Weddings are expensive. There’s no way around it. Sure, you can create a great budget and look for ways to cut costs, but there are inevitably unexpected costs that crop up along the way. Don’t let these not-so-little expenses surprise you!

1. Alterations: unless you can slip into a dress off the rack (and who in the world can do that?) you’ll want to remember to budget for the alteration fees.
2. Welcome Packages and Bridal Gifts: if you want to make your out-of-town guests feel welcome, you might want to put together little baskets of goodies for their rooms. You’re also going to want to thank your bridal party, parents, and anyone else who helped with your big day. So don’t forget to budget for those gifts.
3. Pre-Wedding Trials and Beauty Treatments: you’ll want to make sure that your hair and makeup are done the way you want on your big day, so a trial run is very important. But those trials will likely cost you an additional expense.
4. Pre-Wedding Party Attire: there are quite a few events leading up to a wedding. The rehearsal dinner and the wedding shower for a start. Make sure you start thinking about those before you have to rush out an spend a fortune on new outfits because you weren’t prepared.
5. Set-Up Fees, Delivery Costs, Etc. take it from Deal News:

   Décor, floral arrangements, and rentals, such as sound equipment, projectors, and microphones may require set-up and delivery, which could also mean additional fees depending on your agreement with each vendor. Similarly, cake cutting fees can be embedded into your contract if you go with an in-house vendor at your reception site, but getting a cake from an outside bakery may amplify your costs because in-house staff will still need to cut and serve the cake to your guests. These costs can be anywhere from $1.50 a slice to $5 per guest to slice, serve, and clean up afterwards.

6. Taxes and Service Fees: when you’re creating a budget, don’t forget about the taxes that will get tacked on to those vendor bills. In some states, taxes could add up to 11% to your final total.
7. Gratuities: your DJ, for example, may quote you a certain amount, but on the wedding day, they’ll be expecting a gratuity that ranges from 18%-20% of their cost. This also holds true for wedding delivery or setup staff, hair stylists, valet attendants, the ceremony officiant, and more.

If you’ve already had a wedding, what were some of the unexpected costs that cropped up for you?

Read more over at DealNews.