There’s a saying, “Knowing the enemy is half the battle” and in this case, it is still very true. When we know the things that blow up our wedding budget, we prepare ourselves and find ways to avoid the problem.

10. Documentations

Securing copies of government and church documents have corresponding prices. You may also need to pay for the seminars.

11. Personal Effects

Any bride and groom will want to look and feel their best in their probably most photographed day of their lives. You will find it necessary to have trips to your dentist, salon and spa. Expect to spend for your hair color, grooming, manicure and pedicure, contact lenses, facials, teeth cleaning/whitening, etc.

While really not necessary, some also find the need to buy new shoes, belt, earrings, watch, cufflinks, undergarments, body-shapers, etc.

12. Accessories for the Ceremony

Most couturiers already include the cord, coins, and bible in their contract. But others don’t. Do check. But you may need to buy the matches/torches/lighters and candles. For Catholic ceremonies, offertory items are also care of the bride and groom. For Non-Catholic Christian rites, please check with your pastor if you are doing the unity candles, unity sand, etc.

13. Gifts

Do remember to give presents to your principal sponsors. You may also opt to surprise your bride or groom with a gift. Others want to also give something to their bridal entourage.

14. Meetings

If your suppliers are professionals and are a product of careful research, you need not meet all of them prior the wedding day. If you do, it is always a good gesture to offer them food, or at least drinks. Believe us, happy & grateful suppliers give more of themselves on the wedding day. Please consider such incidentals in your budget – it’s worth feeding them and making them feel that your wedding is not a business transaction.

15. Printables & Paper/Stationery

Here are some items which may need printing and/or stationery:

• Missalette/Ceremony Flow

• Place Cards

• Gift Tags

• Gift Wrappers

Related expenses include ribbons, inks, boards, pens, markers, etc.

16. Props and Prizes for the Games

If you are having games or raffles in your reception program, do not forget to reward the winners with tokens or gifts.

17. Transportation

During your wedding preparations, expect that you will be on the road so much more than your usual. Do allot an allowance in your budget for your gas, tolls, parking, meals, etc.

And that completes the list of things which could lead to more unexpected expenses  that could blow up your wedding budget.

Do you have anything to add to the list? Share your experiences with us.

The post More Unexpected Expenses That Blow Up Your Wedding Budget appeared first on The Top Knotters.

A closer look at what has transpired points us to some incidentals that were not taken into consideration.

Here are some of the items which are often forgotten. Because these are variable (each couple’s needs, preferences, capacities, experiences are unique), it is best to allot a portion (around 10 to 15%) of your budget to such similar expenditures. After all, we are sure you would rather want to have excess money to start your marriage than to have a broken piggy bank.

1. Contracts

Read the contracts of your suppliers. Some require additional charges like out-of-town fees, parking, early ingress/late egress, transportation allowance, toll reimbursements, morning weddings, broken time, etc.

2. Corkages

Venues and/or Caterers may require corkage for bringing in alcoholic drinks, non in-house suppliers, food from outside vendors, etc.

3. Caterers

Extra services from the caterers may have a corresponding cost. These may include buffer tables and set-up, additional ice and glasses (bar service), additional VIP seats, carvers, extra detail on the tablescapes, additional waiters, extra platforms/backdrops, etc.

4. Crew Meals or Allowance

Yes, you do need to feed your suppliers. Depending on the start of their work, you may need to provide them breakfast, lunch and/or dinner. Some may accept allowances instead of meals; do discuss with them your options.

5. Tip for suppliers, especially the waiters

They’re one of those groups who are the first-in, last-out people for the day. Please consider how much they have worked and how much their body must be hurting after attending to all your needs. Please consider giving at least Php100 to each (and more to your personal butler and head waiters).

6. Extension of services during reception

While contracts with the venue, caterers, photo booths, lights and sounds, food carts, photographers, and videographers already include sufficient hours of services, you will not know until what time you would want to stay with your best buddies for a crazy after-party. Either you prepare for the overtime charges or be mindful of the time. Ensure also that you indicate the start time correctly so you can maximize their services.

