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Destination Wedding Hidden Costs
Nothing beats flying to an exotic or dream location for a magical wedding. But lets be realistic, destination weddings are NOT cheap and incur lots of unexpected wedding venue costs that will throw you off-guard if you are not prepared.
Planning Trips: You should definitely plan on at least one visit to your desired location before the big day so you have to figure out transportation costs, as well as hotel, food, and any other travel expenses, above and beyond the cost of travel for the actual wedding trip.
Transportation Costs: You may have to pay for the florist, DJ or band, hairdresser and makeup artists airfare, and maybe even family members or members of the bridal party. Plus any decorations, favors, etc., will have to be shipped.
Regional Marriage Requirements: Most countries legally require you to be in the country two to five days prior to the big event . You should definitely research this well in advance and budget accordingly for extra hotel costs, etc.
Foreign Taxes and Exchange Rates: This could incur extra costs on every single expense .
Second Reception: Realistically, all of your guests may not be able to attend your destination wedding so you may want to host a second celebration at home to include them, thus incurring additional expenses.
Average Cost Of A Wedding By Year
The average cost of a wedding has changed a lot in recent years. While couples spent an average of $28,000 in 2019, the average spending plummeted in 2020.
The pandemic decreased the average cost of weddings in 2020 to $19,000, with a limited number of guests, and an overall change in how weddings took place, though wedding costs have been dropping in recent years.
Here’s what couples have spent in recent years on their weddings, according to The Knot.
| Year |
| Wedding day transportation | $800 |
While some of these costs are essential, others aren’t. You’ll need an officiant to get married, but you may not need to hire a wedding planner for $1,500, nor spend a full $2,000 on flowers.
While these things compose the average cost, not every couple needs every item on the list. If you’re looking to save some on your wedding costs, opting for more affordable wedding venues and doing some of the planning yourself could be a good way to cut costs.
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What You Can Afford
It’s imperative to be honest about your wedding day expectations from the start. What you can actually afford will impact how you spend your budget. “The best way to stay on budget is to be realistic about what you are willing to pay each step of the way, from the venue to the vendors to your dress and accessories,” explains Kristen Gall, retail expert and president of Rakuten Rewards. “Couples may need to compromise and cut back on spending in one area to get what they want in another. For example, you might cut back on the floral spend to account for your catering bill.” Sit down with your S.O., as well as anyone else who might be financially contributing to your wedding, and have an honest conversation about what you have to spend, and how you should prioritize the investments.
The Average Costs Of A Wedding
Here are the average price tags for common wedding expenses, according to The Knot’s 2021 study and WeddingWire’s Wedding Cost Guide:
At the very least, youll need a marriage license. Application fees vary by state, county, city or other conditions. The standard license fee is $27.50 in New Orleans, $50 in Boston and $100 in Santa Barbara, California.
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What Affects The Average Wedding Cost
In order to get an idea of where on the average wedding cost spectrum you will end up falling, its helpful to understand the various elements that influence wedding costsmany of which you have control over. So just because you live in the most expensive city in America , that doesnt mean your wedding has to be an ultra luxury $500,000+ wedding. These are the key factors that will make a considerable difference in the cost of your wedding:
Health And Safety Protocols
As much as you want to invite everyone to your most special day as a couple, safety is still the priority for you and your guests. You dont want your wedding to be a coronavirus superspreader event.
Health and safety protocols should still be in place, so make sure to follow the guidelines. The last thing you want is to incur a fine or expose yourself and your guests to the virus.
Face masks are still a must, so choose a color mask that will not clash with your wedding dress.
Observe social distancing and good hygiene, too. It would be better if you can provide your guests with their own alcohol sprays and cleansing wipes.
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Smart Ways To Save Money On Your Wedding
It’s no secret that everything wedding-related costs a premium. Try these few changes to help keep costs low as possible.
Choose a strategic date and timeThe most popular times to get married are also the most expensive. Venues raise their prices during peak wedding season from June to September. January, February, and March are usually less popular and less expensive.
Likewise, Saturdays and evenings are the most popular and expensive times for a wedding. Opt to have your wedding on Sunday morning, on the other hand, and you’ll pay a lot less.
