How to plan a wedding in a budget

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Last Updated on July 17, 2022 by Sagarika Kapoor

Planning a wedding is never an easy task. There’s lots of running around, tons of decision making and an extremely tiring vendor research. And on top of all that, trying to plan everything in a budget can sometimes be exhausting. While splurging a little here and there is okay, going unreasonably over your budget can lead to financial stress and burden. Nothing comes without a cost, but if you play smart you can easily cut down on many expenses. If you’re wondering you to plan a wedding in a budget, we have a solution for all your worries. Here are some great hacks to stick to your budget and still have the wedding of your dreams. From DIY and off season shopping to cutting your guest list short, there are many simple ways to spend intelligently on your wedding. Take a look!

How to plan a wedding in a budget

Draft Your Budget Thoroughly 

The first step to a well budgeted wedding is to draft your financial situation thoroughly. Whether you’re someone who relies on mobile apps or an old school who loves penning everything down, it’s important to have it all documented. Start with noting down your total budget for the wedding. Next, try to allot an estimated amount for each expense. Be it the outfits for all functions, the venues, the catering, jewelry or any other wedding expense. Note everything down and try to stick to the allotted budgets during each step of the planning. Of course there will be some minor changes as you start the preparation, but chalking down an approximate budget always comes in handy. 

DIY Your Wedding Cards and Decor

Spending a lot of money isn’t always the best way to ensure pretty decor and wedding cards. Sometimes, the simplest solution is to DIY as much as you can. Whether it is electronic wedding cards, printed cards or decorations for your haldi and mehendi ceremony, you can easily make it all yourself. Watch videos, get supplies and get your friends and family to help you out. This will save you tons of money that you would otherwise spend on professional help. If you’re booking an event planner that gives you a package deal, you can easily get the prize reduced if you cut down on these expenses. 

Play Around With the Jewelry 

We all know that a major part of wedding expenses is the jewelry. While spending on some jewelry items is necessary, you don’t have to wear precious jewels for all your functions. For better budgeting, play around with semi-precious or artificial jewelry as well. While you can’t compromise on your wedding ring and mangalsutra, your sets can be semi precious. You can find many vendors dealing with semi precious or artificial jewelry for the wedding that look just as regal and classy as your precious metals. And if you want precious metals, then mix and match is the key. Ask your jeweler to help you replace some of the precious stones with more budget friendly options like rubies and pearls. 

Shop During the Off-Season 

One of the best ways to plan a wedding in a budget is to shop during the off season. Bridal lehengas and heavy outfits can cost a bomb, especially if you buy them during season time. It is always wise to plan ahead so you can get the best deals and discounts on all your outfits. Be it bridal outfits or outfits for the family, visit multiple stores and compare prizes before you say yes to the dress. Of course everything costs more when the demand is high. So figure out the best time to shop as per the wedding seasons. This will help you crack better deals with all vendors who would otherwise keep their prizes quite high during season time. 

Make an Appropriate Guest List

Gone are the days when you would invite every person you remotely know for your wedding. If covid times have taught us anything, it is how to rationally cut down on your guest list. Not only is it safer during a pandemic, but it is also a great way to plan a wedding in a budget. You don’t have to invite every single person you’ve crossed paths with to your wedding. Invite those you’re closest to like your family, friends and some colleagues that you share a good relationship with. It’s not important to call friends of friends or far off relatives who you might see once a year and have no real connection with. Keeping your guest list to a minimum is one of the most intelligent ways to save your money. 

Plan Everything in Advance 

If you’re really serious about budgeting your wedding expenses, a great way is to start early and plan everything in advance. Don’t just leave two months to plan your entire wedding. It obviously costs more to make last minute arrangements. Be it venue hunting, outfit shopping, decor, entertainment, you can strike a good deal on everything if you have enough time. Planning in advance means you can get more time to research and negotiate to crack the best deal. It is also possible that all your local vendors get booked before you even get a chance to contact them. And we all know outsourcing vendors from different cities can cost much more. So it is always wise to plan in advance and get all your bookings sorted. 

Keep the Decor Minimalistic 

Decor and venue can sometimes take up a major part of the wedding budget. But if you choose smartly, you can cut this expense quite significantly. It’s your wedding and you get to choose your decor, not the nosy relatives who your barely want to invite. Go minimalistic without caring about what will people say. If you’re getting married in a hall or banquet, try and make the most of the venue’s interiors itself. Only add decorations where necessary and make sure you strike a good deal with your decorator. Alternatively, you can also DIY your decorations or rent decor items at a reasonable price. Also, try and pick seasonal flowers for the decor as that can cut down your cost by almost half the amount. Everything doesn’t need to be grand and OTT, keep the decor simple, elegant and budget friendly. It can look equally appealing if you simply put in some effort and creativity.

We hope you found these wedding planning tips helpful! For more wedding related tips and hacks, stay tuned to Styl Inc Blogs.

Keep’in it Styl’ ish,

Signing off,

Kashika