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Brides tried on wedding gowns, grooms snacked on hors d'oeuvres and parents of the soon-to-be newlyweds perused displays of table settings.

Rockwood Manor in Potomac, once the home of Washington socialite Carolyn Gangwer Caughey and now operated as an event center by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, was transformed into a wedding expo on Sunday.

But there was just one catch — the brides and grooms were all on a budget, and they came to Rockwood looking for ways to cut costs on their big day.

"We planned a whole wedding and we found it was $10,000 out of budget," said prospective bride Yael Yeheskeli, 29, of Montgomery Village. Yeheskeli attended the expo with her fiancé, Fran Meredith, looking for ways to scale back the wedding.

The expo, organized by the Montgomery County Department of Parks, was dubbed the "Not-so-big Wedding Boutique." The Department of Parks challenged teams of local vendors to come up with all-inclusive wedding packages — featuring services like catering, music, photography and floral design — all for $15,000 or less. Each of the packages was geared to accommodate 65 guests at one of four Montgomery Parks event centers.

"We just really wanted to let people know these resources are available to them in their backyard," said Kelli Holsendolph, as spokeswoman for the Montgomery County Department of Parks. "They're affordable options and you can rent them year-round."

Teams of vendors got creative when it came to saving money. "We found ways of getting around a sit-down meal, because that might eat up a lot of your budget," said Ken Rochon of event group Absolute Entertainment and a member of vendor group "Le Team." The group instead chose heavy appetizers for a reception-style meal, he said, leaving money for a videographer to capture the day.

In the end, though, the winning team was "Team Carnevale."

"It doesn't look like a $15,000 wedding, and that's what we wanted," said Janice Carnevale, an event planner for Bellwether Events and team member.

Brightly colored fruit and golden yellow oncidium orchids brightened up the group's table display. "It's a little more per stem than roses, but it looks like a lot because there's so many flowers," said team member Rebecca Henry of Petals Edge Floral Design."We used fruit and dried wheat to plump up the arrangement and make it look luxurious."

The menu featured local and seasonal food to cut down on the price, according to caterer Leslie Grimes of Corcoran Caterers. Choice items were roasted sweet potato and coconut milk soup with pumpkin seed flatbread, cider and brown sugar glazed pork loin, and of course, wedding cake with butter cream icing.

"I'm impressed by the vendors – they were very taken by the challenge and the opportunity," said Laura Gosse, event center marketing specialist for Park and Planning, who organized the expo. "They all deal with brides with a range of budgets, so they have to be really flexible."

Another way brides sought to cut corners? The dress. One of the more popular displays was from St. Anthony's Bridal, a Bethesda nonprofit group that allows brides on a budget to borrow items like gowns, napkins, vases and tablecloths free of charge. The service applies to those with wedding budgets of $3,000 or less, but cost-conscious brides with larger weddings can buy new or used dresses for $150.

"Brides love it — some brides come in and say, ‘Without you guys, I couldn't afford to have a wedding," said Kristina Gill, director of the group's Bethesda branch. "It really touches your heart."

But the key advice to frugal fiancés was to keep the guest list to a minimum. Choosing smaller venues like Rockwood Manor, which can accommodate about 130 people, is one way to keep a wedding "not so big," Gosse said.

"It gives people the opportunity to plan smaller, spend less and take advantage of the parklands."