Shorten the guest listThis one can be tricky for those with large families and friend groups. But it’s one of the best ways to lower your wedding cost. Cutting just 10 people from your guest list will help you save on invitations, catering, venue fees, tables, chairs, and lots more.
Ditch the paper invitesBetween save-the-date cards, wedding invitations, RSVP inserts, and postage, couples spend a surprising amount just on stationery. Online invitations can help you save money and make your wedding a little more eco-friendly.
If you’re not ready to completely ditch the paper invites, consider a simple invitation with directions to access your wedding website instead.
DIY the not-so-important stuffWhen was the last time you really scrutinized a cocktail menu or decorations at a wedding? Figure out which details aren’t important to you and DIY them. Most people won’t notice or care that you didn’t splurge on the little things.
Not Discussing Priorities From The Start
Whatever your budget, you don’t have to resort to last-minute DIY projects to come in on target. Instead, be honest about what’s most important to everyone involved up-front. Pick your top three priorities and allocate a little extra money for them . Next, pick the three things that come lowest on your priority list and budget accordingly.
Also, note that glamorous details on items you’re indifferent about spike costs without adding any fun to your day. Free yourself of the pressure to upgrade and instead make honest choices based on what you want. As a general rule, before you sign a contract, look through the itemized list of what you’re buying and ask yourself, “Will anyone notice if we don’t do this?”
Keeping your priorities in check is the best way to avoid taking on too much debt as well. “You don’t want to enter your marriage by taking on debt, as it can cause stress,” warns Westlin. “Your wedding is an incredible life milestone, but you need to have a realistic understanding of your financial picture and also prioritize what is most important.”
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How Much Does A Wedding Planner Cost Per Hour
On average, wedding planners charge $80 for their services. However, rates can range from roughly $50 per hour to $100 per hour, or even more than $300 per hour.
To find out how much it will cost to hire a wedding planner, request cost estimates from a few in your area. Also, keep in mind that some wedding planners may have flat fees instead of hourly rates.
Invitations And Stationery: 3% Of Total Wedding Budget
Printed products play a big role both before your wedding and on the day of . There are lots of options to choose from when it comes to wedding invitations and stationery, so be sure to pick paper products that fit your style and wedding budget. Pro tip: Be sure to factor postage into your wedding budget breakdown depending on the shape and size of your invites, you can pay an additional dollar per invitation in stamps!
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How Much Does The Average Wedding Cost
Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list ofour partnersandhere’s how we make money.
Having a wedding isnt as simple as saying I do and can be a lot more expensive.
The average cost of a wedding in 2021 was $28,000 , according to The Knot’s 2021 Real Weddings Study.
Heres what you should know about wedding costs and how to realistically estimate how much youll spend to take the plunge.
Getting Married In The New Normal: Top Financial And Safety Considerations
You may have friends or family members whose wedding had to be postponed or even canceled because of the pandemic. No amount of wedding planning could prepare couples for this unique situation. While others made the tough decision to push back their wedding to 2023, or even later, others have found creative, simpler, and safer ways to say I do! today.
If youre getting married during this pandemic, theres a lot of downsizing to do. But on the upside, these scaled-down weddings get the job done at a much lower cost.
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Median And Average Wedding Costs Differ
While average wedding costs can provide insight into what couples are spending, they don’t always tell the whole story and can establish unreasonable expectations.
Median cost can shed more insight into what typical couples are spending, as it is the middle number in the list. Unfortunately, median cost isn’t as widely available. However, a quick look at the most recent year in which median wedding cost data was published shows a substantial discrepancy between the median and average cost.
With the median coming in more than $10,000 below the average, it’s likely that the average is skewed by some couples throwing over-the-top affairs while most spend a more reasonable sum.
Should You Tip Your Wedding Vendors
The short answer is yes, tipping your vendors is recommended by wedding budget planners as part of the overall expense. Including these costs in your wedding budget template will often allow you to prepare to tip appropriately. A wedding planner can often help you to determine the right amount to tip for each of the vendors and venues involved in your wedding. When tipping your food and beverage vendors, be sure to add between 10-20% of the entire bill. In addition to this, you should allocate funds to tip drivers and chauffeurs, typically 15%. Your photography and videography teams should also receive a tip that ranges from 5-7% of your overall bill. For hair stylists and makeup artists, 15-20% of the bill is customary. Dont forget about individuals who are working the event, including managers, tent set-up coordinators, portable restroom managers, and even security. These tips will range from $30 to $100 depending on your geographic location.
