by Karen Chamchuk

Created on: April 21, 2009   Last Updated: May 12, 2011

Even though you may be highly organized in planning out your wedding budget, there will almost always be a few hidden costs that you either underestimate or forget about altogether.  In fact, most people are in for a rude awakening when they get the final bill for all of their wedding expenses.

Hidden cost #1: Paying to upgrade the wedding ring if the other person isn't fully satisfied with the ring they receive on the wedding day.  It is usually, but not always, the bride who decides she wants a flashier ring to show all her friends. This kind of upgrade costs approximately $1000.00 per ring.

Hidden cost #2: Purchasing corsages for the mother of the bride, mother of the groom, bridesmaids, groomsmen, ushers and guest book attendant. The average price for a corsage is $30.00. If you have three bridesmaids, three groomsmen, two ushers and one guest book attendant, that adds up to $330.00 for corsages alone.

Hidden cost #3: Renting the church facilities. This can range in price from $200.00 to $500.00 and up. Keep in mind that if you are a member of the church, there may be no cost to you at all.

Hidden cost #4: Paying for hairdressers for the bride, bridesmaids and flower girls. If you have three bridesmaids and one flower girl, and each hairstyle costs $40.00, your total cost will be $240.00

Hidden cost #5: Paying for the disc jockey or the band for music at the reception venue. Live bands can cost anywhere from $200.00 to $2000.00. Hiring a disc jockey may be a slightly more economical choice.

Hidden cost #6: Purchasing thank-you gifts for the bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girl, ring bearer, ushers and guest book attendant. If gifts cost about $25.00 each, and you have 11 gifts to buy, your total cost is $275.00.

Hidden cost $7: Paying for hotel rooms for out-of-town guests. If you can get the hotel to give you a wedding discount, you may pay as little as $60.00 per room. If you require 10 rooms, this will cost you a total of $600.00.

Hidden cost #8: Providing childcare services during the reception for guests with children. Childcare costs about $15.00 per hour per childcare worker. If you are offering four hours of childcare during the reception and you hire three workers, that adds up to $180.00 for childcare services.

Hidden cost $9: Paying for damages caused by unruly guests at your reception venue. This could run you anywhere from $200.00 to $2000.00 depending on the extent of the damages.

Adding up all of these hidden costs gives us a grand total of $7125.00 extra you may have to shell out. If you are not careful, you could end up spending the first months or years of your marriage in debt. This is why it's so crucial that you give careful thought to all possible wedding expenses. If you plan ahead for every dollar spent, you will be able to cut some corners and hopefully avoid any unpleasant bills when you get back from your honeymoon.

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