Don't pay any services in full until you receive them.

I can't say I'm a big fan. I understand where the pressure is to do this because so many couples pay for their weddings themselves these days and they don't want to give up that dream of having a big wedding. But it seems like kind of a sell-out. This is a major life moment and I think you should do it within your means rather than trying to turn it into a marketing event.

It's people's expectations. It's [the] fighting between family members. It's your parents' wishes versus your wishes... When all your friends have been told and your family and everyone's invited all the guests, brides often get very caught up in that and don't really have the time to really seriously consider any jitters they might have, and [to] look at them more seriously and figure out if there's something more going on,

You would be surprised how many people just have a phone conversation. Get everything in writing.

Money is the biggest issue on The Knot. With the average wedding costing $19,000, people are asking how they can do it for $3,000.

Dresses can cost anywhere from $500 to $5,000 so it is not a time to do it blindly with someone that you've never met over the Internet. You need to put in the time and money to make sure you get the service you need.