Illustration: Chris Gash for Newsweek 

By Ashley R. Harris

Like so many women, Michelle La Rocca knew from childhood exactly what she wanted her wedding to look and feel like: Cinderella at the ball. But when the big day rolled around last summer, she was hit with a dose of reality. La Rocca’s Prince Charming didn’t have a king’s ransom in the bank, and she didn’t have a fairy godmother with a platinum AmEx. Clearly, paying for her dream wedding was going to require some creativity.

Taking inspiration from Cinderella’s mouse friends who fashioned a ball gown out of scraps, La Rocca began scurrying around for ways to fulfill her dream on the cheap. She sent out handwritten invitations instead of engraved ones. She scavenged the reception hall for leftover vases and candles to make table centerpieces. She and her fiancé bought candy in bulk to hand out as parting gifts and wrapped them with ribbon and a card. And even though she swore she would never skimp on her gown, La Rocca ultimately bought hers at— gasp!—a discount bridal store.

La Rocca is hardly the only budget bride. With the economy in the tank and the cost of the average wedding now a budget-busting $28,000, “people are doing more research and paying more attention to the details,” says Rebecca Dolgin, executive editor of The Knot (theknot.com), a wedding Web site. “The trend has moved away from everything-has-to-be-over-the-top, ” says Alicia Rockmore, CEO of lifestyle consultancy Buttoned Up (getbuttonedup.com), who says more and more couples are saving their money for the things that come after the big day, like houses and children. “The happiest day of your life should not be your wedding,” she says.

By Alicia Coffman 

Love the outdoors but hate sizzling in the sun? Parks are offering a cool alternative: night hiking. The benefits go beyond lower temperatures. “Animals, just like humans, take cover in the shade during the day because it’s so hot,” said Scott Egy, an interpretive ranger at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park in Blue Diamond, Nev. ($5 for entry; 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. in summer; parks.nv.gov/smr.htm). Depending on where you’re taking your hike, owls, deer, coyote, flying squirrels and bobcats are among the critters you might see. Most nighttime guides will also provide your family with information about the glistening constellations, along with the usual plant and animal information. Kids love it, too. “They’re so intrigued by the dark, and they don’t even realize they’re learning,” says Lynn McIntyre, director of community relations at Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell, Ga. (one 8 p.m. outing in June and one in July; $8 for nonmembers, $6 for members; chattnaturecenter.com). For more locations, contact your local parks department—if it doesn’t have a night hike scheduled, it may add one to its activities. Or check the Sierra Club chapter in your state (sierraclub.org). It posts hiking schedules under the Get Outdoors section on its Web site.

Want to take cash out of your house but afraid to borrow? A new crop of no-payment home-equity products is coming to market. The catch: you trade away a piece of your home’s future appreciation for cash now. Unlike traditional reverse mortgages, they are not structured like loans, the fees are lower and there’s usually not an age restriction. With a Rex Agreement (rex agreement.com), you can get $71,000 on a $500,000 home if you agree to split future changes in value 50-50 with Rex & Co. You have to stay in your home for at least five years. (If you want out sooner, penalties run as high as 25 cent of the original sum you received). If the value of your home goes up to $600,000, you’ll owe Rex $121,000 when you sell. That’s the original $71,000 plus $50,000 for half the appreciation. If the value falls to $400,000, you’ll pay $21,000; that’s the original amount minus half the depreciation. Other similar new products are EquityKey (equitykey.com) and My Equity Freedom (granderfinancial.com). Closing costs run as high as $4,000, so look before you leap.

Formidable Rough Rider

Rugged performance doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. Haul heavy stuff and navigate muddy, rocky terrain with the new Nismo version of the Frontier. The radical design is a product of Nissan’s motor-sports division, which has turned its attention on its pickup line.

Exterior Bed: The cab-mounted cargo-bed lamp illuminates the entire cargo area for easy use at night. A factory-applied spray-on bed liner allows for easy clean-up after dirty jobs.

Performance: Off-road performance shocks makes simple work of slushy and pockmarked roads. The formidable 281 foot-pounds of torque give excellent pulling power over moderate terrain.

Hear Jakob Dylan’s “Seeing Things.” With the Wallflowers on hiatus, Bob’s son steps out with his first solo album. The stripped-down guitar leaves plenty of room for lush, knowing vocals ($15.98).

Buy Physicians Formula Eye Shadow Duo. All the ingredients in these two-color sets are certified organic and made without parabens, harsh chemicals or synthetics. Better still, they’re reasonably priced and found in drugstores. And when you’re done, just toss in the recycling bin ($7.95).

Surf mozes.com, a free music-networking site that connects people to their favorite artists via cell phone. By joining a band’s “mob,” or mobile list, users can receive text-message updates on the new hit single or an upcoming concert.