"My husband, Dustin, and I had originally been planning a large, traditional, Southern wedding in Atlanta. As the date neared, the wedding grew and the budget exploded, and we realized that this wasn't the wedding we wanted. We both knew that you aren't supposed to hate your wedding, so we decided to scrap the big, Southern soiree and start anew- with a drastically reduced guest list, an even smaller budget, and the goal of creating a wedding that was a natural as the location in which it was set. My grandfather has a lung disease, and has to wear oxygen, so he has a very hard time traveling. It was more important for us to have my grandfather be able to attend the wedding than to have our extended family and all our friends from the south come, so we moved our wedding to my grandparents' backyard! We had a small, intimate wedding of only about 40 family members and close friends. Both Dustin and I are very close to my grandparents, Ron and Shirley, so we held our ceremony and reception in my grandparents' backyard garden. It was wonderful to have it there!"

Kate's Comment: I think Ashley's lesson is so important. Sometimes couples feel pressure from parents, friends and the wedding industry to have a "blow out" event. In fact, the average couple goes into $25,000 of debt to have their wedding! If you find yourself feeling like your wedding is running away from you find the courage to do what Ashley did - take a step back and make a new plan that is more in line with your beliefs and values. You will be happy you did.

Image: Anna Kuperberg

Hillary's Comment:
"I think it's so important not to let your wedding be co-opted by other people who want it to be a certain way--or by feeling pressured into doing certain things just because that's what everyone else does. Be creative! Buck tradition! It's all about inviting friends and family to celebrate the life you've chosen, so do it your way. Everyone always has a better time when the wedding reflects the couple's values and personalities instead of being just another cookie-cutter wedding."