Saying, “I do” isn’t just a lifetime promise to your partner. It’s a huge financial commitment as well. With the cost of an average wedding at tens of thousands of dollars, you want all that money to be well spent. Its obvious that weddings are big business and scammers are looking for ways to benefit from all that money.

The Better Business Bureau suggests looking out for these common wedding scams:

• Venue mishap. Many brides have reported to BBB Scam Tracker losing an estimated $20,500 to venues that either doesn’t exist or the owners cancel contracts and refuse to refund couples.

• Fake vendors. Common complaints include photographers and other vendors either not showing up, delivering unsatisfactory products or failing to deliver any photos or videos at all.

• Dresses that don’t measure up. This includes dress shops that deliver dresses with the wrong sizes or styles or arrive too late or not at all.

To avoid scams and have your “happily ever after” wedding, follow these tips:

• Research vendors and venues online. Find a trustworthy vendor, dressmaker, venue, photographer, driver or event planner by researching business reviews on http://www.bbb.org/northwest. Also, ask vendors about any recent changes in management or ownership, which may affect service quality.

• Get it in writing. Each contract should contain all dates of service, start and finish times, details of all included services, and any fees for staying late, cancellations and refund policies. For photographers and videographers, including a firm delivery date to ensure you receive the final product. It’s also wise to keep all receipts, confirmation numbers, and emails until after the last bill has been paid after the wedding.

• Spend your money wisely. Instead of paying vendors upfront in full, consider paying them a down payment instead until you receive the full product or service. If you do run into a problem, it’s suggested to pay with a credit card so you can dispute the charge on your account if scammed.

• Consider purchasing wedding insurance. Wedding cancellation insurance can help with the financial burdens of vendor no-shows and cancellations.

If you or your loved ones have fallen victim to one of these scams, help BBB warn others by reporting it to bbb.org/ScamTracker. If it’s a legitimate company, leave a review or file a complaint with BBB.

Jeremy Johnson is the Eastern Idaho Marketplace Manager for the Better Business Bureau Northwest + Pacific. Contact the BBB at 208-342-4649 or email to info@thebbb.org.