ACCOUNTING FOR WEDDINGS

Miranda Marquit over at Yielding Wealth talks about post-nuptial agreements which are starting to become as common as pre-nuptial agreements.

What about the wedding itself? In addition to the usual wedding budget items (e.g., dress, shoes, rings, reception, etc), there are other items usually overlooked, but neverthless make a big dent in the starting couple’s finances. In today’s hard times, starting with a deficit is an added burden and can lead to strain & major conflicts in the relationship.

These often overlooked items include:

Marriage license / blood test / taxes & service charges (depending on local laws). Some licenses expire after a certain period. If the ceremony does not happen on schedule, the prospective couple will have to spend these amounts a second time.

Guests consuming more than the budgeted / expected amount of alcohol.

Taxes on food, drinks, alcohol.

Tips

Cost of the time taken away from work and spent on the wedding preparations and the honeymoon (specially if the couple have exhausted or have no vacation leaves).

The best time to be able to save on these often overlooked items is when the wedding plans & budget are being prepared.

image from Microsoft Clipart