Like everything else, weddings today cost more — often leaving couples in debt.

Joshua Kackos, founder and CEO of The Wedding Ticket, plans to change that.

His new platform allows guests to contribute to wedding costs before the couple needs to pay them.

“It's not really a ticket to enter,” said Kackos in a press release. “It's a modern way for people who want to celebrate with you to help cover the real costs of the celebration, without awkward conversations or financial pressure on either side.”

The Wedding Ticket is a guest management platform to help couples pay those costs upfront and give guests a chance to have a real impact on their loved ones' wedding day.

Traditionally, the wife-to-be's parents were supposed to pay for the wedding — remnants of a dowery, which was paid by the bride's family upon marriage. Today, wedding costs are often shared by the bride and groom. But presents still aren't usually given until the nuptials.

“The way people pay for weddings has not really changed, even though the cost of getting married has,” Kackos said. “We built The Wedding Ticket to open up a more transparent conversation and give couples a way to plan and pay for their wedding without starting their marriage in debt.”

According to The Knot's Budget Advisor, an average wedding costs $33,000. That's almost $300 a person. Of course, costs vary widely depending on the location and number of guests. In Indiana, the average cost is $24,380.

The Wedding Ticket is based in Valparaiso.