Indian weddings look amazing but are expensive. But we still splurge. What can we do, it just runs through our generations. The bride and groom’s parents keep saving for their wedding for years. Weddings are the one time where our families get to show off our riches and status to the society. That is why they invite everyone and throw huge feasts. It is undoubtedly great to have a lavish venue, sparkling decoration and food from all over the world but we should be mindful of the budget too. Because at the end of the day, the wedding is for you and your fiancé. Here are some tips that can help with your budget, while still looking pretty decent from the outside.
1.
The number of events
Our Indian weddings have a lot of rituals. They are also crafted in such a way that each ritual should be given equal importance and time. But there are some rituals that can be performed on the same day at the same location, thus saving a lot of money. A different setting for the mehndi and a different one for the Sangeet only makes it longer and costlier. You can easily club mehndi and Sangeet. This also gives the bride whose hands are occupied, a form of entertainment. Haldi function can be done in your backyard or your rooftop. You don’t have to go overboard and curate different locations and settings just for the haldi.
2.
The wedding guest list
The guest list is where the most of the expenditures goes. The more people you invite, the more food you should serve and the more vast the venue must be. Think about it, you don’t have to call someone you’ve just met once in your life. It might be a hassle to get the parents on the same board but you can reach a compromise. You can have a small and calm wedding and splurge on the reception. Or vice versa. If you are inviting many people for the wedding, you can completely skip the reception too.
3.
The venue
Skip the super huge destination venues. Skip the resort weddings. Skip the over the top stage decorations. Minimalistic decorations are in trend. A classic mandap with subtle decorations looks even better than the heavy floral decorations. Also, you can have your wedding in a hotel banquet hall, a farmhouse, or a huge backyard if permitted. It can give you a cozy outdoor wedding vibe all the while being easy on your pocket.
4.
The food
We understand that the food is the key part of an Indian wedding. Any wedding attendee will judge the wedding based on the quality of the food only. Nowadays in wedding lunches or dinners including continental cuisine and all over the world delicacies has become the trend. But, do you really need to put all of these in the menu? Wedding meal menu is the one place that you can save a lot. So choose the items wisely. The popular items that everyone likes, along with a few luxurious items can be more than enough. It also helps prevent food wastage.
5.
The outfits
You can save a lot on outfits with this one single sentimental trick. Wear a hand me down saree or kurta. Customize your mother’s or your grandmother’s kurta. Have your mother’s saree made into a kurta pajama set or wear your dad’s wedding kurta. Wearing outfits that belonged to older family members was always a cute tradition that gets applauded in Indian weddings. It is a sweet way to save money.
So yes it might be tough to balance expenditure and luxury but we all know how a few tweaks here and there can make something look expensive when in reality it is just adjusted.
