Is wedding tax the answer?
It’s no secret that weddings can be expensive.
And (hopefully), it’s also no secret that weddings are a whole lotta work. Like, more than your typical event kinda work. They’re different. They’re higher pressure, there’s more on the line and as a vendor there’s a completely different kind of commitment, involvement and support that’s involved with servicing a wedding.
So, wedding tax. Yeah, probably – if you want to look at it that simply, us suppliers will charge more for a wedding than we would for another kind of event. But is it really so unreasonable? Let’s break it down…
One.
The Extra Level of Service.
The platinum package. The, “my vendor cared as much about my day as I did”. The ‘above and beyond’, the sending through recommendations, ideas and offering support and guidance. The up at night wondering how they can do better for you and your wedding. These vendors are about to get just as invested in your day as you are! Because they truly do want you to have the most amazing day.
And that doesn’t mean that a non-wedding event by the same supplier won’t be well serviced, it just means that weddings are different. They’re emotional and they truly do have higher standards. When you service a wedding, it’s not just the couple you have to impress – it’s all of their guests too. The standard is higher, there’s less room for error and consequently – there’s more time and energy spent preparing and making sure everything really is perfect.
The little details really are everything, and chances are – your wedding suppliers pride themselves on exactly that. Some things that you can let slide at another event, just simply won’t do when it comes to someone’s wedding.
Two.
Long, Long Hours.
While your typical event might have a bit of set up, last a couple of hours then be packed down and done. A wedding involves so much more than that. Often, by the time you factor in travel, the ceremony and the reception, the wedding itself is a full day’s work for suppliers, and in most cases those supplier’s don’t get to tap out and take shifts. That’s one long, intensive, physically and mentally draining work day. Then consider the preparation and debriefing before and after: for most, that’s week’s, months, or even years of communication and back and forth emails
These suppliers work weddings because they love them, but unfortunately they can’t do it for love!
Three.
Customisations.
When it comes to your wedding, you’re probably wanting something that represents you. And your suppliers want to provide that too. Chances are, even if you are picking from a set package there will be little customisations; bits and pieces they’re tailoring to you and your story.
If this is the case, no matter how small those customisations are, they involve time and effort. When your suppliers are chatting with you, their brains are going 100 miles an hour. They’re picking up on all sorts of queues that you don’t even realise you’re giving off, and when they leave that call or that meeting – they’re jotting down ideas, brainstorming and tweaking their thoughts until they have the perfect proposal to suit you.
There’s so much time involved in the creative process and almost all of that happens behind closed doors. If it seems like your suppliers are always coming to you with perfect ideas that suit your personalities brilliantly, don’t let yourself be fooled into believing that came effortlessly.
Four.
Experience and Skill.
This one goes for hiring any creative person for anything. Never ever underestimate the number of hours, energy and funding your vendors have sunk into learning, practising and perfecting their art.
They didn’t learn to provide their service or build their product overnight, and they’re not taking it for granted that they’ll maintain that and keep up with new trends and lessons naturally either. Professional development is ongoing and a decent portion of your bill will be ensuring your suppliers can afford the best equipment, the best lessons, pay off their education debts and still have the time to practice, practice, practice. All so they can be the best they possibly can be, for you.
Five.
Overheads and running costs.
And last but not least – these, often very small, boutique businesses have their own overheads. They’re committing to your event often up to (or over) a year in advance and putting aside their own lives, families and potential commitments to ensure they can be there for you on your day.
Their websites cost money, their advertising costs money… their insurance, their power bills, the equipment they use and the continued education they pursue. Just like any business, they’ve got so many other costs that aren’t necessarily obvious and when it comes to weddings they definitely don’t want to be taking any shortcuts!
Not to mention that weddings can often be seasonal in nature. These business overheads are all year round – not just when the weddings are happening. And it’s in all of our best interest that they money they make in one season is enough to carry them through to the next.
Wedding vendors are creatives. When you pay for their service or product you’re not just paying for that physical thing, but rather, you’re paying for all of the hours, money and energy they’ve invested previously into getting as good as they are.
You’re paying for commitment, for skill, for that extra platinum level of service that goes above and beyond your expectations.
You’re providing for their families and you’re keeping their business going so that they can afford to do so well into the future.
You’ve probably seen the meme where a small business owner does a happy dance every time someone makes a purchase from them? – that’s your wedding vendors. Absolutely loving what they do and getting oh-so-much joy from bringing you the wedding day of your dreams.
Creating for an event is one thing. Creating for a wedding is on a whole ‘nother level. Trust me, while I know it sounds like an awful lot, that quote your holding is worth every single cent.
Got questions about the costs of weddings?
Drop them in the comments!
Liked what you read? Keen to hear more?
Sign up for my newsletter and receive a free guide to help you plan your own nature-inspired event. No spam. No tricks. Just handy tips, valuable information, and a healthy dose of Kiwi ingenuity.
Emerald and Ebony – Planning Eco-friendly weddings in Taranaki and beyond.