Do You Really Need to Blow the Wedding Budget?
The average traditional wedding now costs an estimated £27,000 – yikes! With many choosing to shun the usual costs to keep the budget in check, it is still estimated the total is likely to be £16,842! This is still a hefty financial sum to pay when you just want to marry the man or woman of your dreams.
The rising costs are so much for some couples, that 35% wish they had budgeted more effectively for their big day. A further four in ten wish the money they spent had been put towards a house deposit or into a retirement fund nstead.
So, why are couples spending so much on tying the knot?
Well, Pinterest could be partly to blame. 70% of Pinterest users have a wedding-themed board. If anything’s going to take a bride from bridechilla to bridezilla, then Pinterest is probably going to do the trick. With an abundance of pin-worthy images to add to a board, it’s easy to get swept up in creating a wedding which looks like it’s stepped off the pages of a wedding magazine.
There are a tonne of unexpected wedding costs which are taking weddings from ‘small and intimate’ to ‘budget-busting extravaganzas’. We’ve rounded up some of the ways couples are spending more than they can afford and how you can keep your finances in check.
Bridal Party Invitations
Asking your closest friends and family to be your bridesmaid is no longer a simple affair. Brides are swapping a simple invitation for a lavish gift-giving ceremony which culminates in them asking the big question ‘will you be my bridesmaid?’. Boxes filled with keepsakes, jewellery and even customised puzzles are some of the ways bridesmaids are being asked to fulfil their bridal duty.
Hen and Stag Parties
Hen and stag parties aren’t just a chance for good old-fashion knees up. Now weekend-long jaunts to country abodes, cities or even abroad to celebrate the journey into married life are common. With the cost going from just a night out, to include travel, accommodation, gifts for the hen or stag, activity costs and much more! The average cost of a hen-do is around £356 and up to £750 for attending a stag do so it’s not just the couple’s costs which sky-rocket when it comes to a wedding.
Stationery
A simple card is no longer the way to invite guests to your wedding. Invites now first arrive in the form of save-the-dates before a formal invitation is sent out. Whether they are made by hand, include personalised illustrations of the happy couple or are adorned with a keepsake, keeping invites in email form will often cost you nothing! If you are sending paper invites, then you’ll also need to consider the cost of postage.
Don’t forget to include seating charts, place cards, menus, direction signage, favour tags and any other stationary costs into your budget too!
Additional Supplier Fees
When receiving quotes from your wedding suppliers, you may find that some haven’t included VAT. Overtime, service or cleaning charges may also not be in their initial fee. This can lead to the cost rising unexpectedly and leaving you out of pocket!
If you’re bringing alcohol in from an external supplier then you may be charged a corkage fee. While this can, of course, slash your costs if your venue is particularly pricey, many couples forget to factor in the additional cost into their budget. You may even find that you are charged to cut and serve your wedding cake too.
Without careful planning, these additional costs (and those above are just the tip of the iceberg) can soon lead you wedding bill to have a few extra zeroes at the end of it!
List the venue, entertainment, hair and makeup, stationary costs along with other big items. The spend on each wedding element can then be examined and re-assessed allowing you to look for other suppliers if needed, especially on the elements that are less important to you. Budgeting for your wedding just became a whole lot easier.
Above all, remember what the day is truly about marrying the love of your life.
You can find more budget planning ideas here
