No vendor is hiding these from you — they simply live between categories, so first budgets miss them. Read this before you sign anything, and your budget's last month will be boring in the best way.
The nine usual suspects
1. GST and service charges
Premium venues quote pre-tax. 18% GST plus service charge can move the final number by a fifth. Always ask for the all-inclusive written figure.
2. Outstation guest hosting
Destination formats add 12–18% for travel, rooms and transfers that first budgets almost never include.
3. The per-100-guest multiplier
Every additional 100 guests adds roughly ₹2–5L across catering, seating, favours and service staff — before the venue itself.
4. Liquor licensing and corkage
Permits, corkage and bar staff typically add 15–25% on top of the beverage bill itself.
5. Baraat production
Horse or vintage car, dhol troupe, fireworks permits and police NOC are quoted separately — and usually late.
6. Weather contingency
Monsoon dates deserve a 5% line for waterproofing, flooring and backup structures. Romance has a rider.
7. Alterations and trials
Outfit alterations, extra makeup trials and fitting travel — small invoices that quietly total ₹30–80k.
8. Tips, shagun and day-of cash
The envelope economy of the wedding day. Plan ₹25–60k in cash nobody budgets for.
9. Sound and drone permissions
Late-licence fees, sound permits and drone NOCs vary by city and venue — ask before you sign, not after you book the drone.
Run your own pre-mortem
The Wedding DNA Blueprint personalises this list to your answers (destination plans, bar policy, baraat energy, season) and prints it as a venue-visit checklist — take the quiz and download the PDF.
Frequently asked
What is the most commonly missed wedding cost in India?
Taxes. Premium venues quote pre-tax, and 18% GST plus service charge can raise the final bill by about a fifth.
How much extra does a destination wedding cost?
Plan 12–18% on top of your base budget for guest travel, rooms and transfers — the costs first budgets most often omit.
How much cash should we keep for the wedding day?
Between ₹25,000 and ₹60,000 for tips and shagun envelopes, depending on scale — cash that rarely appears in any written budget.