via 100 layer Cake
Did you know that Autumn has surpassed the Spring/Summer to become the most popular season to get married?? That’s right, couples are now choosing cooler months to tie the knot, especially those looking to have outdoor elements on their big day, knowing the weather is more tolerable than hot summer months. Whether you’re special nuptials are fast approaching or you’re just beginning to plan for your big day next autumn, wedding planning is a numbers game when it comes to budgets and figuring out how to spend on all those little details, that pull your day together. This, along with probably guest lists and seating arrangements, is by far one of the most frustrating elements of wedding planning. It’s become no secret, as the average cost for a wedding rises, these special occasions are expensive!
We’ve answered your most common etiquette questions, helping you determine exactly who can help pay for what, and this #WeddingWednesday we’re talking about all things finances and last minute spending!! It doesn’t matter if you’re at the end of your wedding planning or just beginning, things usually always come up that we don’t account for when first creating our budgets. I’ve gathered up the most common Unexpected and Forgotten Wedding Costs so that you’re prepared in your planning and don’t come in over budget when your wedding day arrives!
1. Stationery & Postage
The cost of postage for save the dates, invitations and return RSVP envelopes, is probably the number one thing couples often forget to factor into their Stationery budget. If you’re using a designer, make sure they run every cost with you. If you’re ordering your stationery online, order a sample so you can weigh and see what postage will cost for each separate invite. And you love those vintage pretty stamps, but keep in mind, custom postage is much more of an investment financially!
The number of invites is a big factor in your final stationery costs, make sure when you are creating your guest and address lists, you are counting the number of households for invitations, not the number of guests!
Check order minimums for invitation suites too, especially if a company requires you to purchase in multiples of 50s and you only need 160, keep in mind you’ll most likely need to order 200. It’s these little stationery details that can make a big difference when trying to stick to a wedding budget!
via Bonnie Bahktiari | Once Wed
2. Accommodations
We’re not only talking hotel room blocks and guest accommodations, I’m also factoring in bridal suites to get ready the morning of the wedding, miscellaneous hotel services and valet fees, which can all cost a pretty penny! These are all items that are booked in advance but are well too often forgotten and not taken into account when creating a wedding budget.
And back to room blocks, most couples assume it’s a no cost thing for them, but there’s an attrition, which means if your guests don’t book a % of the block you discussed in the booking, then you as the couple, are the ones responsible for paying those remaining rooms. Sometimes this can range upwards to thousands of dollars depending on the accommodations. So make sure you, your planner and the hotel are all on the same page!
via 100 Layer Cake
3. Overtime Fees
One of the worst things come your wedding night after you’ve reveled and celebrated, is to be slapped with a bill for overtime fees. Most couples often underestimate the amount they’ll need for their venue, photographers and transportation. Vendors, and your wedding planner if you’re using one, are great at knowing how much time you’ll need for these things on your special day. But it’s always better to allow for more time than you think you’ll need and be reimbursed for unused time, rather than paying the overage after all has been said and done.
via Dreamery Events
4. Weather
The weather is one of the most unpredictable elements to factor in when planning a wedding, especially if a couple wishes to incorporate outdoor elements, like their ceremony. There are many times when a couple has to make the decision to put up a tent up for their ceremony the night before the big day. So factor in these big price items already into your budget, so that you’re not scrambling financially.
Let’s not forget the other weather related factors that go into wedding tents either – you might need to add last minute tent walls, heaters, fans, or extra tenting to accommodate caterer’s needs. It’s best to factor in all the worst case scenarios into your budget and have a backup plan! Coordinate with your planner and venue all possible weather plans, and the same goes for your photographer. If your photo shoot is a total washout, and your venue doesn’t provide the indoor space needed to get all your photographs, talk with your photographers if they can offer a re-shoot session during the week.
Many brides don’t also consider the weather into their own attire as well as their party’s. Those beautiful vintage shrugs will look great, but not logical when the weather as been hotter than normal, neither will jacket-less groomsmen when winter weather has arrived sooner than expected. Consider all these elements, before making final expensive purchases!
via Junebug Weddings | Ever Something
5. Food
Do not forget us vendors, need to eat too! Venues are great at reminding couples to make sure they include the number of vendors attending their wedding into their final head count. Most vendors like your wedding planner, photographers and videographers are with you from the beginning until the very end of your special day. You wouldn’t want them to miss out all on your special moments, but it’s often a very long day without real sustenance, so make sure to reward them well with a meal!
Don’t forget Bridal Squad snacks and munchies either! Wedding days go by really fast and are very long, in the same way you wouldn’t want vendors to spend the day without eating, you wouldn’t want your bridal party, and yourself as the couple, to be miserable taking photos because you’re starving! Prep a picnic basket to bring on your bridal shoot or have your wedding planner come prepared with bags of snacks your party enjoys so they all can stay energized and feeling good!
And don’t forget to add in the cost of champagne bottles you’ll pop to celebrate getting ready, your ceremony toast and photo shoot!
via Wedding Chicks | Style Me Pretty | 100 Layer Cakelet
6. Videography
Unless you love wedding videography most couples think this is one part of their wedding they feel they don’t need, that is until a few months before the big day when they’ve had more time to consider the moving memories they’ll have for years to come. Keep in mind that professional wedding videography will most likely cost you the same as what you’re allocating for your photographer, but it’s truly worth it in the end when the couple can relive their one of kind wedding vows and emotional first looks all over again and again.
7. All Those Miscellaneous Things You’ll Need the Day Of!
It isn’t until the week of the wedding that you begin thinking of the little ones in your bridal party. Your siblings or parents said they’d have no problem watching over them for the night, but you begin to consider that they might want to revel in the fun and want to dance the night away too! It’s such a small fee but the rewards are priceless. As a gift, hire a babysitter to come for the reception to alleviate some of the pressure and ensures all your loved ones have a great time!
DO NOT forget to TIP!! This is a cost too often overlooked in the early planning stages, and only considered when final invoices are given or rental items are being delivered. Couples usually forget to buffer in an amount for this in their budget, which can include tipping rental decor deliveries and pickups, cake delivery or officiant/ceremony tips. It’s such a small detail, but essential!
One of the most unexpected wedding costs a couple faces the last month of their wedding planning, is the cost of baskets and bags for guests. These may include welcome bags for guests staying in a hotel block as well as bathroom baskets that get placed in the reception’s bathrooms for guests. It can seem like a tiny cost, but these baskets which are often filled with numerous small pieces can easily add up!
Unexpected costs are bound to happen when planning a wedding, that it can be quite easy to forget even the most obvious items like gifts for your bridal party. It’s become the norm for a couple to buy gifts for their bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girls/ring bearers and even their parents as a Thank You for all their support and love. In no way do these items need to break the bank, but make sure to set a budget for these items and include it in your wedding planning.
via Sinclair and Moore | Papira Design | Junebug Weddings | Marchesa Fashion |
These are just a few of the unexpected costs that may come up during your wedding planning, because as much as weddings are beautiful, things are bound to happen.
I hope this helps you prepare for all your wedding planning woes!!
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