For the past two years, weddings haven’t been what they used to be with many couples needing to postpone or reschedule their big days. Now that restrictions are lifting, more than 2.5M couples are preparing to tie the knot, the most since 1984. As couples look for ways to alleviate the financial stress that comes with planning their dream honeymoon or wedding, Nicole Lapin, finance expert and New York Times Bestselling author of Rich Bitch, Boss Bitch and Becoming Super Woman, shared a few tips on how couples can save on their wedding finances with the help of American Express.

Set a Budget & Stick to It

It’s so easy to overspend on your destination wedding or honeymoon by forgetting to account for the little expenses or wanting to splurge on that dream bouquet or beautiful wedding gown. Set a budget early, budgeting for big-ticket items first, and stick to it.

Pay Off The Big Purchases Over Time

While there will be many areas where you can find ways to cut corners and save costs, there will always be the large purchases that you can’t get around — from the venue to the band. Pay for those large purchases over time with American Express’ buy now, pay later feature, Plan It®.

Book Your Flight Now & Pay It Off Later

While purchasing airline tickets are certainly an added expense when choosing to have a destination wedding or lavish honeymoon, your airline tickets are one thing you don’t need to pay for upfront. With American Express’ Plan It feature, you can book your flight on delta.com and select one of up to three plans to pay overtime right at check out and still earn the Amex rewards! Delta has so many amazing destinations to plan a wedding or honeymoon, including Seattle, London, NYC, Amsterdam & more.

Take Advantage of Hotel Perks

One of the unique parts of booking a destination wedding or honeymoon is having access to hotel amenities that you don’t typically get at home — so take advantage of those perks!

Factor In Every Step of Your Trip

When planning your honeymoon try not to fall for seemingly cheaper options. Many folks could look at alternative airports and maybe those are less expensive but don’t forget it takes longer to travel from that airport, so what you’re saving on flight fares you’re going to spend for checked baggage or ground transportation. Whether it’s a lavish destination wedding or an intimate occasion with family, weddings and honeymoons make for unforgettable moments. With American Express, make your big day go from dreams to reality — the last thing left to do is say “I do.”

About the Author:
Nicole Lapin is the New York Times Bestselling author of Rich Bitch, Boss Bitch and Becoming Super Woman. Lapin is the host of the nationally syndicated business reality competition show, “Hatched.” She has been an anchor on CNN, CNBC and Bloomberg. Her daily show “Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin” on iHeartRadio is out now and consistently ranked at the top of Apple’s business charts.

Photos courtesy of (in order of appearance): Astarot (1st); Brecht Vanthof (2nd)