Six newlyweds reflect on their weddings, and what elements and services they should’ve paid more for—and where they could’ve cut costs.

“Activities surrounding our wedding day. We had many guests who traveled from far and wide to celebrate with us in Julian; we wish we would’ve allocated more resources toward exploring the area to thank them for making the trip.” —Kent & Sarah

“I would’ve hired an event planner earlier. It’s so important to be honest with yourself on whether you have the bandwidth or the interest in planning a wedding.” —Fiona & Jared

“We chose to forgo a honeymoon. In retrospect, even a small getaway to recoup for a few days after the wedding would’ve been money well spent!” —Derek & Jay

“We should have spent more money on the things you have to remember, like photos and videos, and less on things you only use once, like my wedding dress.” —Daniella & Ian

“We might have spent too much on so many types of food. In hindsight, we should have offered a few less options so guests could enjoy all the food, even into the after-party where we offered fun late-night snacks and donuts.” —Elizabeth & Joshua

“We do wish we could’ve spent more time with the entire bridal party. We had a welcome barbecue as well as a rehearsal dinner, but it would’ve been nice to have everyone in one place longer!” —Jake & Katherine