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  1. There are so many extra fees! I was blown away when I had to pay an additional fee to cut and serve the cake in excess of the $1500 for the “simple” cake and other catering fees. Had I known, I would have bought cup cakes!

    1. Yes! I think that’s why it’s super important to read contracts and discuss these things ahead of time! One of the perks of hiring a wedding planner is that they know to ask a lot of these questions for you. 🙂

  2. I had no idea about a coat check fee! Luckily I had a summer wedding so no worries there. I do remember signing the contract with my venue and then asking about the “vendor meal” fees. Big mistake. They insisted that I pay full price for vendor meals including the alcohol fee because there was no way to ensure the vendors wouldn’t drink. My wedding planner was taken aback. She said she’d never heard of a venue charging full price for vendors and being unwilling to budge. I got them to take off the alcohol charge by having all the vendors sign an agreement that they wouldn’t drink. It still cost me $80 a plate and I had 5 vendors to feed. It adds up so knowing the questions to ask BEFORE signing a contract is key.

    1. Yes! That is one of the few venue fees that can really sneak up on you if you’re not careful! I think that’s when having a wedding planner is important because they really know how the venues tend to operate. I think it’s great that your planner knew her facts to help you out! Getting everything cleared up ahead of time is so much better than trying to fix a headache later. 🙂

  3. This is such a helpful list. I can’t help but think that all these extras would nudge me towards an elopement or a destination wedding, but of course some of the things you have mentioned in this list apply even to those. Everyone should keep this n mind when weighing up their options.

    1. Of course! I totally agree. That is honestly why elopements are popular! It’s about weighing your options, looking at your priorities, and making the best decision for you and your significant other. 🙂

    1. While it is real, some of the so-called ‘wedding tax’ is very justified – in my opinion! I agree that a lot of the extra fees can be unnecessary, but when it comes to your vendors it’s important to remember that you’re paying for a professional. 🙂

  4. Great information! I had a bride who bought a dress from a boutique that did not include alterations. It turned out that the same dress was available in another shop that DID include alterations. She could have saved about $300! Once you find your dress, you should definitely shop around to get the best deal on add-ons such as alterations, undergarments, etc.

    1. I definitely agree! The shop I bought my dress from didn’t even offer alterations. Not to mention, it cost me more to take it to another bridal shop that did do alterations because it wasn’t one of their gowns!

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