Think you’ve solidified your wedding budget? Think again.
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Oh the joys of planning a wedding. Love is in the air, excitement is lingering, your wedding dreams are all beginning to fall into place.
You are absolutely elated to embark on this wedding planning journey. You are booking all of your vendors, you have asked your bridal party to be part of your special day, and you may have even done some taste testing for your wedding day menu.
This feeling of overwhelming joy all comes crashing down once you receive your credit card bill or your bank statement. This can lead you feeling hopeless and broke.
Little do you know that there are still so many things you need to pay for, even AFTER your wedding day!
While you may have spent time diligently organizing your budget and carefully thinking before your swipe your card, there still may be some unexpected wedding day expenses that will surprise you. Even the most organized couples may be struck by this. This is a quick way to turn your dream wedding into a financial disaster.
In this post, we will look into a few of the common unforeseen wedding expenses that many couples overlook. I want you to be aware of some of the hidden costs so that you can be best prepared to navigate your wedding planning journey without breaking the bank.
Wedding Dress Alterations
Yay! You’ve found your dream wedding dress! Your dress has finally arrived and … oops … you’ve lost weight! Whether it be the stress of wedding planning or new fitness goals to get in shape for the wedding, your body may be looking different from what it looked like months ago when you picked out your dress.
I am here to tell you firsthand, I was so unprepared for the cost of wedding dress alterations.
My wedding dress really did not need much altering. The length of the dress was perfect (I am a tall girl so I did not need it hemmed). I just needed the waist taken in a bit, padded cups added to the bust, and I wanted them to take out a few layers underneath.
I got married in July and my dress had about 6 layers! It was hot under there!
All in all, the cost of my wedding dress alterations was about $450. Absolute craziness!
It was a bit depressing for me to swipe my card for that price. I made the mistake of not shopping around at different alteration locations and just footing the bill.
Take my advice and make a few stops for quotes at different locations before you commit!
Wedding Day Accessories
Wedding dresses are undoubtedly going to be the biggest apparel expense for wedding day. Something that is often forgotten is the accessories that are needed to go along with your wedding dress.
Wedding Day Shoes
Think about your wedding day shoes as you are wedding dress shopping. Since wedding dress shopping typically takes place 9-12 months prior to your wedding, you may be right around the season of your wedding.
I lucked out and got my wedding day shoes on clearance! I happened to be wedding dress shopping in October and I found wedding day sandals on clearance from the summer.
Wedding Day Jewelry
Try on some jewelry while you are trying on wedding dresses! This will give you plenty of time to think about what looks best with your dress and where you will shop around for it.
Go through your own jewelry collection first. Chances are, you have something simple like diamond studs or a dainty necklace. Simple is best when it comes to wedding day jewelry; you do not want to compete with the wedding dress you just spent thousands on!
Jewelry can also be your “something borrowed”. Check with the important people in your life and see if they will allow you to borrow their elegant jewelry.
If you must purchase new wedding day jewelry, give yourself a budget. You already have your most prized possession, your engagement ring!
Wedding Headpiece
Decide if you want to wear a headpiece such as a veil or a tiara. I would recommend not purchasing your veil from a wedding dress boutique unless you are comfortable with the cost. Wedding dress boutiques tend to have the most pricey accessories.
I purchased my veil from Azazie, which is an online retailer for all things wedding. They sell wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, mother of the bride dresses, special event dresses, and other wedding and special event accessories.
Azazie had exactly the bridesmaid dresses that I was looking for. They have a huge variety of colors, styles, and sizes, and honestly they are quite affordable and great quality! My bridesmaids were able to order their dresses, try them on for size, and switch them out if they didn’t fit properly.
I started looking at Azazie’s website more closely after both my mother and my now mother-in-law ordered their dresses for my wedding from Azazie (without me even telling them to look there!).
Azazie has a lot more to offer than just dresses. They have veils, clutches, shoes, and jewelry, to name a few wedding day essentials for the bride. I purchased my veil for $19! It was super classy with pearl beads along the edge. After my wedding, I actually sold the veil to another bride and made some money back!
Postage and Wedding Stationery
Something that is frequently overlooked is the cost of postage. You are so busy crafting your Save The Date cards and your wedding invitations and paying for those that postage is often overlooked.
