by Maureen Thomson of Lyssabeth's Wedding Officiants

I just received yet another email from a hopeful California bride wanting to get married at dusk at any beautiful outdoor location with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge on the most popular wedding date of 2011 with 50 guests and oh-by-the-way, she wants it to be free.

Well, at least she didn't ask me to guarantee her 70 degree temps and no wind! You'd be surprised at how many requests I get like this. Whether it's atop a mountain, a cliff overlooking the ocean or in view of a national treasure, couples want what they want when it comes to their ceremony location.

These locations aren't always free--especially if one insists on 50 guests, an arch, a stretch limo and copious amounts of rose petals strewn about! Everybody has to cover their expenses, and public places have upkeep, staffing and management costs. When it comes to planning a wedding, however, most couples have some sort of budget and the more they can save on a location, the more they can spend on something else (like a creative customized wedding ceremony performed by a topnotch wedding officiant!)

Having performed a ceremony or two in the past eight years, I've learned a few things about ceremony sites, so I thought I'd pass some ideas along about where you might want to hold a smallish ceremony that won't break the bank. And while I'm at it, remember that size does matter. It's a heckuva lot easier to find a low-cost spot when it's you and him and a handful of guests than it is for 200 of your closest friends with chairs, pew bows and a soprano singing Ave Maria.

• Neighborhood Parks. Getting married in a park is not a novel idea, but most folks go for the bigger ones. They overlook the small out of the way parks that are often tucked into the most obscure places. I've gone on hunts in many cites and discovered delightful, romantic out of the way places to tie the knot.

• On the Beach. What better backdrop then blue waves and wide open sky? Not all beaches are free, but many are. Check with local authorities before committing.

• Your House. Many couples overlook this option, but it can be wonderfully intimate to be wed in your very own place. And if you feel your home is lacking (although I would argue that any home that is filled with love is a perfect spot to wed, even if it's not right out of Martha Stewart magazine), then how about the home of a friend or relative? Make the gift of their home for an hour or two their wedding gift to you and everybody wins.

• B and B's. Oftentimes, if you are renting one of their rooms, the staff of a B&B will allow you to use their living room for free for an intimate wedding. And in these "creative" economic times, innkeepers are often most willing to earn a few extra dollars by allowing you the use of their living room even if you aren't otherwise a paying guest.

• Restaurants. No, I'm not saying you should do like the people in Hong Kong and exchange vows over a Happy Meal, but some restaurants have private rooms that range from sparse to posh. If you have dinner there, they might be prone to sequester you in one of their rooms and then you can have a brief ceremony there as well.

• Park Buildings. City, State and National Parks often have buildings on their grounds that would serve as dandy locations for a ceremony. There are locations tucked away of every type--stone houses, picnic shelters, gazebos, historic buildings that receive infrequent visitors.

• College Campuses. If you are affiliated with a college or university, they will often let you use their on-campus chapel or other suitable location for a small rental fee.

• Airports. Okay, I know this one sounds weird, but hear me out. Almost every airport has an on-site chapel. You didn't know that? Neither does anyone else. You could probably have a tiny wedding in any airport chapel if you asked the right people for permission. And how handy for the honeymoon trip!

• Hospitals. See Airports.

• Cemeteries. This one is truly out there, but I swear I have officiated at some of the prettiest wedding ceremonies held at small chapels in cemeteries (and come to think of it--some of them were not all that small). Most cemeteries have darling chapels on their premises and let's face it--they're not in use 24/7.

It is possible to find an inexpensive and beautiful ceremony location, but you have to do the legwork.