There are a lot of helpful wedding budget tools on almost every budget wedding blog on the web, but we’ve yet to come across one that really helps you see the whole picture.

When trying to figure out your average wedding costs, online wedding budgeters often forget so-called “smaller” items like the rehearsal dinner or wedding cake delivery fee or groom’s shoes or a whole bunch of other things. Sometimes they aren’t on the list because someone else is supposed to pay for them, but sometimes they’re just overlooked – which means you might be in for a scary surprise on your credit card.

Here are some of the biggest surprise budget items that factor into the cost of the average wedding and what you can do to trim the heck out of them.

1. The Sunday Get-Together

Once you two are safely in your wedding night suite, a lot of online budget tools think their job is done. But what about your next-day get-together? Did your go-to budget wedding blog forget about who’s paying for that?

To keep costs down on your day-after do, keep it simple. Host it somewhere that’s free, like in a park or at a friend’s house. Check your city’s website to see what city areas are available. If your group is small enough you likely won’t need to actually reserve a space, which means you can use the spot gratis. (Hooray for free wedding stuff!)

Also choose a menu that’s simple. We did a hot dog roast – fun and soooo cheap. You could also do sandwiches or a big pancake brunch.

2. Bridesmaids’ Hair and Makeup

Because this line item is technically optional, it sometimes fails to be included in the cost of the average wedding. In reality, however, lots and lots of brides want their girls’ locks looking professional on the big day. Going from one $80 up-do to five can be a wince-inducing budget increase.

To save the moolah, the best thing you can do is shop around and be prepared. Who can do an affordable job? By planning ahead, you won’t be rushed into making an expensive last-minute decision. Also remember to ask stylists if they charge for travel time to come to your home. It might be cheaper to visit a salon.

There’s also the option of polling your pals to see if they know anyone who might be willing to donate or discount their services. You could even try your local hairdressing school to see if they’d be willing to give you a great deal in exchange for getting to put you on their resumes.

If you’re really strapped, you might consider foregoing professionally-done hair and/or makeup for your gals. They won’t mind and it could save you hundreds. Many women prefer to do their own hair and makeup, so you could actually be doing them a favor.

3. Dessert

You’ve got a budget for cake and a budget for dinner; but that’s where normal average wedding costs calculators quit. Where do the other desserts fit in? Sometimes they slip through the cracks, which leads to an unpleasant budget breaker on either your cake bill or the caterer bill.

The best way to circumvent this issue is to just have cake as your dessert. There is absolutely no need to have a huge selection of post-meal goodies.

If you have your heart set on extra treats, consider serving them with the late-night snack, after the caterers have gone home. Most caterers don’t allow any food other than their own to be served during your function, but once they’re gone you might get away with serving potluck goodies baked by all those aunties who were just dying to contribute to your big day.

4. The Rehearsal Dinner

Let’s face it: the days of the traditional “who pays for what” rules are long gone. It’s becoming less and less common for the groom’s family to host your rehearsal dinner, which means you need to figure out who’s going to foot the bill (and how).

Just like your after-wedding get-together, try to keep your rehearsal dinner simple. Not only will you save money on your average wedding costs, but you’ll also cut down on stress before your wedding day.

Here’s another tip: consider using a caterer other than the one you’re using for your reception. Some caterers will give you a deal on the extra meal, but others will charge luxury prices for even the simplest dinner, especially if you’re going with a fairly elegant meal for your actual reception.

Think more along the lines of office caterers or sandwich shops. Lots of those places do delicious home-cooking for a fraction of what you’d pay going with a traditional caterer. If a lot of your wedding guests live in town, you might also consider throwing a potluck, which is a nice way to incorporate family traditions into your rehearsal dinner.

You can also save on dishes and flatware by going plastic or renting them yourself. Caterers always charge a fee above and beyond what they pay to rent what you need, so you can save cash by doing that bit of work yourself. Nope, it might not be as fancy as your reception, but so what? If your rehearsal dinner is a little more laid back, your reception dinner will stand out all the more.

5. Your Post-Ceremony Celebration

No, we don’t mean the reception. Many couples opt for a champagne toast or similar gathering right after the ceremony, before jetting off for pictures… but that can complicate the average cost of a wedding because champagne costs money!

A lot of budgeting tools don’t take into account that you might like to have a quick visit with your wedding guests right after the ceremony and it can make for a pretty big line item if you don’t see it coming.

Of course, alcohol is going to be more expensive. There’s nothing wrong with raising a glass of brightly-colored punch instead of the bubbly.

You also don’t need snacks, but if you choose to have them, people will appreciate a home-made cookie as much as caviar – maybe even more so. A lot of your relatives will be seeing each other for the first time in ages during this time, so they’ll likely be too distracted by one another to notice whether you’re serving cheese and crackers or mini beef wellingtons.

What budget surprises have you come across in your wedding planning? Share them in the comments below and give other brides a heads-up!