Planning for the wedding gets exciting and challenging as you count down the days until the big day. A few months out, you would have gathered all the input needed to hold your perfect wedding. What you have to do then is to re-organize your ideas and refresh all decisions, as there is no looking back to do course correction later. You must make decisions on many things – from the bridal dress, jewellery, and makeup to the wedding venue, guest list, food, decorations, photographer, event manager, and much more. The real task is to decide what will remain on the list and what can be taken out as per the budget provision for the wedding.
So, here we go! If you’re looking for pocket-friendly wedding ideas that you want to keep on your list, this blog is for you.
Affordable online wedding invitations
Wedding invitation occupies the topmost priority in any Indian wedding planning. It is the first element in the wedding to-do list which must be executed. Traditional printed wedding invitation cards are expensive and time-consuming to get done, and one needs to plan the distribution and RSVP acknowledgments offline given the fact that your guests are across the country or around the world.
Instead, digital invitations are an easier option, as they can be made by you and sent to all guests within minutes. Selfanimate online video maker has a curated list of ready-made wedding invitation video templates that you can edit on the go. You will find many invitation theme options to choose from, and it doesn’t cost much to make a professional-looking wedding invite video. Opting for online wedding invitations will definitely put a smile on your face as you can contain the expenses on this line item right away.
Another advantage of online wedding invitation videos is that they can be shared with guests on WhatsApp, email, or SMS, and you save on shipping and courier costs too. Guests can respond online with RSVP, and you can track this data automatically. Online wedding video makers like Selfanimate allow greater creativity and trackability.
Check out one of the ready-made video invitation templates from Selfanimate.
Wedding decorations
The décor consumes almost 20% of the wedding budget. Any step taken to bring down this cost will show substantial savings in your budget. To reduce the budget and waste from decor, try using fewer flowers and more drapes. It is a good suggestion that will look attractive and not be super expensive.
You can also involve local decorators who can source things locally at a better price, instead of bringing high-end wedding decorators from other cities to organize a branded wedding. Moreover, YouTube or Pinterest will give you absolutely stunning ideas that you can ask to be implemented.
Choosing the season wisely
This is another factor that can play in increasing or decreasing your wedding budget. Picking the wedding date is a traditional and ritualistic process in Indian weddings. However, given the nature of our lives today, there is a lot of consideration and flexibility given to picking the wedding date or season. To save on cost, one option is to select an off-season date when the demand for marriage halls, banquet services, and hotel availability is not high.
The wedding season in India is generally during the winter months from November to February. Choosing the off-season date would give you many cost-related advantages as all the services are cheaper than in the peak wedding season.
Host different functions at the same venue
Instead of having the wedding and reception at different venues, consider hosting both functions at the same venue. Even if the wedding is planned at a local community center, church or temple facility, nearby hotel property, or a destination wedding, optimizing the venue rental will go a long way in reducing overall wedding expenses. What makes this an affordable wedding idea is that it saves on logistics, travel, stay, and vendor coordination and helps you stay organized.
Use more DIY elements
Using too many props for wedding decorations is an unwanted expense. To cut down the expense you could use Do-it-Yourself (DIY) elements or rent them at an affordable cost. For example, if you are good at crafts, you could make decor items yourself and give them that extra personal touch. Or you could pick design ideas from Pinterest and execute them.
Narrow down your guest list
Limit your guest list by inviting only your near and dear ones to the wedding. Invite guests who’ve been a part of your life and whose blessings you would want on your special day. Surely you love your friends at work, but they’ll understand you are keeping the wedding intimate. Smaller weddings are more relaxing for both your guests and the couple getting married.
In conclusion
Planning a pocket-friendly wedding is no easy task. Do your research, and list down the cost items for the wedding before getting started. Please keep aside 4-5% of your wedding budget for miscellaneous expenses that will come unannounced. Identify people and resources who can accomplish the final list of tasks you have shortlisted for the wedding and track it to completion, just like how we do in our business or job.
