Unexpected and emergency expenses crop up in almost every wedding, and that’s why the experienced wedding pros in our vendor directory encourage all couples to have a wedding contingency fund.

Potluck weddings can be lots of fun, and can give all of your guests a way to feel involved, but they can also be a lot of work. Not sure whether a potluck wedding is really the right fit for you and your partner? We asked the members of our vendor directory to share their thoughts.

After the guests have left and the couple’s gone home, I and the reception vendors spend at least an hour cleaning up. A typical wedding takes me a half-dozen industrial-sized trash bags.

Bethany and Greg didn’t want to drop tons of money on their wedding. Instead they opted for a simple front porch ceremony at their Ohio home to celebrate the day.

There are a lot of opinions out there about how much money you should spend on your wedding, and how much you should spend of specific pieces of your wedding. The truth is, your wedding budget should be just as unique as your relationship, but with all the outside voices surrounding you it can be hard to know which things are worth spending big money on and which aren't.

Here are four questions to ask yourself before you and your partner create your wedding budget.

Have you all heard of Rover? It's totally amazing, like the Airbnb of pet sitting. Rover says, We believe in the unconditional love of dogs, and Rover exists to make it possible for everyone to experience this love in their lives. Who could disagree with this mission? Maybe you've used Rover to find a high quality, affordable pet sitter in your area, or maybe you watch their Instagram stories every day because they share the walks of some really cute dogs. But have you considered signing up to be a dog sitter? Pet sitters and dog walkers on Rover can earn $1,000 or more per month. Each person has the freedom to choose their own services, schedule, and rates. One of the added benefits is that Rover sitters can work from their own home and they can schedule their work around their availability. Let's hear from one such dog walker who funded his WEDDING off of that dog sitting cash!

The easiest way to save money on weddings is to have a smaller one. The reason for this is simple: if you have fewer guests, you don't have to provide as much on the day. While this seems like you will have fewer people to celebrate with, a positive effect of a smaller wedding is that the wedding will feel more personal.

Reasons for this include:

• Picking and choosing who to invite results in guests who are closer to the couple.
• You can be more comfortable in front of your guests.
• You’ll have a chance to interact with everyone.

I never dreamed about my wedding day as a child. I am not that girl! I honestly feel as though I would breakout into hives just like Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City if I were to try on a wedding dresses. This is not an anti-wedding dress rant. Wedding dresses are the most beautiful gowns ever! I just cannot do traditional anything, and the cost per wear is just a little too high for me. What is “cost per wear” you ask? Well, this is the total cost of the item/number of days you’ll wear it. For those brides who think similarly, I’ve found a loophole for you!!!!  
 

Dear Ciera,

My partner and I are recently engaged and can’t wait to get started planning our big day! We are hoping to buy our first home soon, so we’d like to keep our wedding budget under $15k. Any tips on how to manage this budget?

Sincerely,

Newly Engaged & Economical