Wedding Costs Brides Forget to Budget For

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Last week on the Huffington Post there was an article about "30 Unexpected Wedding Costs Brides Forget to Budget For". The list is comprehensive and all newly engaged brides should bookmark the article, as they begin the wedding planning process.

Here are 5 items from the list with a few additional pointers from Style Perfect Events!

1. Welcome Bags 
It's always a nice gesture to have welcome bags if the majority of your guests are traveling from out of town. The welcome bag or out-of-town gift bag may include water, snacks, wedding weekend itinerary, welcome note from the bride and groom, city may, etc. You'll need a line item in the wedding budget for your welcome bags and also make sure you check with your guest hotel to see if there is a service charge for them to disseminate the gift bags to your guests. Most hotels do not charge extra if your guests receive their gift at check-in, but there's typically a fee if you want the gift bag inside each guests' room.    

2. Sound
The wedding ceremony is the most important element of the wedding day, but many times guests are left in the dark because they can not hear the officiant or the couple exchange vows. If your DJ is not providing the sound for your wedding ceremony, make sure you look into renting a sound system.    

3. Vendor Meals
When providing your caterer with your final meal count, make sure to include your photographer, videographer, wedding planner and wedding band in your count. These vendors will be on their feet for 8+ hours and will need to refuel. A vendor meal is typically cheaper than a guest meal and your band will include their meal requests in their contract.
 
4. Wedding Coordinator
DO NOT wait to the last minute to book a wedding coordinator. On the wedding day you will not be able to or will you want to take calls from your DJ or baker, while you're getting your makeup done.  It's imperative that you turn the reins over to a professional to ensure your wedding day will run smoothly and that you and your groom, along with your family and friends will have a memorable time as a guest.

5. Sales Tax and Service Charges
Read over your contracts carefully to ensure that sales tax and any service charges are in included in the quoted price. Many venues and vendors charge an 18-22% service charge for the administration side for producing your wedding. Service charges are not the same as gratuities. Also, the plus plus "++" in a quote means you will also need to add service and tax on top of the quoted price.

Who Pays for What?

Now that you’re engaged and have started planning your dream wedding…“who pays for what?”

Per Emily Post, here are the traditional expense responsibilities of all the various aspects surrounding a wedding celebration. I’ve added in some commentary in quotes, based on my experience with couple’s and their families.

Traditional Expenses of the Bride and Her Family
• Services of a traditional wedding consultant
• Invitations, enclosures, and announcements
• The bride’s wedding gown and accessories
• Floral decorations for ceremony and reception, bridesmaids’ flowers, bride’s bouquet
• Formal wedding photographs and candid pictures
• Video of wedding
• Music for church and reception
• Transportation of bridal party to and from ceremony
• All reception expenses
• Bride’s gifts to her attendants
• Bride’s gift to groom
• Groom’s wedding ring
• Rental of awning for ceremony entrance and carpet for aisle “And any additional items needed for the ceremony: unity candle, ceremony programs, etc.”
• Fee for services performed by sexton
• Costs of soloists
• Services of a traffic officer “You don’t see this service widely used.”
• Transportation of bridal party to the reception
• Transportation and lodging expenses for the officiant if from another town and if invited to officiate by the bride’s family
• Accommodations for bridal attendants
• Bridesmaids’ luncheon

Traditional Expenses of the Groom and His Family
• Bride’s engagement and wedding rings
• Groom’s gift to bride
• Gifts for groom’s attendants
• Ties and gloves for the groom’s attendants, if not part of their clothing rental package
• The bride’s bouquet (only where it is local custom for the groom to pay for it)
• The bride’s going away corsage
• Boutonnieres for groom’s attendants “Many times the bride’s family pays for the entire florist order and does not separate out the boutonnieres for the groom’s attendants.”
• Corsages for immediate members of both families (unless the bride has included them in her florist’s order)
• The officiant’s fee or donation
• Transportation and lodging expenses for the officiant, if from another town and if invited to officiate by the groom’s family
• The marriage license
• Transportation for the groom and best man to the ceremony
• Honeymoon expenses
• All costs of the rehearsal dinner
• Accommodations for the groom’s attendants
• Bachelor dinner, if the groom wishes to give one
• Transportation and lodging expenses for the groom’s family

Bridesmaids’/Honor Attendants’ Expenses
• Purchase of apparel and all accessories
• Transportation to and from the city where the wedding takes place
• A contribution to a gift from all the bridesmaids to the bride
• An individual gift to the couple
• Optionally, a shower or luncheon for the bride

Best Man’s/Groomsmen’s/Ushers’ Expenses
• Rental or purchase of wedding attire
• Transportation to and from the city where the wedding takes place
• A contribution to a gift from all the groom’s attendants to the groom
• An individual gift to the couple
• A bachelor dinner, if given by the groom’s attendants

Out-of-Town Guests’ Expenses
• Transportation to and from the wedding
• Lodging expenses and meals
• Wedding gift

Playful Seating Arrangements - Lounge Furnitue

Incorporating fun seating arrangements for your guests is always a great way to create a casual, but swanky and modern atmosphere. Here are some price ranges to get you started, if you are considering incorporating playful seating arrangements in to your big day.


