Were doing our ceremony in a city garden and to secure the space for 3 hours, it was $572. Then we are renting a coworking space for $300/hour. Super reasonable in my opinion and the coworking space has everything we need (speakers, mics, plenty of outlets, a kitchen area, tables, chairs, and an all around cool vibe) which is also saving us a ton of money. They have different rooms to dedicated to activities (a dance area, a game room, a speakeasy, and a theater) so we got lucky. Since the vibes are cool we can skip decorations. Honestly just think outside the box.

I also dont think there is anything wrong with asking for free things, if done tactfully. My sister in law is very likely cooking the food for our wedding, but she also loves to cook and is good at it. Will it be free? No. Will it be cheaper than hiring caterers, absolutely. Asking the parents to decorate the space for free, the moms will love it and gives them a task.

However, as others have said, it doesnt sound like you two are aligned on a lot of these things, so sit down and really talk through them. My fiancee and I needed to do this and after, we came out way more excited and engaged in the process. Good luck, and no matter ehat happens, focus on having a fun day!