Getting left at the altar is bad enough, but it’s even worse if you’re also stuck holding the bag filled with bills.

One website is helping would-be brides cut their losses if they’ve planned a wedding and then called it off.  Couples can lose thousands of dollars in deposits on reception halls, flowers, photographers and more.

“If you're a bride you can go ahead and log on and you'll be able to see if there are open wedding dates that have been called off or if there are vendors in your area that have open weddings that they would like to sell off at a discount,” said Lauren Byrne, founder of BridalBrokerage.com.

Angela Wakefield and her fiancé Chris Watkins used the site to save about $4,000 on their California wedding reception.
 
“We figured it was a no-brainer to get a pre-paid package and it was kind of all planned out, so it was easier and cost effective,” Wakefield said. “I think it was just really easy, it took the headache away from me.”

Wakefield found a canceled $12,000 package that was on sale through the brokerage for $7,900.

Wakefield ended up way ahead the game considering the average U.S. couple spent $25,656 for their wedding in 2012, according to research company Wedding Report, Inc.

“Since we're saving so much money, I can splurge on some other things,” Wakefield said.

The brokerage attracts deal seekers, along with “non-planners, and those on accelerated timelines, including active deployment and pregnancies,” according to the website. Most couples who buy canceled weddings are still able to choose their own food, colors, flowers and cake, depending on how close it is to the wedding date. In some cases, they incur extra fees for changes or upgrades to the originally purchased package.

“It's a win for everyone,” said Lauren Jennings, the general manager of Wedgewood Wedding & Banquet Center. “For the venue, we now have a wedding that we were hoping for on a particular date.  The old bride who canceled, she now gets a portion of her money back that she paid.  For the new bride, she gets an amazing deal for her wedding.”

Getty Images file

Wedding guests look down the aisle. An American Express has found that wedding guests are spending $539 on average to attend a wedding.

We know that brides and grooms can easily spend tens of thousands of dollars on their big day, but what about those loyal guests who suit up, push their feet into heels and travel to attend those weddings?

They expect to spend an average of $539 for each wedding they attend this year, according to an American Express survey of about 1,500 people.

That’s up $200 from 2012, when guests reported spending an average of $339 on weddings. The expenses include the dress, the hotel and things like the bachelorette party.

Members of the bridal party say they’ll spend slightly more: $577.

“Financial optimism is on the rise,” David Rabkin, senior vice president of consumer lending at American Express. Rabkin said this survey and others indicate that spending has returned to historic norms – although not the peaks seen immediately before the recession.

“They’ve also learned great lessons – they are a little less hesitant to go to their wallets,” Rabkin said.

The affluent, or those whose household income is more than $100,000, appear more likely to pull out those wallets. Affluent wedding guests estimated that cost of attendance would soar to $960 per wedding this year, up from the average $545 they spent last year.

“Throughout this whole recovery we have seen the most affluent recover the most quickly,” Rabkin said.

The Knot.com and WeddingChannel.com, which examine how much couples spend on weddings, found that the ups and downs of how much couples spent on their own weddings over the last five years parallels the American Express study on how much guests spent.

In 2008, when the nation was in recession, couples registered on TheKnot.com reported paying an average of $29,334 on their wedding. The following year, couples reported spending about $1,000 less. In 2012, couples registered at TheKnot.com reported spending $28,427 on average.

When it comes to wedding gifts – included in the total cost – close family members will spend the most ($179), and coworkers will spend the least ($66), according to the American Express survey. The survey found that friends outside a couple’s close-knit circle expect to spend $79 this year on a wedding gift.

This doesn’t hold true for the “affluent” subgroup. Among the wealthier, co-workers outspend friends by a couple dollars, spending an average of $134 on gifts.

“Among the affluent group, co-workers tend to go to each other’s coworkers weddings more often, and they’re often in a more corporate setting,” said Melanie Backs, manager of public affairs for American Express. “The expectations might be a bit higher -- especially if it’s the boss.”

