LifestyleWedding planner reveals the major expense couples forget to include in their budget

By Kathy October 24, 2024

3 Min Read

There is one wedding cost that couples often overlook (Image: Getty)Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy NoticeThere’s no denying that weddings cost a lot of money, especially when you have to consider venue hire, feeding all those guests, and booking a talented photographer. With the average UK wedding costing around £17,300, budgeting for the big day can be an emotional rollercoaster for many couples. But there is one hidden wedding cost that people often overlook, reveals New York wedding planner Rivka Holzer. The wedding expert explained that the cost of renting tables, chairs, and linens often come with a hefty price tag, if the venue doesn’t provide them. According to easyEventhire, a typical English wedding set up is around £60 per table for eight guests, and the average number of people at a UK wedding is 150. Therefore, you’d need at least 18 tables, making a total of around £1,000 required to set aside for dining furniture. Rivka explained that “raw spaces” like barns and old warehouses often don’t provide tables and chairs. The expert has even planned weddings where these rentals have cost “upwards of £10,000”. Want the latest showbiz, royal and TV news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our daily newsletter HERE

Budgeting for the big day can be an emotional rollercoaster for many couples
(Image: Getty Images)

“Some venues do include tables, chairs, linens, things like that, so I think that’s possibly why it does get forgotten about,” she told Insider. “When you think of an event, you’re like, ‘Oh, of course, there are going to be table, chairs, and linens there.’ But how are you getting them?” In some cases, couples choose not to use the basic table settings provided by wedding venues as they prefer something a bit more unique. Rivka explained: “When they’re included, they’re usually very standard. “You’ll have one type of ivory linen, your very standard 60 or 72-inch round table, and maybe a Chiavari ballroom chair, if you’re lucky. “Because of the Pinterest and Instagram way of the world, and certainly the wedding and events industry, people don’t just want an ivory linen that would come with a venue. They want something that’s unique, different, special, and you have to pay for that.” When planning the special occasion, it is important to set a wedding budget and Rivka recommends comparing prices, booking all-inclusive venues, buying some items, and getting creative. “The best thing I can say is to price compare different rental companies against each other, and then also look for venues that have these items included,” she said. “If the raw space is the same price as a space that has all of these amenities included in it, then your budget has to increase if you go with the raw space because you have to account for all of these rental fees.” She also revealed that smaller items like linens, can sometimes be cheaper to buy instead of rent. “If you get a super-cheap polyester, that can be £10 to £20 a linen, and renting it can be £20 to £40,” Rivka said.

When planning the special occasion, it is important to set a wedding budget
(Image: Getty)

“So you might not get the same quality when you buy it, but sometimes it’s a lot more affordable that way.” The wedding planner also shared that there are ways couples can get creative with décor that don’t require spending a huge sum on fancy table settings. She said: “I’m doing this with a client now where we’re on a tighter budget for décor: instead of getting very expensive tablecloths that would make a statement, we’re doing an ombré effect of tablecloths with linens in different shades of a certain colour. “All the linens are a standard polyester cotton, but when you look at the room as a whole, it looked really interesting and cool. That’s going to bring the room together as opposed to getting the $80 cool pattern linen.”
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