Need a night out? Crash a stranger's wedding.
These guests at a recent Long Island wedding didn't know the bride or groom. They paid a fee to attend through a service called Not A Wedding Crasher. Credit: Howard Simmons
When I was pregnant with my son, it felt like everyone we knew was getting married.
I attended seven weddings with that baby in my belly, sipping on Shirley Temples and trying to keep up on the dance floor with our friends who weren't with child.
These are all the weddings I attended while pregnant with my first child over a decade ago, but lately the invites are few and far between. Credit: Newsday/Tara Conry
Now, we may average one wedding invite a year — and we look forward to it as the rare chance to get dressed up and dance like we're still in our 20s.
So I see the appeal of this service that lets you attend strangers' weddings for a small price.
"You can’t just go to a wedding," without an invitation. "At least not morally," said one of the creators of Not a Wedding Crasher, who came up with the concept while brainstorming date night ideas with his wife.
It also helps brides and grooms fill seats left vacant by last-minute cancellations or to meet minimum headcounts.
They can make up potential financial losses or just add new energy into the mix, which is what this local couple wanted. Prices generally range between $25 and $75, and the platform collects 20% of the total.
It might make for a memorable date — or even a mom's night out.
Long Island education spending hits record high
The average per-pupil cost on Long Island is projected to hit nearly $42,000 for the 2026-27 school year. Credit: Fire Island School District
$41,913 per student.
That's how much it's expected to cost on average to educate just one student at a Long Island school district this academic year.
That is a record high and up from about $39,000 last year, a Newsday analysis shows.
What's behind the increase? School officials say its the rising costs of health insurance, salaries, fuel and other essentials, along with the need to meet state and federal mandates on special education and other services.
Learn more and see how much your district is spending per pupil by searching our database here.
Sleep over at these farms
Travel reporter Carissa Kellman visits the Farm House at Kerber's Farm. Credit: Randee Daddona
If you've ever wanted to wake up to the sights and sounds of a working farm, we found two that will let you live out your Laura Ingalls Wilder dream.
Most Long Islanders know Kerber’s Farm in Huntington for its eatery, where pastries, pies and egg sandwiches on Southern-style cheddar biscuits draw a steady stream of customers daily. But few might know you can stay overnight in one of four different options on the property. There are studio-style barn lofts, the Captain's Cottage and a three-bedroom farmhouse suited for families or groups.
Take a tour with our travel reporter, Carissa Kellman. Watch the video.
If you're looking to travel off the Island, we also found a farm three hours away in upstate New York that let's you stay overnight in a cozy Airbnb above its alpaca barn. (Fall is when their 120 alpacas are at their fluffiest.)
There are more than 100 alpacas at the farm, including several babies. Credit: Jeffrey Basinger
The three-bedroom, three-bathroom loft apartment sleeps up to six and has alpaca-themed decor everywhere. And you can bottle-feed one of their many baby alpacas, like our travel reporter did during her recent trip.
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What content are you most interested in? Email me at workingmoms@newsday.com.
I recently shared a peek into a day in my life as a working mom of two on our Long Island Moms Instagram. Follow us there and on Facebook for more stories curated for moms like you.
