It's tempting to believe that the only way to plan a wedding is to plan it big, with a $4,000 designer dress here, an $8,000 wedding venue there, gold leaf embossed invitations, and a 400-person catered filet mignon meal to top it all off. But true love is priceless, and your dream wedding should be everything you've ever wanted, regardless of your budget.

As "poor college students" and realistic people overall, my fiancé and I knew that we didn't want to sign our lives away by taking out huge loans to pay for our wedding day. We wanted our special day to reflect the love we have for each other, not the money we have in our bank accounts. We kept everything simple so that we could experience every moment to its fullest potential, without worrying about silly traditions or the crazy costs we had racked up.

So, we planned a dream wedding with only the most essential elements, and we had a blast pulling it off.

Our total budget for the wedding was exactly $500, which is around 2% of the $25,700 cost of the average wedding in the United States. Believe it or not, we didn't feel like our wedding lacked anything! Here is the cost breakdown explaining how we pulled it all off:

Black fitted suit and white collared dress shirt for groom: $150

Rose gold sequin dress for bride: $60

Rose gold sequin high heels for bride: $20

Photographer: $115 for two hours of shooting

Bouquet and boutonniere (imitation white roses from Hobby Lobby): $20

Cake: Free (a family member baked two sheet cakes and one decorative cake for us)

Food: Free (our reception was held at a Mexican restaurant, and guests paid for their own meals)

Venue: Free (we exchanged vows in an outdoor public space with no reservation fee)

Gold plates, gold napkins, and plastic silverware from Walmart: $20

Wedding invitations (ordered from a local print shop and hand-delivered to save on stamps): $40

Marriage license: $35

Officiant: Free (a family member performed the service for us)

Acrylic nails for bride: $40

Hair and makeup for bride: Free (I fixed my own hair and used my own makeup to create a natural, "simply me" look)

In the end, my husband and I walked away feeling relieved that we had tied the knot in a savvy, modern, and inexpensive way. We really enjoyed the novelty of our 15-minute vow exchange ceremony and the yummy Mexican food we ate (without the expense of our parents serving the food and thus missing out on the party). We felt free to try new things, break the rules, and make our special day something that we would always remember.

If you're considering a small wedding, don't let anyone stop you from pursuing that dream. Weddings are meant to be personalized, so feel free to explore the options and choose what works best for you and your future spouse. Oh, and don't forget to put love first.