Hidden wedding costs

While I remember looking forward to my wedding day, I also remember looking forward to it being over so I didn't have to worry about any more small costs I hadn't thought about enough ahead of time.

Planning your perfect for you wedding day takes a lot of foresight and a can take lot of money, both of which are likely to stress people out. When it comes to planning every aspect of your big day, there are main costs such as the venue, photographer, DJ, food & bev, flowers, and dress/suit; and then there are costs you might not immediately consider which you need to take into account. 

The Rings

Am I the only one who was like oh...we need wedding rings as we got closer? It may seem like an obvious cost to remember, but with the nuptial planning added on top of regular life stuff, it was easy for me to overlook this essential step in the process. Wedding rings are of course an important thing to buy for your big day and they will be a piece of jewelry you wear for the rest of your life if you are like people other than me - over nine years in and I don't wear any rings at all.  I do think your wedding band should reflect you (and not wearing one reflects me, so I'm still down with that), so it's a good idea to explore designs and find some stylish handcrafted rings - put it on your list now and work it into your budget. I ended up spending less than $200 on mine, and I wore that for less than two years. Then I went to a $30 cheap band that I wore for a few years before just not wearing them for years now. I want to like rings but I feel claustrophobic. MFD's cost a little more and he's always worn it (except the few times he's lost it and refound it) but it reflects him well. Search and budget!

Decorations 

Contrary to what you may believe, many venues do not provide you with decorations to make your wedding day special. When it comes to decorating your venue, this can include anything from chair and table cloths and ribbons, gemstones, flowers, candles, and centerpieces too. It will all depend on the theme you are going for, and you can often find some great inspiration for wedding decorations on Pinterest to give you an idea of the supplies you will need to gather. I kept ours super minimal, the decor was the beach setting. I had to pay extra for linen table cloths though and that was unexpected. Make sure you read the fine print of your venue contract before signing it.

Postage 

One of the costs which no one ever really considers when planning a wedding is stamps. Stamps get more and more expensive every year, and even if you don’t need to send many invitations through the mail, you need to budget for this cost. Invitations, envelopes and stamps will all cost a pretty penny depending on how many guests you invite to the wedding so make sure that you take this into account. And don't forget you've got the invite postage and the RSVP postage. 

Wedding Dress Alterations

Finding the perfect wedding dress is important to many brides (again, I'm not in this category - I tried on two maybe? And my aunts bought it for me). Depending on when you buy your wedding dress in the lead up to your wedding day, there may be several alterations which need to be done to make it fit like a glove. If you're on a wedding health kick you might need to take in the dress more than once if you buy it far enough off your date. Make sure you find a good seamstress if you're going outside your bridal shop and get on her schedule! In my experience alterations are much cheaper outside the bridal shop. 

Transport

On the day of the wedding, there are a lot of logistics in play, and one of these is the transport for the groomsmen and bridal party to the venue itself. Get your quotes early and ask people you know who they can recommend. Try to  find the best deals you can for this, and even try to negotiate a bundle deal if you hire multiple vehicles from one company.

Hotel rooms 

Don't forget about accommodations if you're staying at or close to the wedding venue in lieu of going home that night. If you're getting married inside a hotel, this is super convenient and it means that you can head up to bed after the night is over and sleep off the busyness of the day (week, really, let's be honest) without thinking about getting home. 

Favors

Wedding favors are a huge thing for you to consider when planning your wedding, and they will be something you can really make personal for your guests. A wedding favor is a small token to say thank you to your guests for coming to the wedding and sharing in your special day. There are lots of options you can choose for gifts but make sure to think about the best way to save money on this too. Including not to have favors at all because people don't need them and often throw them out. 

What were some costs you forgot to factor in as you approached your wedding?