So your a typical Indian Bride researching online about planning a wedding on a limited budget.
Here is what you get :
1. Cut down on your guest list (I cant do that , mom and dad will kill me if I don't call Rakesh Tauji's 2nd cousin once removed...hmm maybe I can make the invitation accidentally get lost... )
2. Marry Off-season (are you serious?! and every time anything goes wrong between the two of us everyone will be like "galat time pay shaadi ki thi na is liye", too much superstition attached! plus summers too hot, winters too cold, and rainy season is too rainy...the pre-decided pundit dates actually fall into the correct season)
3. DIY, make your own center pieces (for 300+ guest, ya right)
4. Instead of invites, send emails, better still make a wedding website! (yes and when the cousin dadi living at Jhunjunu finds out your married and you didn't call her, its sure to be an epic family war)
5. Have lesser function (this is probably the only one that makes sense!)
So what do you REALLY do?!
Indian weddings are so closely connected to a family's status and honor that our parents start saving for our wedding since the day we are born.
Now most of us gain independence financially almost within a year of graduation and we want take part in our own wedding budget. If not that then atleast we want to leave out all the 'faltu' karcha.
1. Pre-book a venue well in advance. If your booking 8-9 months in advance there are chances you will get a better discount. Also there are a lot of venue's that come with a pre-decorated area, if your really tight on budget then choose a venue that already has a setup in place, this way you don't need to pay extra for decor.
2. Go for a simpler card. Less number of insert, smaller petite and beautiful. Choose the color well. A beautiful color coordinated card stands out more than a messy big box.
3. Candid photography Vs Studio photography, while candid photography is gaining popularity studio's are not doing bad work either, and the price difference is huge. A good Candid photographer can charge any where between 2-4 Lac for a 3-4day wedding functions with video charges additional, while studio photographers at the same cost can provide you with 2 still photographers and 1 videographers, add on another 20k and you get an armature candid guy as well. So think over it!
4. Food is one thing you should NOT compromise on, make sure the quality is excellent! Trust me people will not remember whether you had lilies or orchids, they will remember the Shahi Paneer and deserts. You can save here specially on the smaller functions and the easiest way to do that without hearing complaints from people is have a theme associated with the function, so if its a rajasthani sangeet you just need 4-5 rajasthani dishes.
5. Makeup: book a salon instead of a Makeup Artist. Bridal Makeup via Salons start at around 10k (so I have heard) and Makeup Artist Bridal Makeup start at 18k. Also do your makeup for smaller functions on your own.
6. DJ: Have a friend who has the best dance music on their ipod? Get a pair of speakers plug in the ipod your set for sangeet or even engagement..(for the wedding it will be a bit to risky)
7. Sale season! Shop during Sales, at exhibitions, promotions, etc. You can get huge discounts on bridal wear during sales and during off-season July, April, any month that falls right after the wedding season is off-season for wedding wear.
8. Gold: Every girl needs a bit of gold, buy it when its at its lowest (now!), even if your not getting married for another 3-4 years if your reading this then your planning your wedding so buy it before it starts climbing up!
9. Combine functions : Its easy to say that lets have a combined sangeet or mehendi function, both boy and girl side together. But who pays for that? We still live in a society where the girls family is the one that dishes out most of the money, so while a combined function is a budget friendly option for the groom, its certainly not for the bride, even if everyone is 'cool' about going half-half these things create tension and who wants that. So no combined functions?? Well not really, you can have your sangeet-tilak-engagement function together. Engagement functions are the unavoidable ones, so you will be throwing a big party anyways add on your dance performances, the tilak rituals. You have a 3in1 and a complete blast!
10. The tiny details: What can be avoided, avoid it! Before deciding on anything ask yourself "Do I like it?" "would my guest like this?" " Will anybody notice if it isn't on the list"
Any other tips on how to have a Budget wedding the Indian way??
Oh and I forgot to mention: use contacts! wherever you can,whenever you can.("MLA sab ka phone aaya ho ga ap kay pas" , "Arey Uncle ap ki beti merey saath 5th class may thi" ) instant discounts guaranteed.
