We’re approaching wedding season, and getting hitched in Chicago is becoming astronomically expensive. The average Windy City wedding costs about $56,000—the second highest in the country after New York City.

Fortunately for us, freelance writer Olivia Dimmer has looked into why this is happening.

“Inflation is infecting everyone, and the wedding industry is no different,” Dimmer said. And she thankfully has some suggestions for keeping costs down.

In this episode, host Erin Allen talks to Dimmer about the wedding industry and some creative cost-cutting couples she interviewed.