By Alexandra Gilles from Kisses and Cake
Brides and grooms often end up over their budget either because they were hit with some unexpected costs during the planning process or they simply don’t factor certain items in. When you overlook a cost and have to make a last-minute purchases, it’s generally more expensive, as there’s no time to compare prices, taking you even further over-budget.
After years of experience as a bridal coach, I’ve found 5 hidden costs that almost every bride forgets to budget for – don’t make the same mistake!
Sending out thank-you cards and gifts after the wedding can be costly. Many couples are caught up in the hype of budgeting for the wedding itself and they forget to budget for these very memorable extras.
Couples should always be prepared for wet weather. You can hire or buy cheap umbrellas for your wedding party and these can also be used creatively as part of your photo shoot. Hire companies will charge around $10-12 per large umbrella or you can buy great cheap wedding umbrellas from as little as $20 that your guests can keep.
The last thing you want is your bridal party passing out halfway through the evening because they haven’t eaten. A recent survey of 400 brides showed that at least 15% of brides ordered room service because they forgot to eat throughout the day. Budget at least $10-15 per person for catered lunch or keep costs down by asking a family member to prepare light snacks or sandwiches.
Whether you are doing a simple envelope-sized invite or something more extravagant in a box, make sure you factor in the cost of postage. It is quite expensive to send locally and even more to send internationally. Also take into account the fact that that you may need to send 30% more invites than guests you expect to attend.
Couples often overlook insurance. You will need to be covered in case any of your suppliers go out of business or simply don’t deliver. It’s also important to have insurance to cover breakages or damages to items and in the event that your wedding is postponed or even cancelled, insurance will mean you aren’t left out of pocket. This is particularly important if you are hosting the wedding in a marquee or private property.
Alexandra Gilles is the Creative Director and Bridal Coach at Kisses And Cake.
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