Hidden Costs: What You Need to Know

How to read the fine print on everything from flowers to food and much more.

hidden costs wedding cakes
Wedding Cakes

Although many venues offer wedding packages that include the price of the cake, Flam warns that they tend to charge an extra cake-cutting fee if you bring in a cake from an outside bakery. When deciding whether or not to go with the in-house cake, ask exactly how much this fee will add to your bill. If you bring a cake in from an outside bakery, be aware that "the price is based on decoration," says Lauri Ditunno, owner of Cake Alchemy in New York City. "The more labor-intensive the design is, the higher the price." But you can make smart substitutions that will save you some green. For instance, sugarpaste flowers are more expensive than natural flowers because they are so handmade, so Ditunno suggests opting for the real thing.

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Photo by Sarah Brysk Cohen

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