AisleDash

Due to unexpected expenses, last-minute must-haves, hidden costs, and availability issues, most weddings end up going over budget. But the whole point of a budget is to set an upward limit for yourself. If you keep telling yourself that your budget is flexible, you'll likely find yourself spending way more than you originally planned.

This website provides information about average wedding costs by city in the US. For most cities, the average cost hovers around $30,000. Just for fun, put in the Beverly Hills ZIP code (90210), and the price tag skyrockets to six figures. This is a good website to help you get an idea of what costs will be and to help build your budget around that. But just because the average wedding costs more than you would need to live comfortably for a year, that doesn't mean you have to spend that much to have your dream wedding.

You'll save a lot of money when you learn to negotiate, shop around, and put your own skills to use as a DIY bride or groom. It's absolutely possible to have a beautiful wedding on a budget, but it's also quite likely that you'll suffer from some sticker shock when you compare your original budget to the actual costs of what you want.