Related: Prom dress prices giving families taffeta shock

Isaac Brekken / AP

Denny's Chief Marketing Officer, Frances Allen, and newlywed couple Steven Keller and Nancy Keller pose for photos following Denny's on Fremont's first wedding ceremony on April 3, 2013 in Las Vegas.

Can’t decide which you love more — your honey or maple syrup? If you’re in Las Vegas, you’re in luck. Behind its bright-yellow, abstract facade, the Denny’s restaurant in the Neonopolis district on Fremont Street (a short drive from the Strip) that opened last November is now accepting bookings for its in-house wedding chapel.  

Given that other fast food-lover lovers have gotten hitched at White Castle, McDonald’s, Taco Bell and KFC, the idea of a chain diner carving out space for weddings — especially in Las Vegas, epicenter of quirky wedding themes — might not be as strange as it sounds.

The company says it’s had “many inquiries” from others who want to pledge their eternal love over a Lumberjack Slam or Moons Over My Hammy.

An Iowa bride and groom were the first to tie the knot earlier this week.

Isaac Brekken / AP

Nancy and Steven Keller toast following their wedding ceremony.

For $95, couples get a bottle of champagne, a Pancake Puppie wedding cake (Denny’s answer to the cake-pop trend) and “Just Married” T-shirts. Unfortunately for bacon lovers, Denny’s says it currently has no plans to turns its caramel-bacon brownie sundae or bacon-stuffed caramel French toast into wedding cake.

The package doesn’t include a photographer, but the celebrants can commemorate their special day in the restaurant’s photo booth. And this Denny’s has a full bar, so guests can toast the newlyweds with something stronger than a maple bacon milkshake. Maybe the Grand Slamosa — a mimosa with Grand Mariner — would fit the bill.

What the Grand Slam Breakfast has joined, let no one separate.

For Tiffany & Co., that classic robin-egg blue box and its solitaire sparkling diamond ring signal something quite specific, and the jeweler wants to make sure it stays that way.

When the Fifth Avenue luxury goods powerhouse filed a Valentine’s Day trademark lawsuit against Costco Wholesale, it probably didn’t expect the bulk-buy discounter to counter with its own charges.

Costco says the Tiffany-style solitaire ring – a diamond mounted onto a single band with six prongs, has become so mainstream that it has lost its trademark protection. 

If Costco prevails, the Tiffany name could go the way of aspirin, the escalator, the trampoline and kerosene, which all lost their trademarks as their names fell into generic use, said Gene Quinn, a patent attorney and founder of the IP Watchdog website. 

Read the Tiffany lawsuit (.pdf) and the Costco countersuit (.pdf)

At issue is how Costco was describing some of its diamond rings, according to the Feb. 14 lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York. A customer notified Tiffany that a Costco in Huntington Beach, Calif. was selling discounted Tiffany rings.

A sign in the warehouse-style store stated: “605880 – PLATINUM TIFFANY VS2.1 1.00CT ROUND BRILLIANT SOLITAIRE RING 6399.99,” according to the lawsuit filed by Tiffany.

Costco, in its March 8 counterclaim, says it never told shoppers the ring or its diamond were made by Tiffany, but that the sign refers to the setting. “The style of this ring setting is commonly known as a Tiffany setting. The word Tiffany is a generic term for ring settings comprising multiple slender prongs extending upward from a base to hold a single gemstone,” Costco said.

Tiffany says it’s not buying that excuse.

“Costco’s answer seeks to muddy the waters, but one thing remains clear. The TIFFANY mark is a federally-registered incontestable trademark, has been continuously used for over 175 years and enjoys worldwide fame and recognition as designating superior goods from Tiffany & Co., and particularly Tiffany & Co. diamond engagement jewelry,” the New York-based company said in a statement emailed to NBCNews.