7. Bridal Car extension

Most bridal car contracts include only 3 hours of service. On the day of the wedding, almost always, you will use it for 4 hours: 1 hour before the ceremony for call time, 1.5 hours for the ceremony, 1 hour for postnup pictorial and 0.5 hours or so for traveling to the reception venue. Please include the corresponding rate of at least an hour extension into your budget.

8. Lights and Sounds

Your Lights and sounds provider must cover the needs of your musicians, host, and event stylist. If you have a band or a stylist, a large or open venue, chances are, you will need more than their basic.

9. Prenup

Aside from the fact that prenup pictorial entails costs, most location shoots also have corresponding rates. Further, while there are no rules about your attire during the shoot, most couples do want to buy new sets of clothes. Some also want a themed photo shoot. So expect to hire a stylist or to purchase some props that fit the theme.

Want to see the second part of the list of  things that blow up your wedding budget? Let us know what other things you want to add from the list.

The post Unexpected Expenses That Blow Up Your Wedding Budget appeared first on The Top Knotters.

“Oh, I don’t want pink or blue or violet hues in my reception, anyway.”

“Our venue already comes with speakers and microphones. They should be enough.”

“We have our musicians. They’ll cover all the songs and program parts we need.”

“We just have a simple program.”

Or they book them last (whoever is the cheapest at that).

And that is one of the most common errors committed.

Here are some of the reasons why you need to select an outstanding lights and sounds provider and why you should include it on your list of priorities.

1. The pillar

   You have to remember that most of the other suppliers during a wedding reception are hooked up to your lights and sounds: host, musicians, projectors and the ambient lighting and mood that your stylist is trying to create. There are just too many things that can go wrong and most of them rely on the lights and sounds. Would you like to put all those many things in the hands of a mediocre? Or would you rather make everyone shine by booking a great lights and sounds supplier?

2. Provides support

   The host may tie in everything during a reception. But it is the lights and sounds supplier who supports him/her all throughout the program. They are the ones who fill the program. Can you imagine the host trying to hype the entrance of the entourage and the sounds supplier suddenly played a slow song? Or have you watched a game without any background music? Do you not hate dead air (this is not a fault of the emcee)?

3. Technical glitches

   When attending a wedding reception, do you notice the most usual problem that occurs? Technical! Yes! There is almost always a technical glitch! Can you trace where it comes from? You got it – there is a fat chance (not 100% though) that the error came from one of those cables.

5. Tech rider

   Your musicians will have a tech rider (minimum technical requirements) that should be covered by your lights and sounds supplier.

6. Rest for the weary

   Your musicians cannot possibly play all throughout the duration of 2 to 2.5 hours of the reception program.

7. At least, compensate

   If you don’t have any musician or stylist, all the more that you need an exceptional lights and sounds provider to compensate for their absence.

7. Ear-damaging

   You don’t want your older guests to complain about how the speakers are damaging their already weak sense of hearing. Sometimes, it becomes a reason for them to leave early. A capable lights and sounds supplier knows how to balance all audio output that they don’t hurt the ears.

8. Your wedding is Special

   You want your guests to feel that they are in a special event, not just in any restaurant. The lack of mood lights makes the ambiance very flat, just like a restaurant or a seminar room.

9. Attentive minds

   While there may be many lights and sounds suppliers in the market, only a few care enough to be attentive to the program and take the initiative to make it alive. While the equipment matter, the technician matters more.   An effective one operates different lighting treatments during dances, pictorial, dinner, etc; he is ready to hand out a microphone during a speech, he automatically turns off the lights during presentations; he backs the host by playing appropriate filler music; etc. You might as well get ahead of the competition and book one of those very few fine ones.

10. Lasting impression

    When you ask guests how the wedding went, most of the time, they will refer to the last impression that they had – the reception. Give them a great one and they will not forget your wedding.

Please do your research, book the good ones early, feed them well (understand that they’re one of the firsts to ingress and the last to egress among the suppliers), love them and enjoy your peace of mind.

Do you now appreciate the importance of your lights and sounds provider? Tell us what you think

The post 10 Good Reasons To Invest On Your Lights & Sounds Provider appeared first on The Top Knotters.