Expert Advice from wedding guru, Sharon Naylor

Answer:

Any parent who wants to help with the wedding plans, but -- like most people these days -- can't give as much money as they would like, can provide priceless help with the following tasks:

1. Ask your own friends and family members if they know anyone in the wedding or events industries who can possibly give the bride and groom a Friends & Family discount. You never know who knows a florist, for instance, and someone might have a friend who works in a gown shop. It's a great business-builder for today's wedding vendors to provide discounts, because word-of-mouth referrals are essential to business survival these days. So don't be shy. Check your contacts list to see if you can connect the couple with an expert who will help them save money and do a wonderful job for them.

2. Offer yourself for non-money tasks. Brides and grooms are super-busy, and they might not have the time to scout out craft stores for the perfect supplies to make their own centerpieces. You might offer to scout out some stores for them, or run other errands if you have the time.

3. Offer yourself for DIY projects. SO many elements of wedding plans are now on brides' and grooms' radar, since they know they can save hundreds if not thousands of dollars by making their own favors, programs, invitations, table runners, even the veil! If you have any crafting talent -- including BAKING, which is a new top trend for guest welcome baskets and for favors -- you can save the couple a lot of money if you take on or help with various DIY tasks.

4. Save up coupons and sales e-mails. With the couples' okay, offer to send them any coupons or sales e-mails you get. Brides especially appreciate those 40% off department store coupons that might allow them to get their wedding shoes at a huge discount, even their wedding dress bought from the formal gown rack! I say 'check with them first,' since you don't want to deluge them with pile after pile of coupons they can't use. In their stressed-out state, your help might feel like pushiness.

5. Provide stress relief. Plan family dinners or fun family outings that rescue the bride and groom from wedding world and let them recharge a little bit. It can be a near-free event like asking them to come over to watch a movie. It's such a help to give the couple a fun family break during the planning.

6. Be willing to scale back on the guest list you originally requested. It's not a necessity to invite a ton of relatives they don't know. These days, guests know that the economy requires wedding guest lists to be smaller, that not everyone can be invited. And some guests are happy not to have to shell out for travel and gifts!

Parents who are reading this...how else are you helping in a non-financial way?