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.

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.

As a wedding planner for a little over three years, I get asked quite frequently what a wedding planner does. Being a black woman, I’ve grown to understand that it’s just not common to hire a wedding planner in the black community. It’s just not the cultural norm. Typically the mother of the bride, Auntie FeeFee, or the family’s self proclaimed fashion guru handles the “coordination.” There is the possibility that the wedding day can run smoothly using such “coordinators,” but isn’t it easier to hire a professional? Yes!

So recently, I’ve been making it a point to make random posts on my social media page about what it is a wedding planner does and ask my followers why they would or would not hire a planner. So, to counteract the feedback I’ve received, here’s why you NEED a wedding planner.

If your best friend is getting married and you want to give her a proper send-off into matrimony, a destination bachelorette party is the perfect way to do it. But, you may be worried about how to have an unforgettable girls’ getaway while staying within everyone’s budget. Don’t fret too much; there are ways you can plan the destination bachelorette party your friend deserves and keep everyone’s bank accounts in check.

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