Dream Celebrity Wedding Now A Reality: Shahid & Mira’s Big Day And How To Achieve It On A Budget

Celebrity weddings are synonymous with Big (read: larger-than-life) Fat Indian Weddings – extravagant jewellery, wedding venues that speak of grandiosity and wedding outfits that cannot be matched. And while we secretly dream of having a celebrity-like wedding, we often fail to have one because of ONE key factor that is, Cha-ching, the money! But what if we told you the wedding budget was an easily manageable factor and that having a celebrity-like wedding isn’t out of reach? Just like all the other aspects of the wedding, your finances too can be perfectly tailored to suit your needs. All it takes is a bit of planning, comparing financial products and opting for the right ones. So, what does it take to have a celebrity-like wedding? Let’s take a look!

Our current favourite celebrity couple, Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput, recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary, and through all their mushy Instagram posts and swoon-worthy pictures, we were taken back to their pretty-pretty Delhi wedding, held last summer, that is oh-so-doable for your Indian wedding! Shahid and Mira’s Delhi wedding was full of the simple things. Each element, from their invites to their décor and even their wedding outfits, was simple, chic and classy. The key to having a wedding so beautiful is personalisation. This gorgeous couple gave heavy weightage to personalising the tiniest details of their wedding.

So fret not, bride-to-be! While your dream of marrying Shahid Kapoor may never come true, having a wedding JUST like his is definitely possible with Weddingz.in and a little bit of help from BankBazaar.com!

Picture Source: bollywoodhungama

The Mehndi and Sangeet

What Mira & Shahid Did

Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput opted to have their mehndi and sangeet on the same day in an indoor space with completely DIY-able décor! Mira wore a fresh yellow and peach gota-work Anita Dongre lehenga with simple floral jewellery. Cutesy little bells and pinwheels were Mira’s backdrop as she sat and had her hands beautifully drawn with mehndi designs. Their sangeet stage too was kept fairly simple with a customised Bollywood-styled poster kept on the stage. The pre-wedding ceremony took place at a farmhouse close to the Radha Soami Satsang Beas ashram near Chattarpur itself.

As we mentioned earlier, Mira chose to wear a gota-work Anita Dongre lehenga (costing close to Rs. 1.5 lakh or more). Mehndi + Sangeet outfits need to be light and easy to move in, hence, the choice of gota work.

• Cost of the farmhouse venue – Rs. 10 lakh (for 3-4 days)
• Cost of Anita Dongre lehenga – Rs. 1.2-2 lakh
• Wedding planner/decorator – Rs. 6-8 lakh with sound, lighting and décor.

What You Can Do

If you do not want to go for an Anita Dongre, consider similar yellow beauties that work the mehndi magic perfectly.

Combine two pre-wedding events and have one BIG night of celebration and naach-gaana! Save money, an extra outfit, and have double the fun. It need not be an extravagant celebration with loudspeakers, lights and backup dancers; all you will need to make your wedding like Shahid & Mira’s is DIY details, colourful cushions and a thumka-worthy Bollywood playlist!

• Cost of a similar farmhouse – Luxury Farmhouse, Chattarpur, Brij Greens, Chattarpur, The Executive Club Resort – Rs. 2-3 lakh/day.
• Cost of a similar lehenga – Rs.30,000-50,000 at local multi-designer outlets or online sources like Pernia’s Popup Shop or Craftsvilla.
• Wedding planner/decorator – DIY décor along with sound and light – Rs. 1.5-2 lakh/day.

BankBazaar Tip: Wondering how to manage the moolah? Here’s an option. If you are thinking about taking a loan to pay for your venue, consider an overdraft (OD) against your Fixed Deposit (FD). This has the lowest rate of interest; usually 1% over the FD rate that you are receiving interest at. So, if you are receiving interest at 8% for your FD, the OD against FD will be 9%, which is the lowest possible rate at which you can get a loan.

