 150 theres no fee )

-try to find something that you think this is reasonable.. 9/10 places i searched in my area the meals were $100 + ( i think this is rediculous)... my menu is customizable to whatever we wanted,... we are getting an antipasto bar, chicken stuffed in a flaky pastry with sauce, mashed potatoes, salad,  dessert and pizza buffet, open bar and unlimited red and white wine at each table for $76.00 /person. ( for people under 19 its noly 56 because they wont be drinking, and for we dont have to pay for kids under 6 )

-consider your favor options. theres so many out there and most people will throw away something if its not edible.

-perhaps consider cupcakes rather than a cake.. this can save you alot. you could also do something like an icecream buffet which would somewhat act as your "cake" and your favor.. you did mention having the wedding in summer, so youd just want to make sure its stored properly.