The costs couples forget: service charges, taxes, overtime, vendor meals, tips and rentals
The price on the proposal is rarely the price at the end. Here are the extras that catch couples off guard, and how to ask about them early.
Couples often build a careful budget, then watch the final bill land higher than expected. The reason is usually not one big mistake. It is a collection of smaller costs that were never on the first list, each one reasonable, together adding up.
Knowing these extras ahead of time turns them from surprises into line items. Here are the most common ones, and what to ask about each.
Service charges
Many venues and caterers add a service charge on top of food, drink and sometimes room fees. It is often a percentage, and it may be listed separately from the base price. Because it is applied to a large number, it can move the total more than people expect.
Ask what the service charge covers, what it applies to and whether it is separate from gratuity. Some businesses use it to pay staff, while others use it to cover overhead, and the answer changes whether you also plan to tip.
Taxes
Taxes may apply to food, drink, rentals and other services, depending on where you are. A quote that does not show taxes can understate the real cost. Ask for an estimate that includes them, and ask whether the service charge itself is taxed. Rules vary by location, so the venue or a local professional is the right source.
Overtime
Your event space is usually booked for a set block of hours. If setup, the ceremony or the dancing runs long, overtime fees may apply. These can come from the venue, but also from the band, photographer, DJ or planner, who often charge by the hour.
Build a realistic timeline with a little buffer, and ask each vendor how overtime is priced and who must approve it.
Vendor meals
Photographers, videographers, musicians and planners often work for many hours, and many ask that they be fed. Their meals may be priced as a guest meal or at a reduced rate, and they may count toward your headcount. Ask each vendor what they need, and ask the caterer how vendor meals are billed.
Tips and gratuities
Tipping customs vary by service, and by whether a gratuity or service charge is already included. Ask each vendor whether tips are expected, appreciated or already covered. Set aside a tip fund in your budget, and prepare the envelopes ahead of time, with a trusted person assigned to hand them out so you are not carrying cash on the day.
Rentals
Rentals can hide in many places. If your venue does not supply everything, you may need to pay for tables, chairs, linens, plates, glassware, lighting, heaters, dance floors, restrooms or tents. Delivery, setup, pickup and damage deposits are often separate charges.
Ask what the venue provides, then compare it against what your plan requires, item by item.
More small costs worth listing
- Alterations and last-minute attire needs.
- Marriage license and officiant fees.
- Shipping, postage and extra invitations.
- Parking, valet or shuttle service.
- Cake cutting, corkage or glassware fees.
- Extra hours for hair and makeup.
- Wedding insurance, if you choose to buy it.
- Emergency kit items and day-of supplies.
- Gifts for parents, attendants and helpers.
- Lodging for you or for family members who need it.
How to catch them early
- Ask every vendor for an itemized quote that includes fees, taxes and gratuity.
- Ask what is not included, in so many words.
- Read the contract for anything labeled as an additional or surcharge item.
- Put a line for each extra in your budget, even if the amount is a guess.
- Keep a cushion for what you still cannot see.
A word on rules of thumb
You will often read that extras add a certain share on top of the base price. Treat any such figure as a rough starting point at best. Your venue and vendors can tell you what actually applies, so ask them to walk you through a sample final invoice from a past event of a similar size, with private details removed.
That one request can be the most useful thing you do. When the numbers are on paper before you sign, the final bill stops being a shock and becomes the number you already expected.
General Manager at Arts Ballroom, Philadelphia. Writes The Wedding Place.