“When Costco used that trademark to refer to goods that had nothing whatsoever to do with Tiffany & Co., they infringed Tiffany’s trademark, while damaging both their own customers and the Tiffany brand. Costco’s counter-claim is an unfounded and weak attempt to defend its willful and infringing use of the TIFFANY trademark. We look forward to proving this in the upcoming court case.”

Contacted for this story, a Costco official said the company does not comment on litigations.

Non-members of Costco may be surprised the warehouse club offers such high-end goods. The Tiffany lawsuit points out that Costco sells legitimate high-end jewelry including Cartier, Chanel and Movado and Breitling. A check of the Costco website even reveals a 3-carat solitaire diamond ring for $99,000 (valued at $154,000.) It does not mention that the mounting is Tiffany-style.

Although jewelers say it is common to refer to a setting as a “Tiffany style,” Quinn, the patent attorney, says Costco is likely to have an expensive, uphill battle defending its use of “Tiffany” instead of “Tiffany-style.”

Given the high stakes, Tiffany will likely fight hard against Costco, Quinn said.

Otherwise, Tiffany risks becoming tiffany. 

More people nowadays are buying engagement rings online. Are you one of them?

If you're interested in sharing your story and telling us why you chose to buy an engagement ring online -- or why you didn't -- please email us here. 

Please briefly share your story, your age, where you're from and whether you have yet proposed. (Or whether you have been proposed to.) Also tell us why you chose to buy a ring online rather than in the store.  

Amy Craparo / Pinterest

Amy Craparo, owner of Wow Factor Cakes in Charlotte, N.C., uses Pinterest as a portfolio for her creations.

The social media site Pinterest is known for its eye-appealing recipes, wedding pictures and DIY projects – and it’s also becoming a place for pinners to market themselves professionally.

Sarah Gubara of Baltimore, Md., describes her Pinterest boards as a “living resume,” a place where she can show off her accomplishments and her interests. One of her boards includes articles she has written, but the rest are mostly personal: wedding ideas and places she'd like to travel. 

“When you’re applying for jobs, no one has the time to listen to people tell their story,” Gubara said. “I felt that Pinterest displays your personality visually.”

Gubara, 23, works for Maroon PR (she said she “stalked” her future co-workers on Pinterest to learn more about them) said she has been contacted via Pinterest to speak on a panel and to write an article. She has since created a company page that she can pull up on her phone and at a conference or meeting. 

“When you connect with someone on LinkedIn – and I like LinkedIn a lot – there’s not that two-way street. It’s more of a Rolodex,” Gubara said.

Pinterest — one of the fastest-growing social networks with 28.9 million visitors, according to comScore — loves that some of its users market themselves on the site.

“Whether it’s a photographer displaying a portfolio, a local wedding planner showcasing event concepts, or a teacher organizing classroom projects and ideas, people use Pinterest in a number of interesting, inspiring ways for their careers,” said spokeswoman Annie Ta.    

Self-branding on Pinterest can be tricky, however, as the site rewards being personal. But branding expert Maria Elena Duron, founder of marketing firm Buzz to Bucks in Midland, Texas, says that allows employers to get a better read on applicants’ personalities and whether they would be a good fit.

Duron recommends using a professional profile photo – similar to one used on LinkedIn – and writing a short profile in the third-person, using keywords an employer might use in a Google search engine.  

Duron suggests signing up for LinkedIn’s advanced feature – free for the first month – and taking note of which keywords send searchers to your profile. Tweak your LinkedIn profile until you’re happy with who lands on your profile, and then use those words for your Pinterest page. And, of course, list your full name.

“If you’re looking for a marketing position, one of the boards could be greatest marketing books, and you pin every marketing book,” Duron said. Also, she recommends maintaining control of your boards. “Do not share boards for your personal Pinterest page.”

The Pinterest portfolio is a natural for artists and designers but also works for words-oriented people. Duron posts her blog items on Pinterest, which allows a reader to see a bulletin board of her posts. The trick: Upload an image and attach a URL. 

