Mastering Your Wedding Budget: Avoiding Hidden Costs

26 May

Whilst I make all my couples aware of any unexpected costs and hidden fees, if you are planning your own wedding then today’s blog will be the perfect read for you.

Navigating Wedding Surprises

When planning a wedding it is important to plan within budget. Getting married is expensive, there’s no denying that, but budgets should be carefully planned, sensibly portioned, and monitored.

If a wedding budget is not tracked, things can quickly spiral out of control. On top of this, there can be hidden fees, which often catch couples out – here are a few to be aware of.

Wedding Venue Hidden Costs

A venue will often state an end time in terms of the couple and their guests leaving the venue or heading to bed if you have the luxury of staying on site.

Requesting a late-night license extension is sometimes viable but will often incur a fee. The fee tends to be very fair and reasonable, but without finding out in advance what the fee is, it becomes impossible to keep within your budget.

Also, find out if the venue charges a fee to use non-approved suppliers. Whilst this isn’t very common, it’s worth asking the question.

Finding the Perfect Suppliers for Your Wedding

If your wedding is on the Cornwall coast and your dream photographer is based in Cheshire, mileage and accommodation expenses will have an impact on the budget. I recommend finding out about a supplier’s travel policy during the consultation stage.

When receiving quotes, confirm with the supplier if their invoice is subject to VAT as this can also affect the budget.

Why Every Premium Wedding Budget Needs Catering Clarity

Suppliers that are present throughout the wedding day, such as your photographer and videographer should be included in your wedding breakfast numbers.

This is not an unfair expectation – they are on their feet pretty much all day and providing a meal is a nice way to show that you value your wedding team. Trust me when I say that all suppliers are hugely grateful to be fed and watered!

Band members are usually included in evening food numbers, so make sure you find out dietary requirements and pass this information onto the catering team.

Decoding Corkage & Service Charges

Corkage or service charge can be charged by your venue, caterer, or bar supplier.

I would advise that you find out whether a corkage fee or service charge applies during the early consultation meetings.

If this is not factored into the budget, you will have a shock when you receive your final invoice!

Church vs. Civil Ceremony Costs

Whether you are planning a church or civil ceremony, there are costs that need to be factored in that you may not have considered.

For a civil ceremony, you are likely to need to pay a room hire fee, whilst with a church service, a contribution to the church would be expected for a Reverend/Vicar, an organist and if you would like the church bells rung.

Responsibilities Before, During and After the Big Day

It is worth considering the logistical elements to your wedding day. For example, a florist will set up your chosen floral arrangements on the morning of the wedding day, but is there a designated person to lay out your place cards, menu cards and favours?

It can be easy to assume your venue, or your caterer will be responsible for this, but often, this needs to be done by you.

If you are having a dry hire venue, who is responsible for removing rubbish from the site, and what needs to be done the next day?

Without knowing what set-up, clean-up and break-down services are included, you are risking unexpected costs from cropping up.

Costs Beyond the Perfect Dress Price Tag

It can often be a huge relief when you find your perfect dress and it simply doesn’t occur to a bride to find out if alterations are absorbed by the Bridal Boutique or if these costs are an addition.

This is a question worth asking when you visit a wedding dress shop to manage expectations from the start.

Invitations & Beyond: Ensuring Lux Stationery Stays Within Budget

Traditional paper invites are still a popular choice, but there can be hidden costs that are simply overlooked.

For instance, don’t expect your quote for invitations to include envelopes – these are often an additional charge.

Always find out exactly what you are getting. You will also need to pay for postage. If you are planning on sending out 100 postal invites work out the figures in advance.

You may wish to send thank you cards to your guests following the wedding, so it’s worth including these costs within your stationary budget, and again, allow for postage.