Can`t Afford A Wedding

I come from a single mother family - so my mom can`t help wth the wedding and I wouldn`t expect her too - she doesn`t have money - I don`t really have any other financial sources aside from myself - same with my boyfriend - we can`t even afford rings, etc. Right now. We want to get married in the next two years but will only be able to afford some rings (just average) and to pay off student loans, etc. By then. I`ll be 30 in the summer - I don`t want to have to save for years to get married - but I don`t want to disappoint friends - I have so many who want me to have a wedding and I just don`t have the money although I would love to. They all talk about open bar - dinners - I`ve heard people complain of other tacky weddings and crap weddings - I don`t want to hold one on a very tight budget and have people not understand and complain later. I shouldn`t care what people think but I do care - is it rude to have a very private ceremony or elope? How do you annouce this without sounding like a poor me I can`t afford it - or a suck - how do you politely say it`s not possible financially right not and have people truly understand. I`m not cheap I am very generous but don`t have another few thousand right now to spare. Help!