We recently discussed some of the major wedding expenses that are necessary to factor into your wedding finances. Now, let’s chat a bit about some of the more minor expenses that often get overlooked but still deserve a spot in your wedding planning budget.
Invitations and stationery: There are few different stationary pieces that are a part of a traditional wedding, including engagement announcements, save the dates, invitations, RSVPs and thank you cards. It’s obviously up to you how many types of send-outs you plan to incorporate but keep in mind the price of these invitations and stationary pieces can vary depending on style, amount and producer. A guest list of 200 is going to require a larger budget for stationary and invitations than a smaller guest list, so consider grouping together engagement announcements and save the dates into one card or creating a wedding website for guests to RSVP to cut back on sending return postage.
Flowers and decorations: Flowers are a huge part of wedding decorations and they tend to hold a big spot in the decoration budget. Whether you’re planning on real flowers, filler greenery or fake florals, flowers are generally incorporated in the ceremony and all throughout the reception. Decide early what types of flowers you want displayed and whether you want to incorporate them into the arbor decoration, table centerpieces, bouquets and any other reception decor. Finding bulk sale floral stores or nurseries and creating your own floral pieces and bouquets can help cut costs.
Gifts and favors: Most couples tend to offer a sweet little gift for guests to take home at the end of the night. These gifts are usually more simple and cute and a great way to say “thank you” to all your loved ones. But again, the larger the guest list the more gifts/favors you’ll need to budget for. We’d definitely suggest DIYing these to help save some cash and make the item more personable and unique!
Transportation: Not everyone will need transportation to/from the wedding for guests but knowing your options and having a plan is super important. Depending on your venue, parking may be included or shuttling guests to/from the wedding might be your only option. Calculate these costs and make sure to gain a clear understanding with your venue about their requirements.
Hair and makeup: This one is geared more towards the brides, but good quality beauty services are costly. Finding a beauty crew to handle day-of hair and makeup might be important to brides and the bridal party, so having a clear idea of what local companies charge and what type of beauty services you’re wanting is important to staying true to your overall budget.
Marriage license & officiant fees: These fees vary from county to county but it's important to understand that filing for a marriage license and completing the paperwork does cost money. Check with your local county offices to gain more accurate pricing. Also, depending on who you plan to officiate your wedding, there will be fees associated with them being legally licensed or fees included within your venue for outside officiants.
Night of stay: It’s more a part of the traditional wedding experience to stay somewhere “celebratory” on the night of your wedding instead of going back home. Whether it's the bridal suite at the local hotel, a beach front AirBnB or another type of housing, this charge tends to get overlooked as part of your wedding budget but we think it’s super important! Treat yourself on your wedding night!
Contingency fund for unexpected expenses: And lastly, it’s alway important to have an emergency fund or a little extra cash within your budget in case prices change or paid-for services need to be extended. It’s good to go into your wedding planning with a realistic budget that isn’t going to break the bank, but please please please allow a little extra wiggle room for unexpected expenses, that way you’re not adding any extra stress in case you’re thrown a curveball.
We want this whole wedding planning experience to be as stress-free and simple as possible. You truly do deserve to enjoy the process! We can’t express enough how important it is to have realistic budgets, and prioritize where you want your money to go! These are just a few smaller expenses that we’ve seen be overlooked but don’t want you to make the same mistakes and we want to help you out as much as possible.
Jubilee Weddings and Events
Comments