You’ll also need to add in the postage for thank you cards. Account for thank you cards for the guests that came to your wedding shower and also for your wedding day guests. That’s two sets of postage and two more sets of cards that you’ll need just for thanking them.
My advice for those trying to save money: skip the save the dates, or send them digitally.
I do think you should still send thank you cards the old fashioned way. There is something about a handwritten message that feels so meaningful coming in the mail. This is especially important for your wedding shower, where the gift that each guest gave you is typically written on the card.
Thank you cards after the wedding are also very special. I truly enjoy getting a thank you card in the mail that has a wedding day picture on it.
You could bulk order thank you cards after you get your wedding photos that just have a general typed message on them, which would save you some time instead of writing the message by hand.
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Wedding Day Meals
I was a little surprised when I was asked for my final guest list by my venue and “how many vendor meals” I needed. What? Vendor meals? Aren’t I paying them to be there? I have to feed them now too?
Yes. Yes, you need to feed your vendors.
They are working about 8 hours after all.
It is typical for vendor meals to be priced at a reduced rate. My wedding venue had the prices for vendor meals at 50% of what the price per guest was.
Account for vendor meals for your photographers (likely there will be 2), for your videographer (if applicable), and for your entertainment (DJ, emcee, photo booth assistant, etc.).
Add yourself and your partner to your guest list. You will have to pay for both of your meals as well.
I don’t know why this one surprised me so much. I really should have thought about this one.
Guest list tip: if you want 100 guests MAXIMUM, put 98 people on the guest list. That allows you and your partner to make 100. Chances are, not all 98 will be able to make it to your wedding, so you may have some wiggle room, but best not to risk it.
Vendor Gratuities
Having to tip vendors was the most shocking to me. We paid thousands of dollars to all of these people, and I have to tip them on top of it? 20% of the total bill?
Yikes. This one hurt.
After some research, I found that it is customary to tip 20% of the total bill to your entertainment (DJ,Emcee, etc.), to your transportation (limo and bus shuttle to the hotel), to the catering company, to your hair and makeup artists, to your day-of-coordinator, and any other service provider who contributes to the success of your wedding.
Luckily for us, our venue provided the catering and gratuity was already included in the price per guest. This saved us a ton. Make sure you look into this prior to tipping.
I learned in my research that it is more customary to give a gift to your photographer, such as a gift card, in place of a cash tip. Although I am sure they would welcome both.
For your hair and makeup artists, you should not feel responsible for tipping for the entire bill of all of your bridesmaids services. Instead, when you collect the money to pay the hair and makeup artists, kindly ask each bridesmaid to provide their own tip for their own service if they choose to do so.
Marriage License
You’ll need to obtain a marriage license before your wedding ceremony takes place. Depending on the state you reside in, you’ll have to get this license a certain number of days ahead of time. Make sure to look on your state government’s website for information on specifics.
Many times, getting this marriage license can come with a fee.
If you are getting married in a different municipality than where you reside, you may need to pay another fee for that municipality as well. Once again, this can vary by state so be sure to investigate ahead of time so that you can budget accordingly.
After your wedding ceremony, you’ll need to turn in the completed marriage license back to your municipality. Once the license becomes official, you’ll need to pay for copies of your official marriage certificate.
This was $10 per copy in my state, but once again it can vary. We obtained 3 copies just to be safe. You’ll need the official marriage certificate as proof for your name change if you are doing so.
Name Change
I had heard that the social security office and the DMV each would keep an official copy of the marriage license, so that is why we got 3 copies. However, each place gave it right back to me. It’s better to be over prepared than underprepared, I suppose!
The name change process will be another unexpected wedding expense.
I did not have to pay to change my name at the social security office, but I did have to pay to change my name at the DMV. I can’t remember the cost exactly, but I had to pay for a new driver’s license and a new registration.
In order to change your name on your passport, you’ll have to mail your documents and pay the fee for that as well.
Your credit cards and other utilities likely won’t charge you anything for your change in information, but those are the few big ones that you should prepare for.
In conclusion, planning a wedding can be the happiest, most joyous time of your life, and it can also be the most financially stressful. While it is impossible to predict and anticipate every unexpected wedding expense, I hope that this post gives you ample information to best prepare yourself.
I hope that you are better equipped to create a realistic wedding expense budget to ensure that your wedding is everything you’ve ever dreamed of without destroying your bank account.
I hope you have the most amazing wedding of your dreams!
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