Sofa - $200+


Ottoman - $150+


Chair - $125+


Chiavari Chair - $9+


Ghost Chair - $25+


Chamelon Chair - $13.25+


Rocking Chair - $20+

Macie's Encore Bridal in Moorseville

On Wednesday Macie's Encore Bridal hosted an opening reception for event professionals to check-out their new store and selections.

Macie's Encore Bridal is an off-the-rack and designer sample wedding boutique. They offer new, sample, nearly-new, and vintage bridal and wedding items at a discount. They also have formal wear, accessories and jewelry.

I was very impressed with the selection and the price point.

Brides on a budget or brides looking to splurge on decor and design, you must check out this cute bridal boutique and tell them that Style Perfect Events sent you!

Macie's Encore Bridal
55 Joe Knox Ave.
Mooresville, NC 28117
704-904-1217

Here are a few pictures of the store.

I'm Engaged! Now What...?

Congratulations to all of the newly engaged brides! This is such an exciting time of the year, but it can also be overwhelming. So, here are "5 things you must do before you start planning your wedding". (These tips can also be applied to planning a birthday party, anniversary renewal, etc.)

Tip 1:
Set your Wedding Date and Guest List -
Your date and guest list will determine a lot when deciding on a venue and the cost of your wedding. You don't want to waste your time looking at venues that are not available on your date (or plan B and C wedding dates) or cannot accommodate your guest list.

Tip 2:
Do your Research -
This is most brides first time being immersed in the finite details of a wedding, so get on the internet, read wedding magazines, figure out what you and your fiancee like and what aspects of the wedding are the most important to you both.

Now you don’t have to do a huge search, just simply get an idea of what you like and what things "COST".

Tip 3:
Set a Budget -
Yes, you MUST have a budget and YES you need to track your spending.

If you have not hired a full-service wedding planner that is managing your budget for you, then you need to stay on top of it. Money is one of the many sources for wedding drama, so once you've set your budget; please embrace it...big or small. This will make your wedding planning process go a lot smoother and your bank account a lot happier.

Tip 4:
Prioritize -
This is a BIG one. In a perfect world we would have everything we want, but many times we have to make compromises. Make a list of 8-10 wedding related items (photographer, cake, flowers, venue, etc.) and rank them, one being the most important. This will help you make easier budget decisions if money is starting to get tight, as you have already outlined what’s most important in the beginning.

Tip 5:
Have Fun! -
Enjoy this chapter of your life. Enjoy your engagement. If you can, have an engagement party and wait a few months before you get bogged down in wedding planning details.

Enjoy your wedding. Be a bride that day and let your family and friends be a guest. If you've already decided that you don't want or need a wedding planner, it's a must that you have a day-of-coordinator so you and your groom are not the point of contact for any questions or mishaps that will come up on your wedding day.

I hope this gets you started in the right direction. If you have any additional questions or want to know how a wedding planner can help you, please give us a call, 704-975-9921. We would love to hear more about your wedding!

Budget Savvy Bride

When it comes to planning a wedding, it seems that most of a couple's stress comes from the budget. The bride wants it all and the groom is...not so sure. To help alleviate stress make sure at the VERY BEGINNING of your wedding plans that you and your fiance create a budget and set realistic expectations.

Here are a few tips:
1. Do a little research before setting your budget. Figure out what you and your fiance like, the type of wedding you want.
2. Set your maximum overall budget, but work with a lower budget to give yourself a little wiggle room.
3. Coordinate your budget with a timeline. This will help you understand your cash flow and will allow you to prioritize big ticket items.

For more tips and resources on creating a fabulous wedding join StylePerfect Weddings and Events in April for the launch of our School of Charm bridal classes, which will feature FREE classes for brides at Hobby Lobby.

Hobby Lobby
8101 University City Blvd # C
Charlotte, NC 28213
Saturday, April 18th at 2pm-3pm
Saturday, April 25th at 2pm-3pm
Saturday, May 16th at 2pm-3pm