We’re always advising brides to create a wedding budget and stick to it but that can be tricky! Especially when there are so many hidden wedding costs you need to be aware of. Here, we’ve created a list of all the hidden wedding costs so you can avoid any problems with your budget.
#1 Postage Costs
When it comes to ordering your wedding stationary, make sure you factor in the cost of postage. Sending each save the date, invite and thank you card tots up very quickly! With the average number of wedding guests being 150 and at 60p a stamp, it can really push you over budget. Don’t forget, we’re living in a digital world and you can send your save the dates and invites via email. What’s more, you’ll get a much faster response too!
#2 Corkage
Planning on saving money by supplying your own alcohol? Think again as many venues will charge you a corkage fee meaning it might work out cheaper to purchase an all singing, all dancing drinks package.
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#3 Vendors Meals
So, you’ve booked your photographer to attend all day? You’ll need to make sure they’re well fed and energized. How else will they capture your big day in the best possible way?
#4 Registration Costs
So, you’ve booked your wedding venue but what about the cost of actually registering your marriage and getting the marriage licence which actually makes your wedding official?
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#5 VAT
Make sure you ask all wedding vendors whether VAT is included in the overall price. If you don’t and they’ve given you a quote excluding VAT, you can add another 20% onto each vendors overall fee which could quickly add up to something astonishing!
#6 Alterations & Dry Cleaning
So, you’ve budgeted for your wedding dress but what about the alterations that are needed on the run up to your big day, especially if you are planning on losing weight, these costs will need to be factored in when setting your budget.
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#7 Underwear
So, you’ve got the dream dress but what about underwear? You won’t want your underwear to be on view and you want your dress to flow over it nicely so make sure you factor underwear in when setting a budget. Alternatively, most wedding dresses have underwear already built in so you could always look at doing this instead.
#8 Refreshments
On the morning of your wedding, you and your bridesmaids will need to keep your energy and spirits up so it’s a good idea to provide refreshments so that you don’t get to lunchtime without having eaten something. With the excitement of the wedding morning, it’s easy to forget to replenish and re energize.
#9 The cake cutting fee
Although this is not massively common in the UK, their are venues that charge a fee especially if your wedding cake is sourced from an outside vendor, they may want to charge you to cut the cake and clean it away afterwards. If this isn’t a cause for concern with your venue, they might charge for the use of the cake stand and knife so just double check with your chosen venue first so you can factor in any additional costs.
#10 Passports
If you’re planning on jetting off straight after you’ve tied the knot, make sure you’re passports are in date and if they are due to expire, make sure you factor in the cost of getting one reissued as this could set you back £90!!
