catering

Desperate for cash to pay for their wedding, a Pennsylvania couple allegedly stripped more than $7,000 worth of copper from utility poles and sold it. We all know how expensive weddings can get, but there are better solutions than crime -- among them, these tips for cutting down wedding costs.

It's matrimony's version of a financial stimulus program. The moment Jose Matos proposed to Juan Estrada after New York approved same-sex marriage, the pair joined thousands of gay couples expected to boost the state's economy. Caterer? Check. Flowers? Check. Engraved invitations? Yup.

In 2009, just over two million American couples pledged their eternal troth to each other, and spent more than $40 billion doing it. If the average $24,000-plus cost of a wedding feels steep to you, consider saving some cash and making the day even more special by getting friends and family involved.

Hospitality analysts say this season's year-end celebrations are more numerous and a bit more lavish than the past several years. Champagne is replacing sparkling wine, and better food is getting served. Signs, they say, of an economy on the mend.

After decades as a must-dine spot for tourists and a must-book location for benefits and parties, New York's famous Tavern on the Green will serve its last meal on New Year's Eve.

When it comes to weddings, people usually spare no expense for what in theory is supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime event. That's changing in the current economic slowdown.According to an unscientific yet enlightening survey done by the National Association of Catering Executives, people are...