8 tips for organising a budget-friendly wedding

Cut costs, not corners.

The big fat Indian wedding of your dreams is extravagant and exciting, but it comes at a jaw-dropping cost. Catering, decor, venue rental, outfits, and other services will rack up bills worth a few lakhs and burn a hole in your pocket. A wedding is supposed to be a joyous occasion, and putting yourself through financial strain is no way to enjoy this new beginning. 

There are several ways to save money without compromising the quality of the wedding. If you feel like you don’t know where to cut costs, worry not, we have some tips that will help you save (quit a bit of) money!

Get married on a weekday 

Weekend weddings may be the norm, but did you know that if you book a venue during one of the weekdays, it will be considerably cheaper? A couple of other benefits to getting hitched on a weekday are: availability of more vendors (they are mainly booked for the weekends, remember?) and venue availability not being a problem.  

Digital invitations 

Traditional wedding invitations cost around ₹250-700 per piece; they will cost a lot more if you want to send a gift basket with the invitation. You can always turn to digital invitations if you want to save up money, as they come for low as ₹1,200. You also won’t have to worry about delivery fees as e-invites are emailed / Whatsapp-ed. Furthermore, if you know the basics of graphic designing, you can design your wedding invitations yourself. 

Limit guests

Your parents might not be happy with this tip, but limiting guests is the easiest way to save money. Fewer guests bring down logistics and catering costs. And after all, a smaller guest list means you get to share your special day with the people closest to you. 

Have the reception and wedding at the same venue 

Two different venues mean two venue fees, and two decor and logistics costs. Having the reception and wedding at the same venue will save your money as well as save you from another day of micromanaging all the preparations. 
 
Have the haldi and mehendi ceremony at home 

If you are planning on splurging on your wedding day, having the haldi and mehendi ceremony at your home; it might take off some of the burden off your wallet. If you have a friend or family member who has a courtyard or a terrace, ask them if the ceremonies can be held there.    

Go for local vendors 

Fresh flower decor looks breathtaking and elegant, but they are expensive owing to their perishable nature. Using local flower vendors won't just boost your local economy but also cut the transportation costs of the flowers. 

Rent outfits 

Every Indian bride dreams of wearing a designer (most often, Sabyasachi) lehenga when she walks to the mandap, but they don't come for cheap. However, there is a way where you don’t have to compromise with your dream lehenga or your budget. You can rent designer lehengas at a fraction of their retail price from places like Rent it Bae, or Flyrobe.

Use a playlist over DJ

No wedding is complete without a dance floor full of people grooving to the latest hits. Usually, you need a DJ to facilitate this, but if you are on a budget, you can always use a playlist as an alternative. You can ask a friend or a relative to watch over the playlist and add in song requests as and when they come up. 

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