Giving gratuity is considered industry best practices, and is essential to showing gratitude for your wedding vendors hard work for your big day.
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Location Of Your Wedding
Another factor that affects the wedding budget in the Philippines is the place where you want to get married.
Last February 10, 2020, I asked this inside the TBB Group How much is your total Wedding Budget?, and here are some of their responses to give you a realistic idea:
650k for 100 pax Tagaytay Wedding.350k for 150 pax in Quezon City.200k for 100 pax in Laguna. Wedding last March 8, 2020.270k for 150 pax in Bulacan.120k for 100 pax in Cavite.230k for 300 pax in Quezon Province.500k for 300 pax in Bicol.480k for 150 pax in Negros. Dami kasi friends from Samar and Manila na pupunta kaya need magrent ng house for them and pangsundo na van.
Based on our survey, it shows that a Tagaytay wedding is a lot more expensive compared to Laguna, and Cavite. And it is because Tagaytay is one of the most popular wedding destinations here in the Philippines.
Aside from that, you will also notice that Bicol and Negros weddings are also expensive. They have added expenses like transportation and accommodation for bringing their guests out of town. Plus the factor that there might be family traditions where you have to invite every relative to celebrate your big day with.
Forms You Need Before You Marry
Before you get married, you need either:
- a marriage licence, or
- a banns form that you get from a church when you publicly announce your commitment during a divine service
Banns cannot be published if you or your spouse has been married before. You will need to get a marriage licence.
You and your spouse, witnesses and the person who performed the marriage will need to sign the licence or banns immediately after the ceremony.
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Not Allowing Room For Overspending
Here’s the one wedding budget hack you need: If you account for budget overages, then you never actually blow your budget. “Going over your wedding is likely in 2022 more than ever due to inflation and an increase in goods due to supply chain issues,” warns Gall. “Couples should plan ahead by aligning on what they are willing to spend, including the max that they will spend for each vendor, and cross-reference that with their overall budget.”
Try to earmark 5% of your budget for unforeseen costs. Here are three areas where you might go over: flowers weather-related expenses and small accidents .
Additional Costs To Expect
Venues differ on what they provide as part of the site fee and catering packages. Makes sure to inquire about the following:
- Parking: Ask if there is free or discounted parking and valet service available.
- Rentals: Go over what’s included and that youd have to rent like chairs, tables, linens, silverware, serving ware, servers, basic audio.
- Event insurance: You may be required to provide event insurance.
- Wedding planner: A venue may provide a wedding coordinator, but many insist that your planner takes full charge of the event, from execution and cleanup.
- Catering and use of the kitchen: If you must bring in a caterer, will the caterer have the use of their kitchen? Is there a fee?
- Taxes, gratuities, and service charges: Ask about these as they can add up.
- Use of loading dock, storage, and late pickup fees: Is there a charge and a reserved time to use the loading dock? If your vendor doesn’t pick up the items on time, is there a fee?
- Corkage and cake cutting fees: If you are allowed to bring wine in, what is the corkage fee? Do they include or charge for cake cutting and serving?
Your venue contract should contain a proper Force Majeure clause, a detailed cancellation policy, and a clarification on the insurance. There are a lot of liabilities involved when hosting events, especially when there is alcohol involved.
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Rounding Up Mississauga Wedding Venues
When you begin searching for wedding venues in Mississauga, you may be surprised at how many options you find. Keep in mind that Mississauga is actually one of the top ten largest cities in Canada. It has plenty of hotels, event halls, and restaurants that are ready and willing to host your big day.
Before you start your search, consult your wedding budget to get a fix on what you can afford. It may also be a good idea to finalise your guest list. If you want a big wedding, then certain venues may not have the capacity for your shindig. For example, youll want to look at bigger hotels rather than charming inns or banquet halls instead of restaurants.
A mansion is a great option for medium-sized wedding parties. Youll get an elegant and sophisticated venue that can hold your second cousins while also feeling close-knit. If you dont mind taking a bit of a weather risk, consider a park wedding during the warmer months. Mississauga is filled with beautiful parks, and theres nothing like saying your vows while the sun sets in the background or dancing under a huge tent while stars twinkle through the trees.
