Hidden Costs of a Wedding

When you are planning the wedding of your dreams in the greater Jacksonville, St. Augustine, or Amelia Island area – there can be some hidden costs that you might not factor into your wedding budget, but don’t worry….we are here to help!

Taxes and Gratuities  – yes, even Uncle Sam gets a cut on your wedding day!  We are all familiar with paying taxes and gratuities, we just forget to include them in the budget!  Here are the following tax rates in our counties:  Clay County 7%, Duval County 7%, Flagler County 7%, Nassau 7% and St. Johns 6%. Gratuities for weddings can range from 15 to 22%.

Dress Alterations and Steaming – Alterations are not included in the price of the gown but they can range from $100 to $500 depending on what you are having done, fabrics, lace, beading, etc!

Cake Cutting and Corkage Fees – if your venue is not providing the cake or booze, they are probably going to charge you a fee per person or per bottle.  The cake cutting fees can range between $2 to $8 per slice of cake/person and the corkage fee can be between $1.50 to $6 per bottle.

Officiate Fees – Remember that you have to pay the person who is going to marry you!  Or give a donation to the church.  These fees can range between $200 to $400.  Make sure you ask and factor it into your ceremony budget!

Here are just a few tips to help you in your wedding planning process!