Wedding bells are poised to ring, you’ve said yes to the proposal, and you’ve started climbing the mountain of wedding planning. Whether you are going for a small, intimate wedding, a massive celebration, or a destination wedding, it’s likely going to be more expensive than you were expecting. 

There are common expenses everyone knows about, like buying a dress, renting a venue, paying for food and such, but there are also expenses most don’t know or think about. These surprise expenses can throw a wedding budget off, leading to extra stress and even sacrifices on your special day. Here are some suprise expenses you should prepare and save for.
 

Extra Fees and Taxes
 

The wedding business is one full of quick tricks and extra expenses. The price you get quoted for on many things is not the actual price you’ll end up paying. Many vendors fail to mention fees and taxes when discussing prices initially, hoping to lock you into something with them early on. 

These fees could include items like delivery to the venue, preparation fees, or even rental fees for things associated with what you are using in the wedding. Even something simple like cutting your wedding cake could come with fees like: cake cutting, using the knife to cut the cake, and the nice plates the bride and groom use to eat the cake.

When discussing and getting quotes from vendors, be sure to ask what standard fees are included. You might find the fees could add an extra ten percent to your total cost. Additionally, many items will have taxes you have to pay, which may or may not have been included in the initial quote.
 

Postage
 

When getting married, there are traditionally three pieces of mail you send out: a save the date, an invitation, and a thank you card. Postage for this mail is determined by weight, and depending on how elaborate each piece is, can cost a lot.

The big one that can get elaborate are wedding invitations. It could include multiple pieces of paper, confetti, plastic, metal or even glass for those going for an elegant or themed wedding. As the weight goes up, so does the cost. 

If you are going with a fanciful and heavy design, sending a single wedding invite could cost a dollar or more in postage, and if you’re sending them to a 150 people, you suddenly need to pay an extra $150. 
 

Meals on the Wedding Day
 

Getting married is an all day thing. Even if the ceremony is in the evening, most wedding parties are doing something all day long. Between photoshoots, last minute prep work, getting dressed/makeup/hair, you have a full day.

What are you planning on eating between the rehearsal dinner and the wedding reception? While a majority of your guests aren’t involved till the wedding and can be expected to feed themselves, your wedding party and team spending all day with you need food too. 

You should plan meals to feed them, likely breakfast and lunch. You could have food delivered, work with your caterer to have some food prepared for them, or even have somebody make a fast food run. But if you have a large wedding party, feeding them can be a large unexpected cost.
 

Unexpected Clothing Alterations
 

The human body under stress can undergo rapid changes including weight gain or loss, and few things are as stressful as planning a wedding. You might have found the perfect wedding dress or tux, got it fitted a few months before, only to find it doesn’t fit at all a week before. 

If you have them available, try on your wedding outfits regularly to make sure they still fit. If not, schedule a fitting a week or so before your wedding for any final necessary alterations. That way, you don’t have to run on the night before or day of to get it altered, which will cost you a lot.
 

Saving for Unexpected Costs
 

When building out your wedding budget after getting your quotes and making decisions, set aside a fund for unexpected costs. A fair rule of thumb is to try and save around five percent of the total wedding cost for unexpected expenses. If you are saving up for your wedding as a whole, add this into your savings goal. That way, when it does happen, you won’t find yourself stuck without money to pay for something important.

Pioneer’s Special Purpose Savings account is perfect for saving up for your wedding, along with those unexpected expenses. You can keep it separate from the rest of your funds and easily track when you use it.
 

Paying for Unexpected Costs
 

You are going to have unexpected costs at your wedding. It’s impossible to predict everything that will go wrong or will come with an extra fee. You might be paying for something even up to a few minutes before walking down the aisle. 

It’s smart to have resources available to cover an unexpected cost, big or small. A credit card can be a very useful tool to let you pay for what you need to now and still be able to enjoy your wedding. 

Pioneer’s VISA Platinum credit card is a great fit for this need. In fact, paying for many of your wedding expenses using Pioneer’s credit card is a great way to earn Rewards! points you can redeem for many different things, including flights and hotels. You could use those points to make your honeymoon even more special, or get gift cards to pay for things nobody got off your wedding registry. 

Learn more about a VISA Platinum credit card