I subscribe to theweddingreport.com and the average cost of weddings now is just over $25,000.00. This is not the case for every wedding just the average cost across America. Can you have a nice wedding for less than that with careful planning and budgeting? But what about those sneaky costs that you forget to budget for. Here are some of the items people forget about when planning their weddings.
Wedding Insurance. This is optional. No one said you have to have it, but it’s a small price to pay in case something was to happen. This covers in case something was to happen to your venue at the last minute by spending $250-$450 in insurance your whole wedding day up to $50,000 could be covered.
The Marriage license. In Texas you will pay anywhere from $30.00-$45.00 dollars. Each county varies and you need to call ahead and check. Also they only take cash so be prepared. Now in other parts of the county the fees go up to $75.00. Don’t forget you usually have to take time off from work to do this and that is another expense. Texas does not require blood test or physicals. But some states still do, check so this is not a surprise to you.
Honeymoon insurance. I recommend this for anyone traveling for their honeymoon. Medical and travel expenses are covered for a $5000.00 honeymoon for less than $200.00. Just ask your travel agent for help on this one.
The Three T’s Taxes Tips and Time. I pulled this information from here. But so it’s all in one spot keep reading. Once the celebration are over and you and your spouse open up your new mailbox to see the invoice from the revelry of your reception, you'll need to be relaxed - almost every quote for a reception will increase by at least 25% from when the deposit is first made. Why? Many quotes do not take into account the tax and tip on the food and drinks, how much alcohol the guests will consume or how long the event will take.And if a couple has any friends who like to have a good time, the alcohol bill (and the tax and tip on it) will skyrocket from the conservative estimate previously given. According to a wedding budget planner on WeddingBells.com, it is estimated that every guest will drink a minimum of one beverage every hour, and it averages the alcohol bill for a guest list of 125 people will be $1,250 (for four hours). Now add applicable taxes and, say, 15% tip and the cost is over $1,600 for alcohol alone. This, of course, will increase as the quality and level of alcohol consumed goes up.For a cheaper alternative, a couple can choose to have a friend man the bar and provide their own beverages. The couple now shoulders the bill for their friend's time, the alcohol, the corkage fee (the charge per person for bringing in the couple's own alcohol, depending on the site) and the chance that if they choose a bartender who likes to flirt, they may be paying for a lot of free drinks.If the couple is planning a cash bar, or planning on subsidizing the cost of its guests' drinks, the couple will need to budget in the hidden cost of paying for a ticket seller and/or the cost of the tickets (price depends on the venue). So, a cheaper alternative to a full-service bar still has hidden costs.Finally, make sure that you add the cost of tax and/or tip to the quoted price of your dinner, limousine service, hair and makeup stylists, DJ and any other purchased service to avoid a shocking invoice in the mail.Discover the Cost of Timemany newlyweds we be startled to see yet another added cost at the bottom of their long wedding bill - the cost of running over their time limit. Most sites will provide a certain amount of time for each event (because the venue pays its employees by the hour and may have other bookings to consider), and, if you go over that allotted time you may be subject to large penalties. These fees can be avoided by planning ahead and talking with family, friends, photographers and caterers to help get speeches and other presentations done quickly - this can save hundreds of dollars in overtime fees.The same goes for a limousine or car rental service - even going over the allotted time by 15 minutes can cost as much as $150! That fee can add up quickly if the time it takes to do your formals at a dream location and get back to the reception site during rush-hour traffic wasn't accounted for properly in the first place.Is there are way to avoid any of these things? Yes. Ask your vendors for an all inclusive price. Have them include tax, and tip on the invoice. Just take your time and look into all of it before you sign on the bottom line.
Wedding Insurance. This is optional. No one said you have to have it, but it’s a small price to pay in case something was to happen. This covers in case something was to happen to your venue at the last minute by spending $250-$450 in insurance your whole wedding day up to $50,000 could be covered.
The Marriage license. In Texas you will pay anywhere from $30.00-$45.00 dollars. Each county varies and you need to call ahead and check. Also they only take cash so be prepared. Now in other parts of the county the fees go up to $75.00. Don’t forget you usually have to take time off from work to do this and that is another expense. Texas does not require blood test or physicals. But some states still do, check so this is not a surprise to you.
Honeymoon insurance. I recommend this for anyone traveling for their honeymoon. Medical and travel expenses are covered for a $5000.00 honeymoon for less than $200.00. Just ask your travel agent for help on this one.
The Three T’s Taxes Tips and Time. I pulled this information from here. But so it’s all in one spot keep reading. Once the celebration are over and you and your spouse open up your new mailbox to see the invoice from the revelry of your reception, you'll need to be relaxed - almost every quote for a reception will increase by at least 25% from when the deposit is first made. Why? Many quotes do not take into account the tax and tip on the food and drinks, how much alcohol the guests will consume or how long the event will take.And if a couple has any friends who like to have a good time, the alcohol bill (and the tax and tip on it) will skyrocket from the conservative estimate previously given. According to a wedding budget planner on WeddingBells.com, it is estimated that every guest will drink a minimum of one beverage every hour, and it averages the alcohol bill for a guest list of 125 people will be $1,250 (for four hours). Now add applicable taxes and, say, 15% tip and the cost is over $1,600 for alcohol alone. This, of course, will increase as the quality and level of alcohol consumed goes up.For a cheaper alternative, a couple can choose to have a friend man the bar and provide their own beverages. The couple now shoulders the bill for their friend's time, the alcohol, the corkage fee (the charge per person for bringing in the couple's own alcohol, depending on the site) and the chance that if they choose a bartender who likes to flirt, they may be paying for a lot of free drinks.If the couple is planning a cash bar, or planning on subsidizing the cost of its guests' drinks, the couple will need to budget in the hidden cost of paying for a ticket seller and/or the cost of the tickets (price depends on the venue). So, a cheaper alternative to a full-service bar still has hidden costs.Finally, make sure that you add the cost of tax and/or tip to the quoted price of your dinner, limousine service, hair and makeup stylists, DJ and any other purchased service to avoid a shocking invoice in the mail.Discover the Cost of Timemany newlyweds we be startled to see yet another added cost at the bottom of their long wedding bill - the cost of running over their time limit. Most sites will provide a certain amount of time for each event (because the venue pays its employees by the hour and may have other bookings to consider), and, if you go over that allotted time you may be subject to large penalties. These fees can be avoided by planning ahead and talking with family, friends, photographers and caterers to help get speeches and other presentations done quickly - this can save hundreds of dollars in overtime fees.The same goes for a limousine or car rental service - even going over the allotted time by 15 minutes can cost as much as $150! That fee can add up quickly if the time it takes to do your formals at a dream location and get back to the reception site during rush-hour traffic wasn't accounted for properly in the first place.Is there are way to avoid any of these things? Yes. Ask your vendors for an all inclusive price. Have them include tax, and tip on the invoice. Just take your time and look into all of it before you sign on the bottom line.
3 comments:
Oh my...WHO IS that handsome man? Can I have him? Oh wait, he's already mine...sigh...lucky me.
Alexis I thought you might recognize him :-) It seemed just the right pic for this entry.
Josh/Deborah glad you like the blog keep checking back I try to post helpful information.
Good evening
Awesome post, just want to say thanks for the share
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