The Definitive Guide to Creating Your Wedding Budget

Weddingsare a huge affair in India and people spend a massive amount of their savings. It is also not unusual to see people sale their property or pull out their investments to accommodate the wedding expenses. It is also very common to see people go over budget on their wedding expenses. As such, it is very important to create a detailed budget structure, analyze your areas of expenses and make the necessary adjustments accordingly. Having a detailed budget in hand helps you plan your finances. In case, you are falling short on your finances, you can also plan for an instant loan.

Planning for an instant loan beforehand gives you the opportunity to work on improving your eligibility. You can improve your credit score, do your research well to find the best lender and establish a rapport with the lender by availing a small loan. You can also download the best loan app and keep an eye on their offers.

What Should I Include in My Wedding Budget?

The most challenging but crucial step in planning your wedding is to estimate the right budget. From the engagement ring and dress to your wedding venue and caterer, you must consider the detailed expenses and have room for emergency changes. Also, having a budget in mind will prevent you from splurging on one thing and having no budget for another thing.

Here is a list of significant financial concerns that are going to be a part of your wedding budget.

• Pre-Wedding Shoot
• Jewellery
• Venue Bookings
• Hotel Bookings
• Caterers
• Decorations
• Photography and Videography
• Music and DJ
• Wedding Outfit, Makeup, and Hair
• Transportation
• Some Miscellaneous Expenses
• Gifts for relatives
• Honeymoon

How to Create a Wedding Budget?

Your wedding’s budget can be made or broken by several expensive issues. You should concentrate on these major purchases since the smaller ones will undoubtedly follow. Here is a step-by-step guide to planning your wedding in the best way.

Decide the Wedding Date

Indians are firm believers of “Kundali” and astrology, so if you are deciding your wedding dates based on that then you might set a date in the wedding season which is November, December, January, February, March, and April. Keep in mind that the cost of everything related to the wedding is going to be quite high at that time. Consider having your wedding during the off-season to save your expenses. All wedding-related expenses will be a bit less expensive during the off season.

Decide the Number of Events

Some events are mandatory at weddings like Sangeet, Mehendi, Haldi, wedding ceremonies, and reception. The number of expenses increases with each event, so try to keep your events to a minimum. If you’re determined on having many wedding activities, then consider clubbing them. You can have the sangeet and mehndi at the same time, and the reception right after the wedding. Consolidating the events will help you reduce expenses. Also, you can save extra costs by hosting the pre-wedding events at home.

Prepare a Guest List

If you areorganising a multi-event wedding then you need to prepare a guest list, because more people means more invites and more invites mean more expense. So you can have close relatives at your pre-wedding events and call the rest of them on your wedding day. Keep a close rein on your guest list and, if necessary, modify and review it again to stay within your budget.

Create your Wedding Invitations

Once you have finalized your guest list you can start printing your wedding cards. In this digital era, you can go for digital cards. Choose a template and design your card. You can email or WhatsApp them to your guests or if you want to do it in an old-school way, you can choose the template of your choice, do some DIY and then send it to your guest’s house.

Decide the Venue

This is one of the biggest expenses of your wedding. Part plots and lavish lawns have a heavy price tag. To keep the cost low, look at your nearby banquet halls or hotel dance halls. Another innovative way of holding a budget wedding is finding an imaginative location like your friend’s farm or the big backyard. These settings may lead to the creation of a statement wedding with unforgettable memories.

Choose Catering Services

Catering is one of the most important sections in your wedding budget and it can be quite costly too. The idea here is to sticking to the basics and focusing on the quality rather than quantity. Be careful and stick to your fundamentals only, concentrate on the quality of food rather than variety. Make arrangements to serve the food warm and fresh.

Select Decorations

You can have a tight budget and still have exquisite decor. You can display your originality in the way you design your space by searching on the internet and coming up with DIY tricks and budget-friendly ideas. Remember that your wedding will be a one-day ceremony and the decor is temporary, you can use the money you spend on decor at some other place.

Wedding Outfit and Jewellery Shopping

Your budget might be severely damaged by the cost of your wedding attire, jewellery, makeup, and hair. Don’t overspend on the essentials. Use the antique, precious sarees in your mother’s and grandmother’s closets to make your wedding attire. As a bonus, wear jewellery that is family heritage. You can also go fabric shopping and get your outfit stitched. But if you wish to get a ready-made wedding outfit and custom jewellery, we advise you to shop during the off-season because the cost is going to be comparatively low at that time.

Hire a Wedding Photographer and Videographer

Your wedding photos and videos are a very significant aspect of your wedding. There are many different forms of photography accessible nowadays. If you want to save money on photography, you can hire a freelance photographer or an amateur photographer. You can also ask your friend or relative who has an excellent eye for capturing through the lens to capture photos at small events and employ a professional photographer for the big day.

Choose Reasonable Gifts for your relatives

In India, it is customary to offer gifts and seek blessings from close relatives and family friends. The list is often long and giving expensive gifts might be a big hit on your budget. Hence, it is important to think it through, do thorough proper market research andfind great deals on bulk purchases. Planning your gifts well ahead can help you save big!

Pick your Place for Your Honeymoon

After all your days of socializing, your honeymoon will be the most crucial element after your wedding where you can spend time with each other. This period gives you time to create a deeper connection with your partner. You can sit down and search for some good hill stations or go to another country as well which is quite affordable like Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Vietnam, or Malaysia.

Conclusion

Based on all these aspects, you can create your wedding budget. The estimated cost for your budget wedding may vary from anywhere between 5 lakhs to 50 lakhs. Analyze your financial situation to determine what you have, and how much more you need. Always remember the more controlled your borrowing is, the easier will be your repayment journey. After all, stepping into a new life will also bring new expenses.