One of our most important jobs as full-service wedding planners is ensuring the event stays within the couple’s preferred budget. While the major costs are easy to track, many unexpected costs arise over the course of wedding planning that can break a budget. 

Service Charges and Taxes

Most vendors have some additional fees in addition to the cost of the service. Some of these additional fees could include gratuities, cleaning fees, delivery fees, after-hours delivery or pick-up, and overtime charges. While these charges are not usually huge amounts of money, these charges can add up quickly and may not be included in the initial quotes you receive. Before you present any proposals to your clients, or if you are sitting in meetings with these wedding professionals, make sure to ask about any additional fees and charges so that you can give your clients a clear understanding of the total cost. 

Alterations and Fittings

If you purchase a wedding dress or suit, some shops will include alterations and fittings, and some will charge additional fees for those services. As a planner, you can research your local attire shops and have a list of the shops that include these services and those that have additional charges. It is also important to educate your clients that alterations can be a significant amount of money depending on the complexity of their requests. 

Transportation and Parking

If the wedding and reception are at different locations, there may be a need to rent additional transportation or arrange for parking options for your clients. This is especially true at city venues that may not have onsite parking.  Not only is it nice to cover parking fees for guests, but having designated transportation or parking alleviates the stress of guests finding the venues and arriving on time. These costs can add up and should be accounted for in the budget. 

Wedding Favors and Gifts 

Wedding favors, welcome bags, and bridal party gifts are often purchases that do not seem to cost much but can add up quickly! If your clients want to trim their budget, eliminating favors is a great place to start. They are not a necessity for a beautiful wedding. 

Welcome bags and bridal party gifts are a nice touch and can be modestly priced to luxury. Do not leave the decision of how much to spend on these items until the month before the wedding. Help your clients create a vision for these items and figure out the total cost. By planning in advance, these costs are built into the budget and will not be an unpleasant surprise at the last minute. 

Last-Minute Expenses

In the 4-6 weeks leading up to the wedding, there can be a lot of small costs that arise. Usually, there are no major expenditures but added together, they can push the budget over the limit. A great piece of advice for your clients is to create an emergency budget for these unforeseen costs. 

Educating your clients about these potential additional costs as you work with them and their budget is important. Not only will it keep everyone happy when they can stay within their spending limit, but it also alleviates the stress that comes from having to find more funds to cover expenses that must be paid. 

*This post is sponsored by Markel Service, Incorporated

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