Hidden Wedding Expenses to Watch Out For

When planning for a wedding, the most important thing you should look into is your budget especially when you want a grand wedding ceremony. In the present time, having a wedding can be really expensive. You have to allot budgets for wedding gowns, suits, wedding venue, foods, flowers, decorations, and invitations. But those are not just the things you have to pay for.

Hidden Wedding Expenses

There are a lot of hidden expenses when it comes to weddings, therefore, before signing any contracts, clarify to your organizer or vendors first certain details such as delivery, overtime, as well as cleanup, because these are some of the fees that surprises most of the brides and grooms after the wedding. You might get good deals for your wedding, but you should be aware of all the ways on how they hide costs and fees. To help you, here are some of the hidden wedding expenses that you should watch out for.

Alterations

Most wedding gown stores does not include fees for alterations in the price of the gown. Alterations can cost you a lot if the gown does not fit perfectly. If it’s only a simple hem, it can be less than a hundred dollars, but if it requires to move zippers or fix some beading, you might spend more than $500 for it. Before purchasing a wedding gown, it’s important to ask first about what the store charges for every alteration that you may need, so you won’t be blindsided by the extra costs.

Wedding Attire and Accessories

Aside from the wedding gown, dressing the wedding party can get very costly as well, from bridesmaid dresses to groomsmen tuxedos. If you want to save on this part, it’s better to rent or resell any wedding attire.

Hair and Beauty

For most brides, makeup is very important and getting it right can be crucial. That’s why some makeup package offers trials but the fees for those trials are not included in the overall price of the makeup package. If the bride has more trials, the cost of it can add very quickly.

The same goes with hair styles because deciding on your hairstyle may take more than one trial. So, before going to your stylist, make sure that you already have a certain style in mind. You can also find photos to show your stylist and a clear idea of what you really want before going in for a trial.

Invitations

Wedding invitations can also get pricey depending on the design you like. For example, if you like invitations with scalloped edges, you might add 30 to 50 cents per card for that style. The font, and other kinds of inserts may also affect the price of your invitations. Therefore, when you’re designing your wedding invites, consider everything and remember that every detail you add also adds up to the amount you will be paying in the postage as well.

Postage

As mentioned above, postage fees can also vary depending on how big and how heavy your wedding invitations are. If the wedding envelopes weigh more than regular ones, the postage of each can cost up to $2 each. When you choose a large invitation design, you may expect to pay around $300 for the postage bill.

Flowers

If you choose seasonal flowers, it can increase your wedding budget because these flowers are usually imported. If you want to save money, it’s better to pick local, seasonal flowers. Plus, they are better for the environment as well.

Venue

Venue

You might get a lot of deals and discounts when it comes to renting a wedding venue. However, you also need to be aware of the hidden costs and fees in these wedding venues.

Dinner Rentals

There are some reception spaces that do not provide any wedding décor such as linens, china, flatware, tables, and chairs. If this is the case, you might find yourselves stuck with a huge expense. Renting tables and chairs ranges from $2 to $20 each and rental delivery can charge you up to $500.

Set Up Fees

After you rent decors, tables, and chairs, they are needed to be set up. Aside from the rental delivery, rentals may also charge you additional fees for setting up these things. It will depend on your agreement with each vendor.

Clean Up Costs

There are some venues that includes clean-up costs to the overall amount but others do not. Clean-up charges can cost between $500 to $1000 which includes garbage removal, freight elevator use, and cleaning. To avoid these extra costs, try to ask the location of you can bring in family and friends to do the clean-up.

Corkage Fees

If you plan to bring some wine, there might also be corkage fees for them. For wines, over $20 a bottle is being asked. So if your favorite wine is not on the menu and you plan to bring it, be ready to pay additional fees for each bottle.

Vendors

Some venues might give you a list of vendors you can choose from in all sorts of categories such as cake, lightings, DJ, and others. But if the vendor you like is not on that list, you have to ask them first if they allow other vendors. If they agree, the venue might ask you for additional feels, and oftentimes, it is as high as 20 percent which is quite big. It’s up to you if you will stick to the vendor you want or pick one on their list instead.

Cake Cutting

Some people think that bringing their own wedding cake can help them save money, but there are some venues that have their own pastry chef or a contract with a cake company. So if you bring your own wedding cake, they might charge you a cake cutting fee that ranges between $1 to $7 per guest.

Overtime Fees

Your wedding band, DJ, photographer, and videographer are booked for certain number of hours. Therefore, if your wedding celebration runs a little longer than planned, they may charge you additional fees per hour. To avoid being surprised, ask them beforehand about their overtime costs so you will know what to expect if ever the party would take longer than planned.

Taxes and Gratuities

Taxes aren’t exactly hidden because we all know that everything have taxes and gratuities are expected in any kind of service, however, most couples do not pay attention to how much they’ll end up owning while planning for their wedding.

Taxes and gratuities depend on the total amount you’ll be spending, as well as on the location of the event because taxes can vary by state. To help you lower the overall price, paying the entire bill in one lump is a great idea. To be prepared, you can tack on an extra third of your total costs to your budget for tips and taxes.

These are just some of the hidden wedding expenses to watch out for. Before signing any contracts or closing any deals with vendors, make sure that you clarify everything and try to know all the things you need to pay for. This will help you properly budget everything you need for your wedding.