It's official. Brides cut back on their dresses, the wedding cake and the band last year. But they splurged on the reception venue, wedding planner and catering.

At least, that's according to The Knot's Real Weddings Survey 2008, which surveyed 18,000 couples on wedding spending, style preferences, event characteristics and other wedding details.

The average amount couples spent on weddings in 2008 was $29,334, up 5.2 percent from 2007. In North Carolina, however, the average wedding cost was $23,728, which is lower than couples in South Carolina, Georgia, Maryland and Northern Virginia. (Southern Virginian couples spent less than others in the region at $20,653.)

Other stats:

In our region, the average age of the bride and groom was 29 and 31, respectively.

The average number of guests was 126 people.

The average length of engagement was 14 months.

And guess what? North Carolina brides had the most casual weddings, along with brides from Hawaii and Maine.

Huh?

That's interesting to me, since I've only been to a few really casual weddings in North Carolina.

Nationally, the biggest cut back last year was in the dress. Brides spent 22 percent less on their gowns, at an average of $1,032.

Brides also trimmed 12 percent on the cost of the band and ceremony musicians. They spent 20 percent less on the cake and 2.4 percent less on flowers.

But they splurged 7.4 percent more on the reception venue (spending $13,667, the biggest expense overall), 8.6 percent more on the wedding planner, 7 percent on catering and 6.7 percent on transportation.

And, finally, the number of bridesmaids and groomsmen increased in 2008 to 5, up from 4 in 2007.

Cary Magazine is having a wedding show today from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. with nearly 50 of the area's top wedding vendors.

Registration for the event, to be held at the Umstead Hotel and Spa, is limited and will be sold on a first-come, first serve basis.

Buy tickets for $15 online at www.carymagazineweddings.com or buy tickets for $20 at the door.

Allan Tortorice and Laura Strain were married this afternoon in the place where they met: the Starbucks on Kildaire Farm Road in Cary. The wedding ... more

... will be at Alexia's Bridal Boutique in Cary Thursday through Saturday. Look for gowns at a variety of price points (not just the super expensive ones), including some that start at about $2,700. A Vera Wang representative will be at the store to show the fall bridal collections.

Here's an added incentive to go: If you buy a gown at the trunk show, you'll get 15 percent off.

Brides-to-be in the midst of that sometimes overwhelming task of finding a wedding dress might want to take a few tips from dressmaker Camille La Vie (which, by the way, has relatively low-priced, chic gowns) on what's in style for 2009. Here's what you can expect if you're planning to shop:

* Trumpet gowns: Also known as the mermaid gown. These narrow, body-hugging gowns flair dramatically at or below the knee giving it a mermaid's tail kind of look.

* Sweetheart necklines: Gowns with open, more revealing necklines that sweep down, dipping to a point in the middle of the bust and form a heart shape.

* Grecian gowns: The most recent example is the one Michelle Obama wore to the Inaugural balls last week. These long and lean Greco-Roman style gowns are big for spring with their fluid draping, intricate folds and pleats, halter necks or empire-waist silhouettes with flowing layers.

* A-line dresses: A flattering shape that is flared from either the shoulders or under the bust, often with a fitted wais.

Other trends ...

* Look for rhinestones and beading around the bust or neckline if you want a dress with a more formal look.

* Colorful belts and sashes, which give definition to the waist and add a pop of color to a dress.

* Bows, which add depth and give a dress an architectural interest.

* Pleating, which gives a gown a more formal, fitted look when at the bust or along the bodice.

* Lace, chiffon, organza and satin.

* Pale pink, light lilac, white, ivory, cream.

Brides-to-be might want to check out the Augusta Jones trunk show at Enchanting Moments in Fuquay-Varina Thursday through Saturday.

The store, which is the only one in the state to carry Augusta Jones, will have the entire collection of 2009 gowns at the trunk show. Plus, there will be special incentives to buy.

Make an appointment at 919-552-6393, ext. 102.

There must be something in the water over at Duke's Freeman Center for Jewish Life.

Six couples who met at the center or were heavily involved there while students at Duke in recent years are getting married, reports a Duke Hillel newsletter.

What the heck's going on over there?

"It's a welcoming place so a lot of people feel comfortable there," said Barry Lichman, a 2006 Duke graduate who this weekend will marry Rachael Solomon, class of 2005. "It might be just a big coincidence!"