clipped from www.thereporter.com

Brides on a budget

In good times and bad, couples still tie the knot. So weddings, say several area bridal shop owners and event rental merchants, are largely a recession-proof business, even in the darkest depths of our beaten-down economy that is beginning to show a few signs of fluttering back to life.

The cost of a typical wedding in the United States may send some sticker-shocked brides and grooms to seek out a justice of the peace, but many more couples - part of an annual multibillion-dollar industry - are willing to spend an average of $18,000 to $22,000 for the works, from clothing and cakes to catering and thank-you cards, said LeAnne White, owner of Downtown Gowns, a special occasion clothing store in Vacaville.

While the No. 1 trend in weddings in 2009 is laid-back, outdoor ceremonies, some might argue the latest vogue is penny-pinching, given some of White's observations.