Tying the knot? Tips to keep your wedding budget in control

Here are some handy tips to keep your wedding within the budget.

Set a target and watch closely

Guest list and venue; these are the two items that will determine your wedding budget. Other items will depend on these two.

“Planning your wedding can be a stressful and time-consuming process, but setting the budget at the beginning will help you to channel your creative flow in the right direction,” says Anam Zubair, Head of Marketing at WeddingWire India. To simplify the job, you can opt for a budgeting tool, which will not only let you assign a budget to various vendors, but will also help you manage every task and related payments efficiently, Zubair explains.

“In India, the average person will spend 20 percent of their total wealth at the time of the wedding on functions, needs, or wedding-related items. Whatever may be the underlying reasons, this is certainly not a rational decision,” says Manya Singh, Co-Founder, Weddingplz.com, a wedding vendor search portal. She adds, creating and sticking to a realistic budget is not only important, but it can also make all the difference between a joyous celebration and unnecessary debt.

Vikaas Gutgutia, Founder & MD, FNP Weddings recommends maintaining a separate savings account exclusively for wedding expenses. This way, you set aside your wedding expenses and know how much is available for you to spend.

Choose the venue within budget

A banquet hall, lawns at a five-star hotel or at a club, a beach, or just a community hall; your venue can make or break your wedding budget. “Opting for a single venue for all events presents a cost-saving advantage compared to multiple locations,” says Gutgutia. He adds, community halls emerge as the most budget-friendly option for economical weddings.

All venue options have positives and negatives in terms of the budget which you should assess. For instance, “While a community hall can be an economical option, a hotel and resort gives you a package of catering and decorations,” says Sumathy Bachchan, owner of Wedding Sutras, a wedding planning firm. She adds, most hotels and resorts are aesthetically beautiful, so you can play around with lesser decor and lighting to save cost.

“Opting for off-peak season weddings and hosting all events at the same venue can offer substantial savings, accounting for as much as 20-30 percent of the overall budget,” adds Singh.

Wedding date: off-peak vs peak season

“The distinction between off-peak and peak seasons for weddings is substantial, often reaching an average variance of 60-70 percent,” says Gutgutia. For instance, if a budget of Rs 10 lakh is allocated for a March wedding, the expenditure for a similar wedding in August may be reduced to Rs 5 lakh-6 lakh.

Bachchan adds, “You will get a huge discount and your guests will enjoy several goodies if opting for a destination wedding during off-peak season.”

“Similarly, weekday weddings often offer cost savings of around 10 percent to 30 percent due to vendor discounts and increased venue availability,” says Zubair.

Appoint a local vendor

Choosing local vendors can help cut costs during weddings as they often offer competitive prices. “Opting for local vendors helps in minimising travel costs,” says Singh.

“The prevalent way is to take the references of vendors from a family that had a wedding in the recent past,” says Gutgutia. For catering, a thoughtfully curated menu with local, seasonal ingredients can save money, and opting for buffet-style service is often more budget-friendly.

When it comes to invitations, consider digital options to maintain elegance while reducing expenses.

Photography and videography are indispensable aspects of any wedding, but balancing quality with budget considerations is crucial. “Limiting professional photographer hours to key moments, considering budget-friendly alternatives, and even crowd-sourcing photos can contribute to significant savings,” says Singh.

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Be aware of hidden costs

On your wedding day, unexpected expenses can completely throw you off. Here are some instances of hidden costs that could sneak up on you during weddings.

Very often, a wedding programme exceeds the scheduled time fixed with the venue. Most locations charge overtime fees for the venue and support staff when this happens. Inquire about the overtime rules before hiring the venue, says Gutgutia.

If you put up your guests at a hotel, be ready for unexpected room service, laundry charges. And if you arrange for airport pick-up and drop for your guests, then that adds to the cost. Destination weddings at secluded resorts require you to arrange for transportation; city weddings do not really.

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Should you appoint a wedding planner?

Wedding planners are becoming increasingly popular with Gen Zs and the millennials, thanks to a booming economy, rising salaries and television serials like ‘Made in Heaven’ and ‘Indian Matchmaking’. But do you need one? Now, there's a growing preference for the couple to select a wedding planner, seeking a more personalised and tailored experience that aligns perfectly with their choices and preferences.

Wedding planners can customise your wedding and give you an unforgettable experience. They help you design a theme, fix venues and put up a food menu, as per your taste. Singh adds, “Wedding planners can bring industry expertise and valuable connections to secure favourable deals and streamline the planning process.”

But all this comes at a price. “Some planners have a kind of margin with the preferred vendors. They earn a referral commission at your cost,” says Gutgutia.

Wedding planners can set you back anywhere between Rs 50,000 to Rs six lakh, depending on their experience and the type of wedding you’re planning, the scale, budget, destination/venue chosen, and so on.

“Be personally involved in the initial stages of finalisation and negotiation with vendors. This can be taken over by the planner later,” says Bachchan.