The Triangle is fertile ground for the wedding business, with its generous helping of university students and young professionals.
But brides are feeling less generous right now because of the rough economy.
Twelve hundred brides flooded the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill Sunday, sampling cakes, flowers and a fashion show.
The average cost of an American wedding is more than $26,500. That's down from $28,000 in 2009, according to "Brides" magazine.
So saving money on a wedding dress can be a bride's best gift.
"I won a wedding gown," exclaimed bride-to-be Holly Cravi. She drew a lucky raffle ticket that will shave a big chunk of her costs.
"I'm a teacher and I absolutely love my job. Any extra incentive helps, and it's an extra cost that I don't have to worry about now, and I have a beautiful gown," said Cravi.
In addition to entering bride fair raffles, wedding planners say other smart solutions for cutting your wedding costs includes trimming your guest list, picking a non-weekend date and asking for better deals.
"They should always shop around," said Heidi Wener, bridal show organizer. "Just because they've found the perfect vendor, maybe still go to the next vendor and see what they have because maybe they'll be able to go to that other vendor and say, 'I found what I want, but can you do it at this price?'"
Bridal shows like The Carolina Inn's Bridal Fair 2012 offer brides the chance to shop around and find the better deal for their bridal bucks.
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