Few
things control a wedding more than the budget. It’s so powerful, in fact, that
here at HJ Planners we commonly refer to it as “The Mighty Budget”.
In
addition to being powerful, budgets are tricky. They don’t reveal their true
colors until after they’re irrelevant – when your wedding is over.
The
most common catch most couples fall into when working within their budget is forgetting
to include two of the largest expenses it should include: taxes and gratuity.
This often happens because vendors don’t typically include these amounts in
their quotes.
In
D.C., tax on wedding venues and related materials is commonly 10%. Gratuity
averages a whopping 15-22%. If you want to see your budget explode, pop those
numbers in and calculate the total. A 10% tax and 15% gratuity charge is about
$61.00 for every $200.00 spent, or about $4,700.00 for an $18,000 wedding.
Administrative Fees
In
addition to taxes and gratuity, some vendors charge “administrative fees”. These
fees represent the cost of the general services provided and are used to
reimburse the vendor for any paperwork, office supplies or other expenses used
to perform the job you hired them for. In D.C., many vendors charge
approximately 6% as a service fee. That comes to $12.00 for every $200.00
spent, or about $1,000 for an $18,000 wedding.
The
key to preventing a budget explosion is to ask every vendor to include these amounts
in their quotes. At the very least, ask them to include the specific
percentages they will charge you. The latter request is especially important in
metropolitan areas with multiple, contiguous states – such as D.C.’s Maryland,
Virginia and District boundaries. With those percentages, you can calculate the
true bottom line of your expenses, and keep your budget under control.
Avoid
being surprised by this fee by asking for a complete list – containing amounts
or percentages – of every additional fee the vendor charges. Your budget and
stress level will thank you for your forethought in doing so.