The Chooda and Kaleere Ceremony

What Mira & Shahid Did

While we don’t have much dirt on how the Chooda and Kaleere ceremony went down, based on the little we know, this ceremony was held at the same farmhouse as the Sangeet and Mehndi ceremony. Mira wore a simple bright yellow, embroidered, light kurta, with a white lehenga along with a smile as radiant as the sun! The highlight of this special ceremony was the lovely lady herself and the gorgeous jewellery she wore. Our guess is that it’s either heirloom or from an expensive jeweller.

Approximate cost of jewellery – Rs. 25 lakh

What You Can Do

• Reusable DIY décor – Mira’s Chooda ceremony décor was the same as her sangeet + mehndi.
• Go for the same venue – Huge cost saver, since you might get a great package deal.
• Simple button-down kurta + chudidaar – Pick a simple chiffon/georgette suit in bright hues. Orange, yellow or even a pastel green can do wonders!
• Go for Kundan instead of Polki and achieve the same look in less than half the budget.

BankBazaar Tip: Now, the important bit – getting into the finances! Strapped for cash? You could consider a Personal Loan to buy jewellery. Choose your loan with as much care as you would your jewellery. Pick one with the lowest processing and prepayment charges. This way you can close the loan early and save on the interest. Compare across lenders before you choose a loan. You could even look at applying for the loan along with your betrothed. This will increase your eligibility. And don’t forget to check the Gold Rate before buying.

The Tasteful and Intimate Wedding

What Mira & Shahid Did

The wedding rituals were kept low-key and held at the same farmhouse on the outskirts of Delhi. Mira carried a heavy bridal dupatta along with a simple kurta-patiala and minimal bridal jewellery. After the nuptials, Shahid and Mira both levelled up their wedding wear game and were seen in complementing attire in tones of pink and white. The best attribute of Mira’s bridal ensemble was the simplicity of her blush-pink bridal lehenga by Anamika Khanna. Not too heavy, not too light.

• Approximate cost of wedding lehenga – Rs. 4-5 lakh
• Approximate cost of wedding sherwani – Rs. 6 lakh
• Approximate cost of reception venue – Rs. 20-22 lakh

What You Can Do

Keep the simplicity factor up like Mira did. Her choice of a heavy bridal dupatta was all that was needed to bring her bridal look together. For the reception, the pink Anamika Khanna lehenga with sequins work and embellishments could be a difficult one to imitate. Hence, we suggest spending on something in beautiful silk or with intricately detailed borders while keeping the colour tones pink, peach or blush to achieve a similar look.

• Approximate cost of your wedding lehenga – Rs. 50k-1 lakh. Look for local designers, online retailers and boutiques in your city to get a customised lehenga.
• Approximate cost of your wedding sherwani – Try Bubber Couture for men – Rs. 50,000-70,000.
• Approximate cost of your reception venue – Palm Greens, Karnal Road and Golden Tulip – Rs. 10-12 lakh.

BankBazaar Tip: It is not a bad idea to purchase your wedding outfits using your Credit Card. But make use of the right card. For instance, using a Cashback Card will help save a ton of money. Similarly, you could use a Miles Card to book rail or air tickets to your venue. If a family member has offered to pay for some of the wedding expenses, they should use their card as well. This way, no one card will be overburdened and everyone’s Credit Score will remain intact.

The Wedding Reception at the Oberoi in Gurgaon

What Shahid & Mira Did

The evening brought with it the grand reception dinner held at The Trident Oberoi at Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon. The dapper groom that was Shahid Kapoor was seen in a black Kunal Rawal bahdgala while Mira kept up with the on-going trend of the cape style lehenga-choli designed by Anamika Khanna.

• Approximate cost of Shahid’s sherwani – Rs. 5 lakh
• Approximate cost of Mira’s cape lehenga – Rs. 5-6 lakh
• Cost of venue including décor – Rs. 20-25 lakh

What You Can Do

You needn’t imitate the exact designs or styles Mira and Shahid wore, but rather, take cues of on-going bridal and groomswear trends and incorporate them into your reception look. The cape-styled lehenga was a huge trend in Indian bridal wear last year, whereas now 3/4^th sleeves and royal silhouettes are in. Ask your designer to keep the current bridal wear trend in mind and create a design that is personalised, in-vogue and beautiful! Go for a four-star property with a smaller, more intimate gathering to get a similar vibe at a lesser price.

