Setting a budget for your wedding can be difficult to decide on and stick to at the best of times. Budgets have a tendency to run away with themselves, so I’ve put together a list of 15 unexpected pre-wedding costs to watch out for. They are all things you need to include in your budget but are often the last to be budgeted or even planned for. And that’s usually when all the last minute spending happens and pushes you over your budget.
1. Asking your bridesmaids in a special way
These days asking your close friends to be your bridesmaids/groomsmen is more than a text or a chat. Thanks to Pinterest and blogs, we have thousands of beautiful {and sometimes expensive} ways to ask our friends to be our bridesmaids. The first unexpected pre-wedding cost.
2. Passport Photos
You don’t just need photos for your passport, you need them for your marriage license application too. It’s a small cost, but every little bit soon adds up.
3. Passport
Hopefully you will be going on a fabulous honeymoon abroad after your wedding, and you’ll need your passport to be in-date. You also need a valid passport when you apply for your marriage license. A standard 10 year passport is €80, if you both need one, you can see how costs soon build up.
4. Marriage License
Couples need to apply for their marriage license 3 months before they intend to get married. The standard notification fee is €200. There is a reduced notification fee of €50 for same-sex couples who are already in a civil partnership that is registered in Ireland and now wish to marry.
5. Postage
You need to take into account the cost of postage for your wedding invitations. An Post raised their postal charges recently and brides struggled to buy stamps from their local post office for their invitations. Local post offices were telling them they had to wait for the new {more expensive!} stamps to arrive. Online was the only way they could buy stamps in bulk, at the current price at the time. This is definitely something to watch out for and plan ahead.
6. Petrol
You need to factor in the cost of petrol for various bridal appointments around the country, hair and makeup trials. I am all for shopping around for the best bargain, especially when it comes to wedding dresses. You may go for 2 or even 3 appointments at the same bridal boutique before you actually buy the dress. Then there’s fittings and pick ups to take into account. So that bargain dress the other side of the country doesn’t seem so much of a bargain anymore.
7. Makeup & Hair Trials
Each of these trials can cost from €50 upwards/trial. Take into account that you might not like the first makeup artist or hair stylist you get a trial with, so this is another cost that can creep up. Check this post out on how to choose your makeup artist.
8. Beauty Treatments
You can go to town on this one, and costs can sky-rocket. Facials and waxing/hair removal isn’t just for brides, but grooms too. Then there’s brows, lashes, nails and tan which can average at €30 a pop each time! Another unexpected pre-wedding cost.
9. Makeup Touch Up Bag
Some makeup artists include a few touch up items in their price, but most will give you a small list of key makeup items you will need to touch up with throughout the day. These are rarely budget makeup items, and most brides like to have something luxurious and expensive on their wedding day so have some money set aside for this too. Good thing is, you will be able to use them again and get your money’s worth.
10. Dress & Suit Alterations
Almost everyone needs their dress/suit altered. Sometimes a lot, sometimes only a little. It’s not just the bride and groom, bridesmaids, groomsmen and sometimes flower girls and pageboys too! Many boutiques offer an in-house alteration service, however, they have a minimum cost usually around €100+. It’s a cost that is going to be worth it and one that you and everyone else will notice if you skip it. It’s well worth it so although you need to be cautious about the costs, you won’t regret spending your money here, once it’s done right.
11. Rehearsal Dinner
Going for dinner before or after your wedding rehearsal is becoming more and more common. It’s a great way to get the families and bridal parties together to relax and enjoy the company and what’s about to come. But this, too, is going to add to the pre-wedding costs.
12. Outfits
You’ve got your wedding dress, and planned what you’re going to wear on your hen/stag party. But what about your outfit for your rehearsal dinner, or the day after the wedding? Those are things you need to think about too.
13. Bridal Underwear
Not just any underwear, you’re going to need specific bridal-underwear to suit not only your size and shape, but the design and fabric of your dress too! Don’t worry about how unattractive this set of underwear may look, it’s merely there to make sure everything is in the right place so you can showcase your dress. You can go all fancy for the sexy, lacy lingerie which you can slip into once your dress is off. Another cost.
14. Bridal Party Gifts
Flowers for the mums, gifts for the groomsmen and bridesmaids, even the matching romper suits and dressing gowns for the morning of the big day! All these things will quickly add up. They are also things that you can spread the cost on, or pick up bits and pieces in the weeks and months leading up to your wedding. They are definitely not something to be overlooked and make sure to keep a strict budget in mind.
15. Gifts for Each Other
There’s usually one person in every relationship who lavishes extravagant, expensive gifts on the other. Getting married to each other is the perfect time to do this, but it doesn’t have to cost a fortune! Talk to each other about it, decide on how much you want to spend on this part of your day and put money aside for it.
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