Why There is a “Wedding Tax” and Why you Shouldn’t Lie to your Vendors
As you’re planning your wedding, the lack of price transparency really makes it difficult for you to really know what’s going to all go into this financially. You may have realized that your average baker hikes up the price when you mention it’s for a wedding as opposed to your average birthday cake. I can definitely understand the temptation to tell your vendors that it’s just a family reunion rather than a wedding for a cheaper cost. I’m here to tell you the reasons that you should be honest with your vendors.
Legal Reasons
The first reason is because of the legality of it all. Many vendors have contracts that ask you or tell you what kind of event that it is, and many of those contracts also have clauses that if they show up to an event that is drastically different from what they expected, they can leave without repercussions. Obviously your vendors want to be there to provide the work that they signed up for, but in some cases, they may not be able to perform to the degree necessary without knowing the extent of the event ahead of time. They don’t really want to get a bad review because you told them it was a family reunion and they weren’t prepared for a wedding.
Now you may be thinking, “What would they have to prepare that they wouldn’t for a family reunion?” If we use a photographer as an example, they will likely not bring the same equipment to these different events. They don’t really need wide lenses for a family reunion where they will likely need it for a wedding. Or in the case of a DJ, they likely won’t have the proper playlists ready that they would need or specific songs readily available for first dances. In general, it’s much better for your vendors and for you if your vendors don’t walk in blindly.
Perfection and Quality
The next reason is because of the quality of work. It’s not to say that a cake baker won’t put in effort for a birthday party, but it requires a lot more planning and perfection to create a wedding cake than a birthday cake. When you’re paying those “wedding taxes”, you’re really paying for the perfection of quality that a wedding requires. A wedding is typically a once-in-a-lifetime event that holds a lot of value for couples. This means that your vendors are going to need to have 110% of their effort on the line to ensure that your wedding is as perfect as possible. With a family reunion, there likely isn’t that same pressure on your vendors to perform, although they still would put in effort.
Time Involved
The last reason is the time that typically goes into working a wedding. There are usually extensive email conversations, phone calls, and meetings to ensure the service you’re being provided. Typically, there isn’t nearly as much detail delineation required for a birthday party. All of the time deciding on your details, confirming everything, and actually executing the plans really adds up, and vendors typically need that time to make sure everything will run as smoothly as possible.
Hopefully this helps you understand the reason behind the “wedding tax” and why it is beneficial to you to get the perfection necessary for your big day. Obviously it would be nice if everything wasn’t so expensive, but you really are paying for the time it would take to make your event perfect.
Click here to see my video about this topic for an explanation of the wedding tax and why it is really there.
