With more than 60 years between them, Carol and Bernie Palas and Scott Hunt and Brandy Krivoshein have had distinctly different experiences planning their weddings.

Hunt and Krivoshein will get married next summer, they plan to have a big wedding with nearly 400 guests.

On the other hand, Carol and Bernie Palas tied the knot in a simple ceremony shortly after World War II, when times were tough.

"We were married on September 21, 1946," Bernie said.

And after nearly 61 years?

"Five children, four daughter and one son," Carol said.

This couple says the memories are still strong.

"I quit my job two weeks before the wedding and went back to Osseo to help plan the wedding," Carol said.

She says back then, almost everything was rationed, so they saved where they could.

"Women in the neighborhood did the cooking for the reception and friends waited on tables so the meal didn't cost as much," she said.

"Our entire wedding was probably $500," Bernie said.

To make that money stretch, Carol borrowed her gown from a friend.

"It was knit and lace and I had a short veil," she said.

And got creative when she couldn't find the material to make her bridesmaid dresses.

"I bought six shower curtains for the bridesmaid dresses and I have a picture of one of the bridesmaid dresses now and they were beautiful and of course they were waterproof," she said.

In the end, Carol says their wedding was a simple, yet beautiful ceremony, one she recalls with pride.

But for many couples simplicity is a thing of the past. Nationally, weddings now cost an average of nearly $30,000, and from the flowers to the gown, brides and grooms are racking up one big bill.

Scott Hunt and his fiancee Brandy Krivoshein say that's no surprise.

"We attempted to set up a budget, her mom, basically said this is my daughters only wedding, my only daughters only wedding and we're not going to be limited by a budget," Hunt said.

And though their wedding is more than a year away, they've been planning for it since January.

"The first thing was to make sure the hall was booked," Krivoshein said.

One large enough to accommodate a guest list nearing 400. Then, it was on to the dress.

"It was quite stressful to try to make sure that you're getting the right dress, so it was, it's just overwhelming when you walk in those stores. There's so many dresses and so many styles," she said.

Couples also need to find the right photographer, a caterer, a florist and with hundreds of options available, that can be a stressful task. But one this couple is keeping in perspective.

"You're just reminded of how lucky you are to have found that person and that you get to be lucky enough to plan that day," Krivoshein said.