What makes weddings expensive

But because we were putting so much money down on the venue, catering, and other wedding costs, we weren't able to cover our out-of-state guests' hotel stays or travel expenses. Beyond not covering the airfare or hotels for our out-of-state friends and family, we also couldn't afford to do anything special for our bridal party.

That was something I especially regret because I couldn't give my best friends what I thought they deserved. There are a lot of expenses involved in starting a new life with someone after the wedding.

In our case, my husband and I ended up having to buy a car, an apartment, furniture, and essential household items that we didn't get from our wedding registry. Because we used a lot of our personal savings on the wedding, it took us a while to catch up financially. This really put us in a tough spot after returning from the honeymoon. In hindsight, it would've been nice to have had a little more padding for those unexpected costs instead of spending so much on one day.

In all honesty, I believe our wedding day would've been just as special if we'd shortened the guest list. Looking back at my wedding book now, I'm no longer close to a lot of the people who came, and we honestly weren't even that close to begin with. We felt obligated to invite some friends and coworkers to avoid hurt feelings, but that drove our cost up. Some of my fondest memories of that day were just seeing my closest friends and family all together in one spot.

Those are the photos and memories I cherish the most, which easily could've been achieved with a smaller wedding and venue space. We would've cut back on a few items.

Whitney Turner Photography. But with couples changing weddings up to suit themselves more and more often, keeping to a budget or choosing to hire less suppliers for your day is perfectly acceptable.

It all comes down to what you think is worth the cost. Everyone wants to be able to celebrate their wedding with their nearest and dearest, but unfortunately these costs do add up. Rather than looking at how much each supplier is costing you, take a look at what that cost is per person.

You might find that there are a few people who no longer make the cut. As opposed to some of the other celebrations you might throw in your lifetime, the chances are there are at least two people contributing to your wedding; yourself and your partner. Naturally, with more money to spend couples are going to think about the extra bits and pieces that they can add to their day.

It might be getting a planner in to help with all of the details beforehand, or choosing a really gorgeous but personalised bomboniere gift for your guests. Whatever it is, if you have more than one person contributing to the cost it can be a lot easier to spend a tad more in the first place.

Weddings also come with a lot more family expectations, especially when there is money involved. This naturally makes couples feel like they have to set a certain standard for their wedding day, to make sure that they are keeping face. Your parents contributing a few hundred pounds so that they can get a copy of the wedding photo album is probably a reasonable ask. Take a look at your family expectations and assess what is important to your family, as well as what is reasonable. This will help you avoid some of the extra costs that sometimes come with wedding expectations.

But remember, as with all issues to do with family and money, pick your battles! The last thing you want is for your big day to come between you and someone you love. Rather than asking why your big day has to be expensive like other weddings you might have been to, instead ask how you can plan your perfect day within your budget. You might decide to hire a garden venue with food trucks rather than hiring out that big reception hall you initially planned on.

Or you might choose to get a photographer for just the ceremony and your speeches rather than hiring them for the entire duration of your wedding. Every couple wants to celebrate the greatest event of their lives with their nearest and dearest, but unfortunately these costs do add up.

But yes, the cost goes high depending on your wedding venue. For instance, if you are hosting your wedding in some high end property of your town, where per person charges are applicable. On the other hand, the same function is organized at your home premise only… Then the cost may be lesser.

Also, if yours is an intimate celebration with just 30 — 50 wedding guests, it will also affect the cost and you will end up paying relatively too less! Especially in Asian countries, wedding outfits are really very expensive, which again adds up to the wedding cost. However, some couples today are very practical, they choose experience over outfit.

Which means they save money on their outfits and spend that in some international holiday. Believe it or not, buy a wedding outfit can cost you anything from INR 10, to INR 50,00, even more in some cases.

Other than the main wedding dress be it a wedding gown or wedding lehenga, couples need to buy outfits for their other functions as well. Like dresses for Mehndi function, Haldi celebration, Sangeet night, Cocktail night, and Reception dress. All these together add to the overall wedding cost. What type of wedding you are planning again determine the cost of your wedding. For instance, if you plan to host your wedding at your hometown your cost will be different than the one you host in some other location.

That means destination wedding. Now again destination weddings can be celebrated in your own country, if you choose some International locations for your destination wedding, it will add to more cost. Destination weddings include additional expenses like to and fro travel cost, local transportation, food and accommodation of you and your wedding guests.

All these added together will add to your cost. Again how many guests are expected at destination wedding will affect the overall cost of the wedding. Even if you are getting hitched in your hometown, you need to arrange for a few private cabs or taxis in order to let your oldies and out-stationed guests have comfortable traveling to wedding venue. Also, the bride will need a separate cab if she has to go to the parlor to get ready.

This is again a cost associated to your wedding. In every wedding there are a lot of vendors to be arranged, like the florist, caterer, decorator, music, etc.

There are a lot of wedding vendors, which you need to coordinate with and hire for your wedding and that again add to the cost. Yes, food… Food actually plays an important role in any wedding. Be it an intimate wedding celebration or a big fat wedding, food needs to be arranged.

And today couples want to have various food items at their wedding. They want to add cuisine from different countries and regions in their weddings, just to treat their wedding guests a perfect and sumptuous wedding meal. Gone are the days when only few dishes were included in wedding food, now there are varieties to be added in a wedding.

There are different kinds of salads, deserts, main cuisine, etc. Any wedding without music is almost incomplete, if it is not a typical church or temple wedding. Music in wedding add to the fun at the wedding. Your wedding guests enjoy more when music is there.

Then there are different varieties of music you can arrange for at your wedding, like traditional music or karaoke or DJ etc.

Cost vary according to each music. After the wedding there is a reception. If you are hosting your wedding reception separately then again it adds to your wedding cost. Your wedding guests, bridal party bridesmaid and maid of honor , grooms party groomsmen and best man etc. Now what exactly you are looking to giveaway to your wedding guests and how much it costs will add to the overall wedding cost.

Of course you will want to giveaway some keepsake, which your guests can cherish all their lives. Bridal make-up is not ordinary, it is special. Every bride wants to look her best at her wedding. So, it becomes important to go for the best make-up artists and hairstylist.

Today, make-up artists and hairstylists charge a lot, especially if you are booking the best parlor in the town, then your cost of the wedding will also go up depending on the cost. A bride needs to shop almost everything new in her wedding. Especially in an Indian culture a bride should buy all new clothes, including inner-wears.

A bride in Indian culture cannot take her old stuff with her. Though couples are becoming a bit liberal on this, but still they choose to buy everything new. Not only on her wedding, but also after her wedding a bride needs to look beautiful. There are many lunches, and dinners, and parties she will be invited post marriage.

For that she needs to have a bridal make-up kit in which she will have almost every item from an eye-brow pencil to a lipstick. A bridal make-up kit also adds to the cost and it varies based on the number of make-up items and the brand a bride buys. This naturally compels couples to set a certain standard for their wedding day, to make sure that they are keeping face. Each couple will have different liking for style of catering and accordingly the cost of the wedding will be determined.

There will be family expectations as well. Consider your family expectations and assess what is important to your family, as well as what is reasonable and accordingly you can decide on the style of catering.

Honeymooning is a must. Now, honeymooning to which location matters. Whether you are honeymooning in the country or going abroad to spend some time together. However, couples these days are preferring international locations for their honeymoon. Your honeymoon again is a cost. Your honeymoon will include your travel, local transportation, accommodation, food, shopping, excursion, fun activities, and much more.