5 Ways Every Bride Can Avoid Paying 50% or More In Dreaded Wedding Taxes!
Disclaimer! I do not condone intentionally lying or deceiving a vendor in order to “save a buck”. What I do recommend is following these wedding planning secrets from a pro, which can help brides that want to have an affordable, and memorable experience without going into debt or draining financial resources. So what is the wedding secret budget bride’s need to know, well first we need to start with wedding tax.
What Is The Wedding Tax?
To be blunt, it is a vendor markup for having to deal with the headaches associated with weddings. Using the example of a bakery, woman calls and orders a cake for a friend’s birthday party. Not complicated, make it cute, and spell the friends name correctly. Done! Now, same woman calls and wants a wedding cake. But not just any wedding cake, she wants to taste every flavor of cake you make along with different frosting combinations, she wants 3 tiers and each tier a different flavor because Uncle Jeff hates vanilla, and the maid of honor insists raspberry is the hottest trend, and…and… get the idea?
Weddings have become (and may have always been) these massively emotional and egotistical events with overly demanding consumers that want a royal affair regardless of their ability to pay for dominating a vendor’s time and attention. If you are NOT that type of bride, you most certainly may avoid (in most cases) WEDDING TAX.
1.) Keep It Simple
When purchasing décor, florals, or renting tables, chairs, etc. simply request exactly what you need and when. Be prepared in advance and keep the questions minimal. Order a plain white, 2 tier cake, 50 folding chairs, 10 tables, etc. without diving into any details. Do not call and ask “how to” questions; expecting the vendor to spend extra time on your order.
2.) Be Open To New Ideas
If you are working with a wedding planner make it fun! Wedding planners are most often creative people who love weddings. If you have a limited budget give them a bit of input and let them be creative. Plus, delightful people are such a pleasure to work with, you will find vendors, planners, and venues will go above and beyond to ensure you have an incredible experience.
3.) Honesty Always Wins
Be up front about what you want and what you can pay for it. You may find a vendor will negotiate especially if you are paying with cash or bank transfer.
4.) Don’t Be Afraid To Shop Around
If the tax is too high keep on looking. It may take you additional leg work to find what you need without paying a high price.
5.) Stand Out From The Crowd
Don’t do what everyone else is doing. If something is trendy (like planning your wedding on a numerically fancy date) then vendors will be charging higher prices because they can and will get paid for desirable dates, styles, etc.
Most vendors in the industry love what they do and truly enjoy helping make a couples dream come true. But there is an almost added guarantee that a vendor will have to spend more time, and energy on a wedding than any other special event. Now you understand the wedding secret budget brides need to know! Need some more help on negotiating with vendors? We would love to help, Click Here to request a consultation with our team.