• Approximate cost of your lehenga – Rs. 28,000-50,000
• Approximate cost of your sherwani – Manyavaar, Telon in Mumbai, and Brahaan in Gurgaon – Rs. 40,000
• Approximate cost of your venue – Rs. 10-15 lakh

BankBazaar Tip: If you, like Shahid and Mira, plan to have more than one reception and at different locations, you’re going to have to take care of accommodation. You should consider a Travel Credit Card to arrange accommodation, especially if your reception is out of town. There are several travel cards that offer discounts on hotel bookings if done through certain websites. The most important thing that you should remember is to spread your expenses across Credit Cards, as we mentioned earlier. This way you will not exceed your credit limit and the impact on your Credit Score will also be low.

The Post Wedding Mumbai Reception

What Shahid & Mira Did

They outsourced the hospitality to the venue team at the St. Regis hotel. Nothing short of a star-studded affair as anticipated.  Two entire floors of the hotel were booked for the celebrations! Mira looked dreamy in her elegant white and blue Manish Malhotra creation and diamond drop earrings, while Shahid cut a smart silhouette in a three-piece Kunal Rawal.

• Approximate cost of Shahid’s suit – Bespoke – Rs. 2 lakh
• Approximate cost of Mira’s lehenga – Rs. 3.5 lakh
• Cost of venue (including décor) – Rs. 30-45 lakh

What You Can Do

Arrange for a black suit for the groom with a satin lapel collar to add style. As for you, go blue with large floral embroidery as emphasis for the look! Wear minimal diamonds with silver or platinum to define your jewellery for the evening. As for the man, get him a bow tie!

Consider an all-inclusive package at the Sahara Star or Courtyard Marriott to achieve similar grandiosity and service at a lesser cost. Keep your guest list small.

• Approximate cost of your lehenga – Rs. 35,000-50,000
• Approximate cost of your suit – Rs. 15,000
• Approximate cost of your venue – Rs. 10-15 lakh

BankBazaar Tip: A Dining Credit Card will give you the best rewards for hosting a reception like this. Choose a card that will give you discounts on dining spends. Note that there are cards that give you 5X-10X rewards when you swipe for a higher amount. You can use these accumulated rewards to get discounts on your honeymoon! Not a bad idea, right?

The Invite and Favours

What Shahid & Mira Did

Two things that will never go wrong with Indian wedding invitees is chocolates and tea! Shahid & Mira got that just right! They opted to give customised chocolates with desi yet elegant packaging. Made by a Delhi-based bakery called Smitten Bakery located at Asiad Village. A box full of different types of tea was also given as a wedding favour. Curated by Delhi-based Sancha Tea Boutique’s Inner Beauty White & Green Tea collection. As we always say, simplicity is class.

Approximate cost per favour – Rs. 2,000-2,500

What You Can Do

Personalise your wedding favours to elements that describe your personal taste and style. Think homemade chocolates with pretty packaging or a candle with a design that speaks of your wedding theme.

Approximate cost for your favours – Rs. 500-1,000 with personalised packaging and homemade chocolates or teas.

BankBazaar Tip: Always use your Debit Card for small amounts. This will ensure that you don’t get into a debt trap post your wedding. Also, remember that applying for too many loans and Credit Cards at the same time can affect your Credit Score and will decrease the possibility of getting your wedding loan or Credit Card approved. So, try to distribute the load of borrowing among different people like your betrothed and other family members when applying for financial products.

Easy enough to make your big day just like a celebrity’s? With the wedding planning expertise of Weddingz.in and some fine financing options from BankBazaar, you’ll be able to whip up the celebrity wedding of your dreams!