In today's current economy, not many people are pursuing celebrity-type weddings where exotic birds are flown in from Pacific islands to be set free at the reception. As a matter of fact, even the latest celeb pairings have been pretty low-key and casual, so don't think you have to go into debt to get married.

With the average price of weddings soaring just as much as everything else, a lot of couples get caught up in the hoopla and think that they have to spend ridiculous amounts of money to get hitched. I can tell you that you do not want to start your marriage off being thousands of dollars in debt.

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Laura Beach

Instead of thinking that everything has to go a certain way or that you have to go with this caterer over that one, explore your options. If you're set on a particular cake, that's fine; maybe you can negotiate on another area, such as the photographer.

A great article I found a while back highlights 10 tips for simple weddings. In general, simpler weddings with smaller parties are less expensive, but no less beautiful or meaningful. Probably my favorite tip is #1: "Set your budget with money that you already have in a bank account."

Do that and you can start your marriage off on the right foot: debt-free and in love.