Finance & Paperwork
Finance & Paperwork
Weddings come with a surprising amount of paperwork (and payments). Here are a few important things to keep track of:
Marriage License: Don’t forget to obtain your marriage license! In Virginia, you must get your license within 60 days of the wedding (no earlier). Both of you should go to any county courthouse in VA; it’s a quick process (usually no appointment needed). Bring ID and the small fee (around $30). They’ll issue the license on the spot. Bring that license to the wedding – your officiant needs to sign it after the ceremony. Many couples designate the Best Man to keep it safe on the day. Afterward, the officiant or we will mail it back to the court for filing. If you forget the license, the ceremony isn’t legally binding – so put this on your checklist! We’ll remind you at the 2-month mark and again at 2-weeks out to make sure you have it.
Vendor Payments: About 1 month before the wedding, it’s a good idea to review all your vendor contracts and note any outstanding balances or payment due dates. Many vendors require final payment by 14 days out. Some might be “COD” (cash on day). Avoid day-of distractions by clearing balances ahead of time when possible. If any vendor needs to be paid on the wedding day, prepare labeled envelopes with checks/cash and entrust someone (often your coordinator) to hand those out. This way, you’re not trying to write checks at the reception. Double-check that all payments you mailed or transacted have been received by vendors. It’s easier to fix issues before the big day than on the day itself.
Final Headcounts & Invoices: Ensure you’ve communicated your final guest count to caterers and rental companies by their deadlines. They will adjust your invoice, and you’ll want to confirm the final costs. Keep copies of all final invoices and receipts (we recommend scanning them into a folder on your computer or keeping an email folder) – this is helpful in case any dispute arises (though rare). For example, if the rental company tries to charge for missing items, you have paperwork to refer to.
Insurance & Permits: If you obtained any event insurance or special permits (some couples purchase wedding liability insurance, or a fireworks permit if doing something special off-site), keep those documents handy. We already have our venue insurance, but sometimes caterers ask for a copy of liability insurance from you – wedding insurance can provide that. It’s not required, but if you have it, know what it covers.
Post-Wedding Financial Check: After the honeymoon, sit down together and review all expenses vs. payments. Make sure every vendor was paid the correct amount and that you haven’t overlooked any bills. Verify that security deposits (for rentals, etc.) have been returned. This is also when you might total things up for your own budgeting memory (or if anyone like a parent contributed and wants to know final costs). It’s easy during wedding chaos to lose track, so doing a reconciliation afterward is healthy for your finances.
The paperwork part isn’t fun, but it’s important. We will help remind you of major things (license, final venue payment dates, etc.) throughout. Staying organized (maybe keep a spreadsheet or checklist of “paperwork to do”) will ensure nothing slips through. And remember, after it’s all done, you get to enjoy married life without a single invoice in sight!