In a previous article, the average cost of a wedding in Kenya was revealed to be 3.4 million. This is a huge amount of money and it is important to know what wedding activities eat up most of your wedding budget.

Samantha Bridal did a research and came up with the following as the significant big spends:

VIDEO AND PHOTOGRAPHY

Hiring a photographer for a wedding will prove costlier than usual, but theyre not pulling a fast one, says professional photographer David Macharia of Versatile photographers. David goes ahead to explain there is a lot of pre-production involved unlike the common assumption that a wedding photography is about just arriving, taking photos and leaving. For Macharia, a wedding photography and editing takes him around 2 weeks to complete, which is a lot of time hence should be compensated accordingly.

HAIR

If youre wondering why bridal hair costs more than your usual up-do at your salon, its down to time and expertise: A brides hair will involve working with other elements such as the accessories and veil, says celebrity hairdresser Corrine Muthoni. If you are tempted to use your regular hairdresser, check their portfolio as many salons will be equipped for hairstyling rather than hairdressing, and there is a difference. It takes years to develop the right skills, she adds. Many high-end hairdressers will offer complimentary consultations and trials, as well as transport as part of their packages.

VENUE

Your venue hire can account for up to half of your wedding budget and yet the price can fluctuate depending on the day of the week, or time of the year. But what sets your day aside from a christening or birthday celebration? Venue packages allow for extras, such as setting up the night before, accommodation for the bridal party and the extra cost of liaising with external vendors and suppliers, says Emma. That doesnt mean couples cant shop around for a good deal. Because weddings tend to fall on weekends, you could save if youre more flexible with the day, she explains. There are also some very good deals to be had for last-minute dates.

FLOWERS

There might not be an obvious difference between the table centers you want for your wedding and those at the corporate dinner across the corridor, so why will your bill be higher? Fatima of Aura event planners suggests it is because you are paying for a more tailored service. The vast majority of my weddings are bespoke and I will individually design each arrangement to suit the needs of the couple, she says. It only takes basic floristry skills to create a domed bouquet of roses, but for a wedding I would take the time to get to know the couple and help them choose the flowers and arrangements to suit their day.

Your florist will also look after every detail, from design, planning and production, to delivery, set-up and clear down. My customers arent just paying for the flowers, its the full bespoke service which ensures total trust and confidence in everything looking perfect on the day, Fatima adds.

ENTERTAINMENT

A packed dance floor is a sure sign of a great wedding, but DJs will charge more for a first dance gig. When I do a corporate event, in comparison to a wedding there are definitely differences in price, says DJ Kamjo For weddings, I spend around 20 hours preparing beforehand organizing meetings, writing personalized scripts and researching music. However, couples dont necessarily see this extra work. The presentation at weddings has to be impeccable for example, the equipment cant be scuffed with trailing wires. If the equipment fails at a birthday party, its a disappointment but its not a once-in-a-lifetime occasion. If my equipment breaks at a wedding, it will have ruined someones special day. To stop this from happening I have two of everything and bring double the amount of equipment I would usually need. explains DJ Kamjo

Did you think we missed out on something? Share your thoughts in the comment section.