Unexpected Wedding Costs You Often Forget To Budget For

 

Making sure you and your partner are working on to cover unexpected wedding costs can be a challenging task. it is even trickier because of the so many hidden costs that may arise during wedding planning. Here are some of the top items couples forget to think about and allocate budget for.

 

Before the Wedding Costs

Beauty treatments

Yes, you may already set aside a budget for your hair and makeup on your wedding day. But it is also important to know that you may need more than one trial hair and makeup before you have your final decision. Also, you may need to do some pre-wedding beauty treatments like mani and pedi (and can be with your girlfriends!) or throw in some professional spray tan that you may need a few weeks before your wedding.

 

 

Gifts to ask your bridesmaids

Gone are the days when you can just ask your dearest closest friends to be your bridesmaids via phone or in person. In the recent years, brides are now popping the ‘Will you be my bridesmaid?’ question with creative gifts or taking them out for lunch or a spa date. While there is nothing wrong with showering your girl pals with gifts and dates, remember that these can add to the wedding costs.

 

 

Getting your marriage license and other permits

Don’t forget that getting the necessary papers for your wedding to be legal and for everything to work smoothly can add cost. Depending on the number of permits you need for your wedding (especially when the wedding is outdoors), you have to allocate a portion of your wedding budget to prepare this.

For a destination wedding, you may need to allocate a bigger budget because you and your partner will need to fly in advance and spend some time to complete these papers. Plus, this will incur more expenses like travel fees, accommodation and your meals.

 

Wedding Lunches. Bachelorette Parties. Rehearsal Dinner.

While some brides have generous family and friends to throw them lunches, dinners and bachelorette parties, nowadays, brides are expected to shell out some money to alleviate the costs of the event. This may come as unexpected but it is good to come prepared so you won’t break your wedding budget.

 

Mailing your wedding invitation

Keep in mind that the size and weight of your wedding invitation plays a huge part of how much are you going to spend on postage. So be mindful when you are designing your invitation. If you are on a budget, it is best to keep it simple, without all those trinkets and add-ons. Remember, simple is classic.

 

 

Wedding Attire Extras

We are talking about unexpected wedding costs like alterations. These are hemming the gown or maybe adding some straps. Some bridal boutiques offer free alteration or a flat fee, but in cases where there are not free, expect these can add a little cost to your wedding budget.

Another fashion item most brides forgot to include are bridal robes to wear while getting ready and other dresses they are going to wear on events thrown for her as a bride. Yes, it is not necessary to splurge on dresses just because you are the bride but just in case you’d love to wear different dresses on different occasions, save some money for it.

 

During the Wedding

Meals before the wedding ceremony

Of course, you have to allot a budget for meals for your entourage before the wedding ceremony. It is a plus if your caterer offers this as part of the package. However, oftentimes they are not. So make sure you have an extra budget to fill the tummies of your girls.

 

Gifts for parents

Don’t forget your parents! Allocate a budget and shop together to find that perfect gift. It is best to shop at the beginning of the planning process so it won’t get jeopardize at the end. It doesn’t have to be so grand but anything that comes from the heart counts!

 

Vendor Meals

Always take care of your wedding vendors especially on your wedding day. They are going to need some fuel to work throughout the day. You can ask your caterer for these meals so you’d know the additional costs for this extra.

 

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Additional decorations

For a bride that loves decorations, flowers may not be enough to put her vision to real life. That’s where non-floral elements come in like candelabras, mason jars, specialty linens, extra woodwork and so on. You need to allocate a budget for this because if you are not prepared for this expense, it can drastically change your budget and compromise other elements of your wedding.

 

Having a backup plan

Especially if you are having an outdoor wedding, a backup plan is a must. This also means that you have to shell out extra cash for your backup plan to work. What if it rains? You need to secure a standby tent for an extra cost. They are a lot of possibilities that can happen on an outdoor wedding so it is best to draw this plan early in the process so you’d know how much extra do you need to shell out to make it possible.

 

Watch out for overtime costs

Whether your wedding is starting late or you just want to extend the party because you and your new spouse are having so much fun, you have to keep in mind that you have to pay extra outside of the contracted time. This does not only include the venue rental but also the DJ or band you hired, the photographers and videographers and other vendors who need to continue while you are having the time of your life.

 

Extra expenses after you say “I do”

Allocate a budget on cleaning your wedding dress, mailing your thank you letters and printing some wedding pictures after the wedding unless you want to use your wedding money gifts on this. However, it is ideal that you save a budget on this early on so you can either bank your wedding money gifts or spend it on your honeymoon.

 

Do you have anything you want to add on the list of unexpected wedding costs? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. We’d love to hear from you!

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