How to plan a Budget Wedding

As we all know, weddings are expensive affairs, and you might need to spend a fortune to tie the knots in today’s social settings! It is usually considered as a matter of prestige and status for a family; so naturally weddings in India are grand and magnificent. However, you still need to figure out a budget for the wedding regardless of how big or small amount you choose to spend on the wedding. In this article, we will give you some useful tips about planning a budget wedding.

Wedding hall/banquet hall

If only some selected people from your friend circle and family members are going to be invited for your D-day then you don’t have to book a huge and expensive wedding hall. A smaller place just sufficient enough for all your friends and family should meet this requirement. Moreover, you can even ask a family member or friend with big bungalow to allow you to have the wedding ceremony in their hall or garden.

Choose a natural wedding reception place which won’t need much of expensive decorations. A properly decorated wedding hall or a beautiful garden may best suit your low budget wedding receptions. However you should ensure that the place is well maintained and well lit Wedding can take place at home as well, however this may be not be possible in small houses still it’s a feasible choice in smaller cities.

Vendors may tend to raise the prices of banquet halls in peak wedding season , so don’t forget to book a wedding hall 6-8 months in advance, ensure that the price is fixed with no hidden charges from vendor.

You can bargain for a collective rate for the hall and the food. If you are lucky, you might get some really cheap deals.

Wedding decorations

For the wedding decorations and arrangements, you should try local decorators and wedding service providers; don’t hire people from far-away places. In addition, if your family and friends are willing to lend a hand then you can even try home- made decorations. Garlands, streamers, confetti, flower decorations if they have enough time and the interest.

You can also lower your floral expenses by using centre pieces of candles or other stylish attributes. You can do beautiful decorations with inexpensive flowers too. White linen and china metal crockery gives an extremely fresh look to the wedding. The trend is to keep it simple yet elegant. Beautiful fairy lights along with a pleasant colour scheme can do the wonders!

If you’re looking for ways to keep your wedding budget under control, then try to take as much help as possible from your close friends and family members. They may directly offer their skills, or they may at least point you to a person or place where you can find very good deals.

Wedding dinner

The most talked-about part of your wedding celebration is the food. People like to discuss about it for months after the wedding. So, this is surely not the area to be careless about.
You can also cut down the wedding cost by not giving reception outside dinner hours. You can choose comparatively less expensive brunch or cocktail parties instead. This is a new concept for India and your guest will definitely love it.
Pick a caterer with some positive recommendation. Discuss the menu options carefully with family as well as the caterer. Always rely on recommendations to make your decision at last.

While negotiating for food rate, bargain on the rate per plate for starters and the main course and dessert. Pick various types of outstanding starter options. Many people only eat the tempting starters and do not want to have regular main course, this trick might reduce some extra budget on food.

Wedding dress and Jewelry

This is one of the most important elements of your wedding, and you would be spending lot of time and money especially for jewelry. Instead of choosing those big names in jewelry and clothes department, rely on your local boutiques and jewelry shops. Contact these tailors and embroiders directly.

Usually designers outsource most of the their work to embroiders and tailors. They can make your dream bridal outfit at a very tiny price. While selecting your wedding dress and jewelry, focus on their reusability also.

Invitation cards

If possible make one invitation for main wedding ceremony and other small cards for other ceremonies like sangeet, mehndi etc. It will make the task of choosing guests for every ceremony simple. You can even take help from friends with good graphic designing skills in creating some unique and personalized wedding cards.

Transportation and accommodation

Don’t forget to estimate the budget for transportation and accommodation of your guests. Instead of hiring cars, try to hire a bus to transport guests from hotel to the wedding venue. Search for some service apartments and furnished rooms close to the wedding venue, they are much cheaper than hotels.

An off-season wedding

You should try to plan the wedding off-season. Most of the weddings take place between the months of May to October every year. Interestingly, even in this matter, we can’t ignore the rules of supply and demand. For instance if there are many brides and grooms competing for the same locations, beauticians, and caterers, the price of these services automatically goes up in that area. So if you try to plan your wedding in off-season, you might find better wedding services for lesser cost.
So, if you make some smart choices and take the right decisions, you can have an unforgettable wedding day regardless of the size of your budget.

In conclusion, planning a budget wedding requires careful consideration and organization. It is important to set a budget and stick to it, prioritize your expenses, and find ways to cut costs where possible. By following the above tips and being creative and resourceful, it is possible to have a beautiful and memorable wedding without breaking the bank.