Weddings have always been big business, but I was shocked to see how expensive they've become in the 17 years since my wife and I got married. According to the annual Real Weddings Study, the average wedding in the U.S. now costs $28,427, and that doesn't even count the honeymoon.

Wait, it gets worse.

Among the more than 17,500 surveyed brides who got married in 2012, the average amount paid for a wedding dress was $1,211. On average they also spent $204 per wedding guest and dropped $12,905 for the reception venue.

There are many ways to rein in wedding-related costs while still having a memorable event. Here are a few suggestions:

Create a budget. Unless you're a professional wedding planner, you'll probably be floored by how many expenses weddings can amass, including: wedding and engagement rings, invitations, postage, marriage license, clergy and location fees, flowers, bridal gown and groom's tuxedo, rehearsal dinner and reception, photography, catering, DJ or band, limousine, parking attendants, tips, gifts for wedding participants and honeymoon expenses.

Shop around. Bridal expos are a good way to meet a lot of vendors and gather ideas. Just don't get caught up in the excitement and commit to anything before you've done follow-up research. Some tips:

• Bring along someone from the wedding party as well as a trustworthy friend who isn't emotionally and financially connected to the wedding.
• You may feel pressured by vendors to sign contracts or put down deposits, but it's probably wiser to take their contact information and research them first.
• Create a separate email account for wedding vendor communications. Once you sign up for one offer or contest, believe me, your inbox will be swamped.

After you've settled on vendors, get signed contracts that specify dates, products, prices, deposit and payment terms, cancellation policies, liability insurance and whether tax and gratuities are included.

Here are a few suggestions for trimming costs:

• Date flexibility. You'll get more bang for your buck offseason - a June wedding might cost 20 to 30 percent more than one in April or October.
• Have your florist use in-season flowers.
• Daytime weddings are often cheaper than evening events.
• Instead of a hotel, consider less-costly alternative reception venues like community centers, museums, city park clubhouses or other public facilities looking to earn extra income. Ask whether they have their own tables, chairs, sound and lighting systems; if not, add equipment rental costs into the equation.
• A buffet dinner reception could save you $15 or more per guest compared to a plated dinner, because you're not paying for table service. Save even more by hosting an afternoon reception and serving lunch or hors d'oeuvres.
• If you're hosting a large reception, have a smaller display cake for the cutting ceremony, with a sheet cake stored in the kitchen.
• Serve wine, beer and one signature cocktail, instead of offering a full bar.
• Consider renting or buying a second-hand wedding dress from a consignment shop, or an online specialty site. The same goes for grooms wear.
• Hiring a disc jockey instead of a live band will save hundreds of dollars; plus you get a broader selection of music and a built-in emcee to move things along.

One last budgeting tip: Limit the number of guests to ensure you can have a meaningful interaction with each. Remember, spending just one minute apiece with 300 guests would take five hours.

PORT BYRON, IL - State Rep. Mike Smiddy (D-Hillsdale) is hosting a free community shred day andelectronics recycling drive on Saturday, May 4 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Rock Island CountyFairgrounds located at 4200 Archer Dr. in East Moline.
"Destroying documents that contain personal or sensitive information is an easy way to prevent identitytheft," said Smiddy. "This event is a convenient way for residents to ensure that their documents are properlydisposed."

Residents can bring unneeded bank statements, tax returns, pay stubs, receipts, credit card applications, oldbills and other documents that contain sensitive personal information to be safely shredded and disposed. Alldocuments should be free of paperclips, staples and other bindings. Electronics recycling is sponsored by theRock Island County Waste Management Agency and Vintage Tech Recyclers.

WHO:  71st District State Rep. Mike SmiddyRock Island County Waste Management Agency
WHAT:  Community Shred Day & Electronics Recycling
WHEN:  Saturday, May 49:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
WHERE:  Rock Island County Fairgrounds4200 Archer Dr., East Moline

For more information, contact Smiddy's constituent services office at (309) 848-9098, RepSmiddy@gmail.com,or toll-free at (855) 243-4988.

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THURSDAY - May 2, 2013 - The National Parenting Center has released its 23rd annual Spring Seal of Approval report.  The first report of 2013 follows ten weeks of consumer testing by parents and children at The National Parenting Center's test centers.  A recently published independent survey indicated that nearly 60% of mothers rely on awards such as the Seal of Approval when making final purchase decisions for their children.  As such recognition from The National Parenting Center has become a significant bellwether for retail buyers as to which products will ultimately succeed in connecting with consumers.

TNPC's evaluative process gauges consumer reaction to products currently being marketed to both parents and their children such as toys, games, books, videos, websites, educational products, mobile apps, etc.  Each is reviewed on a variety of levels including, but not limited to, price, packaging, design, stimulation, desirability, age appropriateness, instructions and more.  TNPC's Seal of Approval is ultimately a peer-to-peer review program to recognize and highlight products and services that have been met with a "thumbs up" by parents.

Since 1989, The National Parenting Center has established itself as North America's leading parent advocacy organization.  TNPC offers advice and information to parents on issues that range from pregnancy through adolescence.  The National Parenting Center's home page, TNPC.COM, offers visitors free access to hundreds of articles on parenting issues as well as Seal of Approval reviews.

To schedule interviews with the president of The National Parenting Center, David Katzner, please contact TNPC's Media division 818-225-8990 x-252. For electronic images and/or the full PDF report of all the reviews of the winning products, please submit your request via email to media@tnpc.com

CHICAGO - May 1, 2013. With a month left before the General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn, Lt. Governor Sheila Simon today urged lawmakers to pass ethics reform legislation that she drafted with government watchdog groups. Senate Bill 1361, sponsored by Sen. Dan Kotowski (D-Park Ridge), is currently awaiting Senate passage.

"In these remaining weeks of session, members of the legislature are continuing to address a number of important challenges; however, they cannot allow ethics reform to fall to the wayside," Simon said during a public policy luncheon at the City Club of Chicago. "I thank Sen. Kotowski for his leadership on this important transparency bill, and I look forward to continuing to work with his colleagues to send this legislation to the House."

SB 1361 proposes a revised disclosure form, known as a Statement of Economic Interests, which must be filed with the secretary of state's office or postmarked annually by May 1. The revised form would require filers to list outside sources of income, lobbyist relationships and loans made or accepted on terms not available to the general public, for the first time. It also closes loopholes that allowed filers to answer "not applicable" to almost all of the questions on the current version of the form introduced 40 years ago.

Simon said the goal of the new form is to help Illinois residents determine if elected officials, high-ranking employees and candidates have conflicts of interest. The new form will also be easier for filers to complete thanks to the plain-language questions, definitions of terms and clear connections to information found on tax returns and investment statements.

"Residents of Illinois should not have to wait any longer to find out whether their elected officials are working in the public's interest or their own self interest," Simon said. "I urge lawmakers to do the right thing by sending this legislation to the governor's desk."

The Illinois Constitution and Illinois Governmental Ethics Act require elected officials, high-ranking government employees, and political candidates to complete a Statement of Economic Interests each May. State government workers file with the Secretary of State, while workers for local units of government file with their county clerk. The forms are supposed to expose existing or potential conflicts of interest, but the documents use such vague and cumbersome language that the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform has called them "woefully inadequate" and "a waste of paper."

Last month, Simon and members of her senior staff released an annual financial disclosure form that goes above and beyond what is required in the state's Statement of Economic Interests. Simon's staff form is modeled after those used by federal officers and notes income greater than $200, investments and debts.

This is the third year that Simon and her staff have released their detailed financial statements. Find the documents here.