Balance personal items with pins from other boards, says Melissa Taylor, a teacher from Denver, Colo. and author of Pinterest Savvy. “Nobody likes a braggart,” Taylor said.

Some small companies, particularly those in the wedding industry, have also come to rely on Pinterest to display their work.  Amy Crapero, owner of Wow Factor Cakes in Charlotte, N.C., posts her own cakes and also the gowns and haute-couture that inspire them.

It also helps with clients, she said, who find it hard to “communicate verbally what they’re thinking visually.”

“If a client says, ‘I want my cake to be lacy, I can go to Pinterest and do a search on ‘lace cakes’ that they have posted and all the lace cakes will pop up and a variety of styles of lace cakes.”

Wow Factor has three employees and one intern, so Pinterest, which is free to use, has helped in a small way. Craparo said several brides a month walk in after spotting her cakes on Pinterest.

“The first time, (the bride) came in with a picture of our cake -- I don’t know if she realized it was our cake,” Craparo said. “She said, ‘I like this one.’ It was neat to see it unfold as a tool that they’re using.”

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After the calls have been made to relatives giving them the good news, congratulations have been given, and rounds of drinks have been bought, the adrenaline rush of an engagement announcement can wear off and at least one reality sets in: We've got a wedding to pay for.

Unless you've planned financially for it for years, or have rich parents, paying for a wedding can set couples back when trying to stand on their financial feet together as a they start a new life.

The average couple has a $26,989 wedding, according to Brides magazine, and nearly one-third of all brides spend more than they budgeted. A wedding calculator will help determine the costs, though couples may be scared to look at the final figures together.

Even if your wedding costs much less than the average, it's still likely to be a big chunk of money, so planning for the expenses is just as important as deciding which caterer to use and which dress to wear. After enjoying the engagement "high" for a few days, here are five things to do with your money now in preparation for the big day.

1. Set a budget. Determine how much money you can save and what expenses you can cut so that you know now how much you expect to have for the wedding. If your parents are willing to contribute, include that amount in your budget. With a budget in hand, you should be less likely to spend more than you have. And don't count on gifts of money to pay the bills; save that money for the honeymoon.

Related Article: Getting Married? Here Are Some Credit Tips

2. Open a joint savings account. Start putting everything you can into it so you can afford the wedding you want. Don't put in money for daily living expenses -- leave that in a checking account — but only put in money that you can afford to part with.

3. Consider using an account that's much more difficult to access than a joint savings account. For example, try using a short-term CD that matures before the wedding date, says Nick Scheumann of Hefty Wealth Parners in Auburn, Ind. While this advice contradicts our second recommendation, it's an alternative for couples who don't mind waiting until a maturity date to get their money. All short-term rates are small so a CD won't help you earn more money, but touching it before it matures will result in penalties and reduces the likelihood that you'll dip into it early. A joint savings account has everyday access, which you might need if you need to pay a few wedding bills early.

Related Article: The Crazy World of Engagement Ring Financing

4. Look for ways to save. This can be part of setting a budget, but it should be thought of on its own and taken seriously if you want to contribute to that budget. If you're not saving money already as a couple, you will soon. Xavier Epps, a financial adviser, recommends finding cost synergies among each other's monthly expenditures. These include moving in together, budgeting around one income, arranging work schedules so you can commute together, and reviewing cellphone contracts and deciding whether to combine two lines into one account.

5. Don't immediately combine all of your finances. A joint account to save for a wedding is one thing, but combining all of your finances, or at least most of them, can wait until after you're married when you'll have a marriage certificate and possibly a new name. As Scheumann puts it: "It is better to be sure about this move and your spouse's finances before you join your cash savings. Some couples are very successful running his-and-her separate checking and savings accounts."

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How to Pay Off Wedding Debt

How to Keep Your Wedding on Budget