When we think of our wedding budget, we think of the usual items — catering, cake and wedding gowns.

But, there are few wedding expenses that are typically forgotten when determining a budget. And unfortunately, forgetting these little expenses can have a big impact on your overall wedding budget. Here are a few —

1. Taxes — We know that we have to pay taxes on clothing and food at the store. But, we tend to forget that we have to pay it when it comes to a wedding. When you wedding caterer tells you that your wedding dinner is going to cost you $125, add your current state sales tax to that (it’s 6% in Maryland). Ouch! It hurts, doesn’t it? Imagine how much that will hurt if you don’t budget for it!

2. Losing Weight — There is nothing more exciting than losing weight right before your wedding day! Well, it’s exciting until you share that information to your wedding gown shop.Why? Because you now have to pay a couple hundred bucks for new alterations. If you plan to lose weight, do it early so that you can get the correct dress size long before the week prior to your wedding.

3. Beauty Vendors — So often, I work with couples who think their wedding day beauty doesn’t need to be included in the budget. That is, until they realize that they may pay almost $200 for make-up, and another $100 for hair, and another $50 for waxing, and another $100 for teeth cleaning, and another $50-$75 for a mani/pedi.

4. Gratuities — Your total amount of wedding vendor gratuities can cost you almost 10% of your wedding budget. If you wait until right before your wedding to determine your gratuity budget, you might find yourself without cash on your honeymoon.

5. Post-Wedding Day Vendors — Are you thinking of preserving your wedding gown? How about your preserving your bouquet? If so, you should build these wedding-related expenses into your budget beforehand to ensure that the money hase been set aside for them.

6. Non-Wedding (But Wedding-Related) Expenses — It’s easy not to think of utilizing the services of a kennel or a house sitter during your honeymoon as a non-wedding expense. But, you might as well include these expenses — You are going to be paying them around the same time you pay for your DJ, right?

So, here is the deal. When creating your wedding budget, include EVERYTHING related to your wedding. You will be amazed how much your wedding TRULY costs you in the long run.  For a detailed budget worksheet, along with gratuity guidelines for your wedding vendors, download our bundle of worksheets related to your wedding finances.

Love and Soul Always, Kay