If you are attending an Indian wedding, get ready to witness some shimmer and shine because we Indians love to celebrate our weddings like a big fat carnival. And while there's no harm in celebrating the special day of your life with funk and galore, spending a hideous amount of money on weddings is wrong. And this is one thing that the pandemic has taught all of us. It has taught us the beauty of intimate and small weddings. So if you are getting hitched soon and are looking for ways to save money, here's how you can do it. Use these tips while planning your wedding, and we are sure you'll thank us when you save some bucks.
Different Ways To Save Money On Your Wedding
1. Ditch The Regular Invites: Invites are the first thing that people send out. This usually starts 1-2 months before the wedding date, and if you are still in the wedding planning phase, we suggest you ditch the concept of physical invites. Physical invites not only cost a bomb, but you end up wasting tones of the paper too. So if you want to save some cost here, opt for E-invites. You can get them designed or design one yourself using apps like Canva - the choice is yours. Send them via email, Whatsapp, Facebook, etc., and add a sweet note to give it a personal appeal.
2. Make RSVP A Must: When you send out invites, ensure that your guests RSVP for the same. For example, if you send out invites to 200 people, at least 150 will RSVP, and you can make arrangements accordingly. This way, you will not only save extra money on food but would also avoid food wastage. You will get an idea of the quantity of food you need to arrange and pay only for that instead of ordering things in bulk, which gets wasted.
3. Plan An Off-Season Wedding: We kid you not getting married in off-season is cheap, and you can get your dream venue for a steal deal. So if you are getting hitched in India, consider planning your wedding between March-June; being an off-season, you will get everything at a cheaper rate. Your venue rent will be down by at least 15-20 percent, whereas food will be cheaper by 10-15 percent, etc. So if you are looking to save money on your wedding, the off-season is the best option for you.
4. Keep Limited Food Options: Yes, you are getting married, and you want to celebrate this with everyone you know. But for that, you don't need to keep 20+ food items at your wedding. Honestly, not everyone likes so much variety, and some dishes go untouched at the wedding. Hence, it is better to keep limited but good quality food. You not only save money but also feed your guests a great quality meal.
5. Plan A Destination Wedding: You will be surprised to know a destination wedding in India is cheaper than planning a full-fledged wedding in your hometown. How do you ask? Well, when you plan a destination wedding, you book one resort for 2-3 days and invite a limited number of guests. You set a cap for the guest count and invite those who matter. Hence, you end up spending a bit less.
6. Say Yes To A Backyard Wedding: If you have a huge house with a backyard or an ancestral house, plan your wedding there. Amid the pandemic, backyard weddings have become popular. You not only save the venue cost but get the liberty to design and decorate the venue at your convenience. Some places don't allow you to do certain things, but if you are getting married in a known setting, you can do whatever you want. You can also get inspired from the recently concluded Ranbir-Alia wedding where everything happened on the balcony of their home. If they can do it, you can certainly do it.
7. Always Split The Cost: In India, we have a culture where people think that the bride and her family have to spend more on the wedding, but dear brides, it's time to change this rule. Ensure that you agree on a 50-50 wedding where both the families spend an equal amount of money. This way you'll save money and still enjoy everything with your partner without worrying about the expenditure.
8. Consider Renting Things: Renting culture is slowly getting popular in India. And if you want to wear designer outfits for your wedding but don't want to spend an insane amount on it, then how about sourcing it? There are several renting stores online and offline that source designer things on rent. Rent it for all the functions or just one function- the choice is yours, at least you will get to wear your favorite designer outfit.
9. Ask Your Friends And Family To Handle The Entertainment Department: If you have a friend who can sing well, ask them to sing at your wedding, while the other friend can anchor or dance. Ask your family to step in, and prepare some dances and games for the wedding. This way, you don't have to hire anyone for the entertainment bit. You will not only save money, but the joy you get seeing your friends and family participating in the wedding functions is something else only.
10. Set A Budget: Last but not the least, ensure that you set a budget for every single thing that's included in your wedding. It will help you understand all the hidden costs, and you'll be able to find the solution for it in real-time instead of paying for it during the wedding. Setting a budget also helps you plan your wedding rationally while ensuring that you don't overspend.
