When I got married I wanted to be a simple affair. Just I would-be-hubby, family, and honeymoon. I had my priority sorted.The budget was tight and I wanted no personal loan. But God had other plans. My mom and little sister planned the most wonderful Bengali biye(marriage) on a budget.
How did I plan my wedding on a budget?
6 Top tips to plan your own wedding on a budget
#1 I knew how hard my mum struggled to make ends meet. So I had saved a major part of my stipend for two years in a recurrent deposit. Traditional Indian marriages give a lot of sleepless nights and financial stress to parents. I really didn’t want my mom to go through that.
My would-be-hubby agreed.He was my best friend.But if you know Indian families, you will know just getting your marriage registered and not meeting and greeting all your keen and their in-laws, are crime of the highest degree
I still wanted a budget.But a smart one. I have seen how the quality of life deteriorates with loans and had no plans of being under debt trap.
#2 Be smart while buying jewelry for your wedding.
For my wedding, the plan for the main wedding day was all about the splendor of the Gold. The Bengali bride is supposed to be decked up like a Christmas tree.This needs a massive budget.But I kept it simple. The extras like maang tikka, kamarbandh I made in silver and got them gold-plated. Since silver is also precious metal it was not wasted money. I looked good and managed to do it within the budget.
For the reception I chose to sparkle in diamonds but nothing over the top. An elegant diamond necklace, a simple diamond bracelet, rings, danglers for the ear made up my look for the reception.It was simple and fuss free.Much needed on a boubhat(reception from the groom’s side) day.
How to be smart while buying wedding jewelry?
- Watch out for pre-Diwali and the festival sales.Massive discounts are offered with the making charges. This can help a lot when you are buying several pieces together.
- Don’t buy jewelry which is an exact color coordinated with wedding day outfits.You may not wear the heavy sari or lehenga frequently but you will wear that jewelry.Be careful and pick up the right pieces.
- Buy jewelry from the outfit.Jewelry is an asset.It needs the best decision and investment.Buy it with care.Clothes unfortunately though much needed doesn’t make sense spending a huge amount of money.
- Try to buy jewelry sets which can be worn assembled into larger pieces, or taken apart to form small delicate pieces.Multipurpose jewelry is best.This way you can pack a punch and not worry about where to wear them after your wedding day
- Buy classic pieces which will be family heirlooms.
Buy jewelry with not only will look good on you, but also be value for money.Avoid depreciating assets. I am a typical Indian woman when it comes to buying jewelry.But not so typical when it comes to my feeling about them.
I love gold and diamond jewelry.The beautiful warm golden color looks and brightens up my skin.Diamonds I feel are the much-needed sparkle a new bride needs. I love wearing jewelry, my detachment towards them bordering on the analytical is what drives me while buying jewelry.
Before buying jewelry I researched thoroughly.Jagoinvestor is a site which helped.It is from reading Manish’s books that I got to know that the gold rates get adjusted over 15 to 20 years period.
Gold savings doesn’t make a lot of profit but are inflation-adjusted.So if you want a safe investment, they suggested gold is great.
Diamonds must be certified and have a guarantee of the seller.Their wear and tear is minimum.I believe in keeping assets diversified.Jewellery, when worn, is beautiful and when used as assets are powerful. Believe me, my planning helps when we bought a new home together.
For the jewelry to be an asset what you need to know:
Buy only certified jewelry and not from small local shops.The purity of Gold is what gives it the value.Until you have a quality guarantee you are not safe.
Before you actually shop for your jewelry check online for prices and visit a few shops and get an idea about the money you should save.Having an idea helps you save that.This way you are prepared and won’t feel stressed.Jewelry is one way of having Goddess Laxmi with you.
#3 Book the marriage hall and catering early.
Early booking often gives you a hefty discount.Now for this, I have another super tip. Many good hotels rent out their marriage halls at a nominal price(even free ) when you are catering from them.This way you don’t have to worry about the decor, lighting, and security of your guests.
#4 Get a professional bridal makeup done
Find the most affordable and professional one.If you are a blogger or have a blogger friend you can great deals.Scout around to get a good rate. Then don’t forget to give the artist a testimonial. This way you get dedicated service ,you’re helping somebody and also managing it in your budget.
I got my makeup done at the Lakme salon and it was the most relaxing three hours on my wedding day.Unfortunately, I forgot my shoes and my debit card while leaving for the ceremony.But God is kind.The shop owner himself found out where the function was being organized from neighbors and hopped over to give back my card personally.The kindness of strangers must be remembered.
