I think a friends house can be very lovely. Its really not about how much you spend when I comes down to it. We have family that spent over 20k on a wedding and they are getting divorced. We spent under 2k and have been married almost twice as long. Spending a ton isn't what makes you happy. Liking and loving the person next to you is. I think you are well on your way to a very personal, very intimate wedding that you will remember forever