Extra equipment
Your band and DJ will come with their own basic equipment but if your reception room is particularly big you may need to rent extra equipment, which will naturally come at an extra cost. Make sure you pay attention when you're looking at your reception room, and take pictures. That way, when you're booking your band you'll be well equipped to ask them exactly how much equipment they need and if this will incur a bump in the bill.
Hold ups
If there's any sort of delay at any point in the day, where transport is involved, lateness could incur an extra cost you hadn't planned for. If you want the DJ to play for an extra hour, you're paying for overtime, which can be a lot more expensive than the original rate, so just bear that in mind before you give him the nod at one o'clock in the morning. A late bar extension is often included in your wedding package but if you want it even later than what they're offering, you'll have to pay for it.
Peak times
Getting married on a Friday or a Saturday in the summer is the most expensive time to get married. When you're looking at your dream venues, and taking in a million and one different prices and packages, just remember, that when prices start from a certain number, that's usually the most basic package, midweek, and off-season. Don't be surprised by the price bump for having a weekend or summer wedding.
The W word
Simply saying the word wedding to vendors will see a sudden increase in all their prices. The word wedding comes with a tag line of "We have money to spend and we're so excited, we'll pay whatever you ask for". Whether that's how you feel or not, that's what suppliers will think when they find out you're getting married. Be careful about mentioning the fact that it's a wedding straight away, and see what kind of prices you're looking at first
Cake designs
Wedding cakes are generally not simple. Usually, there is some element of special design that goes into it. The more intricate the design, the higher the price goes. Keep this in mind when you're choosing your cake. Decoration might suit you better than intricate and complicated icing designs. You don't want to work one price into your budget only to discover that that doesn't include the hand-painted detailing.
Service charge
When it comes to the fine print of some vendor contracts, some tend to leave the service cost until the very end of the bill, so the price you've been quoted countless times, doesn't include the service charge. This can add on a pretty hefty amount to what you originally thought the price was if you're not looking out for it. Make sure you ask vendors if the quoted price is including a service charge.
Personalised invites
You might think you're saving yourself the hassle of handwriting all those names, but personalising your invitations isn't without its cost. You're essentially talking about printing one invite at a time, which will change the price significantly from a bulk order of 200 of the same invite. Make sure you check the price difference before you commit to personalised invitations so you don't get a shock when the bill comes through.
Corkage
Plenty of couples opt to bring in their own wine, but are shocked to see that when the wine is taken out of the cost of their venue, a corkage fee stands there in its place. There can definitely be room to manouvre on this but you must be prepared to face a corkage charge of some sort when it comes to bringing your own wine to the venue.
Guest list
You're probably thinking the cost of your guests is not a very secret cost, because it's right there in front of you, plain as day. but it's not just a simple matter of the price per person. For a start, have you remembered to include the celebrant or your photographer in your final count? Have you included yourselves? Don't forget those pesky minimum number requirements. Venues often have an extra charge when it comes to accommodating parties bigger or smaller than their standard.
Emergencies
No matter how prepared you think you are, emergencies do happen in the run up to and even on the big day. Not necessarily major ones, but possibly ones that will cost you to fix. The 'emergency fund' can leave a big dent in your savings when you had planned your budget meticulously right down to the last cent with no wiggle room. To avoid any nasty surprises out of your control, make sure you have an emergency fund set aside. On the off chance you don't have to spend it, you'll just have a jump start on your honeymoon spending money.
- Jenny Darmody
Image credits: Kiss: Pinterest | Bride and groom: Susan Dean Photography via Style Me Pretty | Here comes the bride: Sioux Falls Wedding Photographer | Cake: Cake Geek | Invitation: Oh So Beautiful Paper