Main Image Via The Conversation
It is no news that Indian weddings are an event of grandeur and extravagance. Sure, it is in our palate to love ourselves some blings-blings, a spacious dance-floor and glorious wedding food. But can this be done without burning a hole in our pockets, or worse still, our parents’?
Here are 5 tips from us at Raaga to help you have a wedding you will remember:
1. Simplify the celebrations
It definitely is tempting to opt for an extravagant celebration that would last for days or a series of celebrations that would stretch-out over months. But, it will do both you and your partner good to remember that it is your marriage that you’ve got to celebrate. The wedding is just the pre-party for those who want to celebrate with you! So once your Registration of Marriage goes through at JPN, opt for a simple temple wedding and reception afterwards.
2. Closed guest list
When one is getting married, it is only natural to want the whole world to know! But do you really want to fork-out to pay for nay-sayers and complainers who would only attend your wedding to compare yours to their neighbor aunty’s distant-relative’s daughter? We think not! And not to mention those who only come for the food!
So limit your guest list to close family and friends who have always supported your growth and have yourself a meaningful celebration with those who genuinely care about you. If you want the rest of the world to know, get on social media. Everyone loves some good wedding photos.
3. Location
Now, this is heavily reliant on the size of your guest list. However, if your guest list is smaller than 100 pax, sourcing for a reasonably priced location should be a breeze. Forgoing hotel ballrooms and fancy locations doesn’t mean your only choice is the community hall (although there really isn’t anything wrong in that).
Look to rent spaces off booking sites that offer picturesque spaces at a fraction of the price you would be paying for something more ‘prestigious’. If your or your spouse’s family home is spacious enough, you can even think about having your reception open-house style. Locations eat a major part of wedding budgets, spend wisely here.
4. DIY décor & door gifts
A recent survey conducted found Malaysian Indian couples spend an average of RM 5000-8000 on wedding decors and RM 3000-RM6000 on door gifts. If this is money you don’t mind spending, go right ahead. However if you’re on a mission of damage control on your savings, get together a décor team among your friends and family to get the job done. You can resort to up-cycling old sarees and the peacock feathers and other decors such as fairy-lights from last-year’s Deepavali to fit your theme and create an Instagram-worthy space. As for door-gifts, we think Polaroid pictures will do the trick just nicely.
5. Outfit and make-up
This is for all the bridezillas out there. Yes, it is your day and yes, you will be a glowing bride. But no, it doesn’t have to cost a bomb. Limit the number of outfits you would be changing into to a maximum of two. Also, be strict with yourself on keeping to your budget when shopping. A lot of outfits will seem appealing; however, we assure you that you will be able to find something beautiful that matches your budget. You just have to spend a little more time and effort looking. Enlist the services of your MUA friends and support their businesses instead of spending a fortune on celebrity MUAs who will never have a personal relationship with you.
If you are getting married anytime soon, congratulations from us at Raaga. We hope these pointers gave you some ideas on beginning your life together, debt free.