The Truth About the “Wedding Tax”
Have you heard the rumor that saying the word “wedding” in talks with a vendor will double the price of their services? Or seen TikTok videos of couples lying to their vendors that they’re having a non-wedding event to get cheaper pricing? If yes, you’ve heard about the so-called “wedding tax”! We’re debunking all these myths below, starting with the most important one:
Myth: There is a wedding tax.
Fact: Weddings are celebrations that have far more riding on them than other events. They require exponentially more time and work than your average event, and the people you hire for them deserve to be compensated for the work they do. Saying the word “wedding” doesn’t increase the cost; the work that goes into weddings does.
Read on to find out more about all the myths and facts that go into the cost of weddings.
Myth: Wedding vendors charge more money for weddings because they can.
Fact: Wedding vendors charge more money for weddings because they require more work and they deserve to be compensated for that extra time.
One of the biggest misconceptions about wedding vendors is that they’re charging you more money simply because you said the word “wedding”. While it’s true that most vendors will charge more for a wedding than a birthday party or corporate event, it’s not because we’re greedy; it’s simply because weddings require more time and work and our compensation should reflect that.
The sheer amount of emails, phone calls, and thoughts that go into a wedding far exceed that of most other events. Finding a band that is available on your wedding day, fits your price point, and has the energy you want can take hours of research, dozens of emails, and phone calls. Negotiating a florals contract to figure out your must-have floral pieces versus those you can live without to get a florist within your budget can take multiple calls and lots of calculations. Other events simply do not take nearly as much time and energy.
Photo by Chaz Cruz Photographers.
Myth: Wedding vendors provide the same services for other events as they do for weddings; they just charge more for weddings.
Fact: Many wedding vendors have to provide a different level of quality for weddings that require more work.
While some vendors might provide similar levels of work and quality for an average party as for a wedding (like lighting companies), most vendors have to provide a higher quality of work for weddings. For example, wedding hair and makeup typically costs more than hair and makeup for a different event. While some couples get upset by this, it makes a ton of sense: wedding hair and makeup has to last at least 10-12 hours, look impeccable in the photos you’ll be looking at for decades, and make the person getting married feel their most beautiful. A service with that much riding on it doesn’t deserve to be treated the same as hair and makeup services for your average event.
Photo by Ezlan Powers Photography.
Myth: You’d be okay with a wedding vendor providing the same services that they would for a different event like a corporate fundraiser or a birthday party.
Fact: Your wedding is a high-stakes event with years of expectations, lots of personal money, and emotions invested in it. Your wedding vendor has to provide a higher level of service, attention, and quality for you to feel cared for and to give you the best wedding day possible.
For many people, their wedding day is something they’ve been dreaming about for years or, at the very least, something they plan for a year. There is often a very high expectation that the wedding day will be one of the best days of your life. That is a lot of pressure on your vendors to deliver. That means more time planning, more details to pay attention to, more emails and calls to talk through your thoughts and emotions, and generally far more work that goes into fulfilling a lifelong dream of the wedding day. Point blank: wedding vendors deserve to be compensated for the work that goes into meeting these expectations.
Photo by Elvira Kalviste Photography.
Myth: If you tell a vendor that you’re having another sort of event and not use the word “wedding”, you’ll pay less money.
Fact: The vendor will undoubtedly figure out that you’ve lied and will charge you more money, terminate your contract, or deliver services that will ultimately not meet your wedding day expectations.
Absolutely under no circumstances should you lie to your wedding vendors. It’s disrespectful and it will not work. Vendors are aware that this might be something couples will try and many have contracts that won’t allow this. You’ll end up either being charged more money for the time and effort your vendor has to put in to actual wedding work, having your contract terminated, or having services provided for your wedding day that ultimately will not live up to your expectations and needs since that’s what you signed up for.
Photo by Eryc Perez de Tagle Photography.
Myth: Having a wedding reception without a ceremony should cost you less money.
Fact: The wedding reception is a significant majority of the wedding day and is a very high-stakes event, even without a ceremony.
Although the wedding ceremony is the union that is being celebrated, the actual event usually doesn’t last longer than 30 minutes — some are even as short as 10 minutes. While you might save money in some areas by skipping the ceremony, like not having a floral arch or opting for an hour less of photography, the nature of the event remains the same and many vendors will charge the same amount. The wedding reception is where most of the day’s events and entertainment are, after all!
Photo by Sarah Bode-Clark Photography.