Here is what you get :
1. Cut down on your guest list (I cant do that , mom and dad will kill me if I don't call Rakesh Tauji's 2nd cousin once removed...hmm maybe I can make the invitation accidentally get lost... )
2. Marry Off-season (are you serious?! and every time anything goes wrong between the two of us everyone will be like "galat time pay shaadi ki thi na is liye", too much superstition attached! plus summers too hot, winters too cold, and rainy season is too rainy...the pre-decided pundit dates actually fall into the correct season)
3. DIY, make your own center pieces (for 300+ guest, ya right)
4. Instead of invites, send emails, better still make a wedding website! (yes and when the cousin dadi living at Jhunjunu finds out your married and you didn't call her, its sure to be an epic family war)
5. Have lesser function (this is probably the only one that makes sense!)
So what do you REALLY do?!
Indian weddings are so closely connected to a family's status and honor that our parents start saving for our wedding since the day we are born.
Now most of us gain independence financially almost within a year of graduation and we want take part in our own wedding budget. If not that then atleast we want to leave out all the 'faltu' karcha.
10 Easy Ways to get your Big Fat Indian Wedding Under a Budget!
1. Pre-book a venue well in advance. If your booking 8-9 months in advance there are chances you will get a better discount. Also there are a lot of venue's that come with a pre-decorated area, if your really tight on budget then choose a venue that already has a setup in place, this way you don't need to pay extra for decor.
2. Go for a simpler card. Less number of insert, smaller petite and beautiful. Choose the color well. A beautiful color coordinated card stands out more than a messy big box.
3. Candid photography Vs Studio photography, while candid photography is gaining popularity studio's are not doing bad work either, and the price difference is huge. A good Candid photographer can charge any where between 2-4 Lac for a 3-4day wedding functions with video charges additional, while studio photographers at the same cost can provide you with 2 still photographers and 1 videographers, add on another 20k and you get an armature candid guy as well. So think over it!
4. Food is one thing you should NOT compromise on, make sure the quality is excellent! Trust me people will not remember whether you had lilies or orchids, they will remember the Shahi Paneer and deserts. You can save here specially on the smaller functions and the easiest way to do that without hearing complaints from people is have a theme associated with the function, so if its a rajasthani sangeet you just need 4-5 rajasthani dishes.
5. Makeup: book a salon instead of a Makeup Artist. Bridal Makeup via Salons start at around 10k (so I have heard) and Makeup Artist Bridal Makeup start at 18k. Also do your makeup for smaller functions on your own.
6. DJ: Have a friend who has the best dance music on their ipod? Get a pair of speakers plug in the ipod your set for sangeet or even engagement..(for the wedding it will be a bit to risky)
7. Sale season! Shop during Sales, at exhibitions, promotions, etc. You can get huge discounts on bridal wear during sales and during off-season July, April, any month that falls right after the wedding season is off-season for wedding wear.
8. Gold: Every girl needs a bit of gold, buy it when its at its lowest (now!), even if your not getting married for another 3-4 years if your reading this then your planning your wedding so buy it before it starts climbing up!
9. Combine functions : Its easy to say that lets have a combined sangeet or mehendi function, both boy and girl side together. But who pays for that? We still live in a society where the girls family is the one that dishes out most of the money, so while a combined function is a budget friendly option for the groom, its certainly not for the bride, even if everyone is 'cool' about going half-half these things create tension and who wants that. So no combined functions?? Well not really, you can have your sangeet-tilak-engagement function together. Engagement functions are the unavoidable ones, so you will be throwing a big party anyways add on your dance performances, the tilak rituals. You have a 3in1 and a complete blast!
10. The tiny details: What can be avoided, avoid it! Before deciding on anything ask yourself "Do I like it?" "would my guest like this?" " Will anybody notice if it isn't on the list"
Any other tips on how to have a Budget wedding the Indian way??
Oh and I forgot to mention: use contacts! wherever you can,whenever you can.("MLA sab ka phone aaya ho ga ap kay pas" , "Arey Uncle ap ki beti merey saath 5th class may thi" ) instant discounts guaranteed.
A modern blingy blouse paired with a rich plain saree can give you a million dollar look while being easy on your pockets!!
ReplyDeleteLove all the tips! I agree with all your ideas - especially the photography one... some people like the studio photographers, and that's good for them!
ReplyDeleteIndian marriage includes all the relatives and also all the custom formalities which costs alot. and we have to follow such formalities because of to save the goodwill of our family.
ReplyDeleteGreat practical tips! Me and my fiancé decided to hire a common photographer for both families who will cover the wedding. This way, we saved the manpower of hiring two different ones. And the total cost is being split!
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for the exciting blog posting! I really enjoyed reading it, you are a brilliant writer. I actually added your blog to my favorites and will look forward for more updates.
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