Another royal wedding is just around the corner. If your wedding is on the cards too, then these 11 tips will surely help you plan a grand one on a budget.
We are one day away from the most anticipated royal wedding of the year – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Now you might not be invited but you are sure going to be a part of all the action from the comfort of your home.
Saturday’s affair could really serve up some inspirations if your wedding is on the cards too. Oh, don’t worry about the budget. We are going to share 11 tricks with you which will help you to rein in some expenses, yet present a grand affair on your big day.
Additional Reading: Should You Go For Loan Against Property To Fund Your Wedding?
Let’s begin.
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Take time to plan, but not too long
Most royal weddings are flawless. The secret lies in meticulous planning. The royal couple formally announced their engagement in late November and forecast the wedding to take place in Spring 2018. And, indeed, they stuck to the plan.
We say, six months is a good time to plan a wedding. If yours is going to be a more intimate affair, you can perhaps do away with three.
Your wedding-planning timeline should match the scale of the wedding. If you don’t have enough time to make arrangements, you can burn yourself out before the wedding day. At the same time taking too long to plan a wedding can cause confusion and chaos.
Planning a wedding well ahead of time gives you more time to explore your options and get all necessaries for the best price. Too short a timeframe takes away the bargaining power from you. Just the venue will cost you an arm and a leg, and then there are other expenses.
Additional Reading: Is Your Wedding Coming Up? Here’s Why You Should Insure It!
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Think Off-Season
Autumn and winter are the major wedding seasons in India. And not-so-surprisingly, the prices of wedding necessities spike up during this period. You might even find yourself struggling to find a venue or a half-decent caterer.
But all this can be avoided if you think out of the box. How about getting married in spring or summer just like the royal couple? Spring is as good in India as it is in London. And if summers are your thing then you can take the baraat to a hill station for a destination wedding.
Off-season gives you the power to bargain great deals on the A to Z of the wedding. Now couple this with the spring-summer sale season. You are sure to be delighted!
Additional Reading: Go For A Cashless Wedding
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Smart Venue Selection
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will tie the knot at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. The chapel has witnessed many royal weddings and is particularly special to the couple as they spent a lot of time here during their courtship period.
Is there a place that is special to you and your better half? Why not plan your wedding there? Instead of going the conventional way by getting married in wedding halls and hotels within the city, you can pick a farmhouse or a resort on the outskirts. It’ll be a more peaceful and private affair.
Moreover, it’ll be well worth the wads of money you’ll be saving, believe us.
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Renting Your Clothes And Jewellery
Trousseau shopping is a thrilling experience, but all those pretty silks and nets come for a price. You might never wear it again but these things generally have keepsake value and become heirloom over a longer period of time.
The royals either go with heirloom pieces, as common in India, or get it tailor-made by top names in the industry, a practice popular in the west.
What should you do? You don’t have to look any less than a queen or a king on your big day but neither should you have to spend like one to get the look. You can choose to go with your mother’s wedding dress and customize it to today’s fashion trends or you can get something absolutely trendy and new on rent. There are a dozen and more brands out there that let you rent top-notch designer pieces for less than half their market value.
Weddings wouldn’t be as bright as they are without statement jewellery pieces. We are talking about gold. If you are investing heavily in gold then consider bars and gold coins. These instruments have a good resale value as opposed to jewellery where your gains can be soaked up by high making charges. Moreover, coins and bars score higher on purity.
Of course, you can rent jewellery too!
Additional Reading: 5 Wedding Ideas That DIY Hard
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Go Easy On The Decorations
If you notice, the royal weddings are simple and elegant. You don’t have to go heavy on the décor to make things look grand. In fact, too much of it can give the whole affair a cluttered or tacky feeling. Keep it simple, clean and elegant. You can opt for flowers and some soft lighting. This will help with the pictures too.
You can also learn some DIY tricks and together with your family and friends you can weave magic. This will help you save on cost too!
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Picture Perfect
Every couple is picture-perfect, at least on the wedding day, and hence you nothing less than the best photographer in town. We agree! Your wedding is a one-time event and you want to capture all the memories. But don’t forget to factor in the cost.
Well, we have some good news. There are a number of photographers looking to get a break in the wedding scenes. Find somebody who has just started out as a wedding photographer and is eager to get a good break. These talented people can deliver all the frame worthy pictures you need and more. They might even throw in a few extras to gain some goodwill.
Additional Reading: How To Make Your Big Fat Indian Wedding A Low-Cost Affair
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Wedding Invite
From perfumed to musical – there are all kinds of invites out there in the market. But paying for them might make you want to cut your guest list short. You can get customised invites for the special ones, but for the most, you can solve your worries with e-invites. E-invites are also a good way to get an accurate number of RSVPs. After all, this is going to determine your food budget in a big way.
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Eat To Your Heart’s Content
Food is an important part of every big, fat Indian wedding. There are delicacies after delicacies. We understand that the size of the buffet is one way to show the world your standing in society, but take it easy. Look for new caterers in town. They’ll serve up world-class food for a pocket-friendly price. You can also get creative with the food items on the list. Add comfort food to your offering. They are always a hit, and light on the pocket.
Additional Reading: How To Deal With Financial Emergencies During A Wedding
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Don’t Hesitate To Ask For Help
A lot of people will offer to lend a hand with the wedding arrangements. Don’t hesitate to take their help. Take all the help you can. This will alleviate a whole lot of stress. This also applies to extended family offering monetary help. In other cases, people might refer a photographer or a caterer. Consider it. You never know. You just might get a good deal.
Additional Reading: 13 Smart Tricks To Save On Your Wedding
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Rewards Credit Card
A good way to get some returns on all your truckloads of wedding shopping is by using the right Credit Card.
A rewards Credit Card will help you get the most out of your shopping by means of cashback, special discounts etc. Explore a host of Credit Cards that will go well with your wedding shopping!