In weddings people remember how the food was and how the bride looked, exactly in that order!
#5 Get a good photographer on a budget. Talk to them about the event you want to be covered for.
Don’t get carried away.Stick to your budget.Who wants post-wedding bliss spoilt by money worries?Remember you want that fresh newlywed’s bright glow which can be difficult if you are swimming under credit card bills.Again if you are a blogger or have a blogger friend you can get amazing packages.
#6 Relax and enjoy.Plan, pray and stay patient.Everything will be okay.You need to plan smart and make memories, not debt!
Comment below to let me know your tips for buying jewelery.Was it a pain or was it fun?
Disclaimer: Make all purchase decisions based on own research.This post is meant to share my personal experience and knowledge and is not a professional advice.Kindly read my full disclaimer.
Sharing is good Karma!
Discover more from Healthwealthbridge
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Happy New Year
Nice And Very useful info.Amazing write-up….Thanks!
These are some great tips. I wish such resource was handy available when I was planning my wedding!
These are some great tips. I wish these were handy available when I was planning my wedding. I will bookmark this & share whenever anyone in family is getting married.
Well I must admit I never thought about it before and now it’s too late:) . I always see weddings happening on a big scale and do feel that it’s a waste of money. Your tips are certainly helpful.
While a wedding may be an occasion that one really doesn’t think of being miserly or saving, it is good to remember that it is beginning of a life together and all the savings can be used to start a life together.
Lovely tips for the wedding season. I can remember how much I had planned for my wedding but at the last minute most of the plans gets messed up. This is like a planner to have some clear picture of what needs to be done.
Such great tips…also I would say why bear all the expenses alone..split the expenses is a good idea..like at my wedding engagement ceremony expenses were handled by my hubby. 🙂
These are awesome tips. My cousin is gettin married soon…will definetly ask her to read this.
Those are some awesome and great tips, a lot of planning needs here . Hope this post is useful to the newly engaged ones. Thanks for sharing!
Extensive information for wedding planning! I love how you gave some vert clever tips to save on money that often goes waste.
Girl I am super impressed that you planned your own wedding and so well. I am sweating just planning my kid’s birthday party
This is a superb guide for all ppl, who have a wedding at home.
Very extensive and well covered from all aspects.
Those are some great tips, going on budget means a lot of planning. Hope this post is useful to the newly engaged ones.
TRhanks Sangeetha!
Ooooo so many helpful tips!!!! Planning a wedding can be pretty stressful. Definitely good to know what should’ve done
Thanks Courtney
These are some amazing tips. I am a very simple person so had a simple wedding but nowadays I see weddings becoming commercialized. So people tend to just succumb to the flow, your tips will be useful to people who yet want a simple but elegant budget wedding.
Thanks Aesha for the appreciation
Such a useful post! We just go overboard with wedding shopping .. This is so right! My wedding saree is a simple one too 🙂 i reaLly thank my dad who insisted on buying something that i can wear later too !
Sensible parents are the best guide.
I realised very late that the money I spent on the wedding saree and a lot of other stuff was actually a waste, very handy tips Dr
Glad you liked it Akshata.
These tips will be really handy and helpful for the brides and their families too. You have mentioned some really important points which can’t be skipped.
Weddings need a lot of planning and preparations. These are some great tips to plan a wedding within a budget.
A great post! I loved the humour but the very practical advice on this special day.
We need to plan wedding really carefully to avoid extra expenses. And rhe major part is buying jewellery. I like the points you mentioned.
I got married this year, we really tried to cut the cost as much as we could but sometimes we do have a couple of extra expenses. The one thing we skipped was spending on clothes that i would never wear, this is really important piece and i am happy we did it. Great post and tips 🙂
Excellent that you did .It shows foresight and resytrain and common sense.Glad you liked this .
Very well said about marriages in India. And surely these tips will help to be married couples to plan their wedding in budget.
This is such a wonderful and helpful post to plan your wedding with good budget and keep it hassle free too.
Yes I wanted no hassles at all!
These are such great tips! So many people get overwhelmed when it comes to wedding planning and this will help a ton!
You are such a precious gift to your parents Amrita. You have understood your responsibility early in age. Yes, buying a jewellery that can be worn on multiple ocassions is the smart buy.
I had a very small budget for my wedding so I made everything I could myself. From the invites to the candy all was handmade!
Loved reading the tips you shared. These are very helpful for all of those getting married. I am definitely going to share this with them.
Absolutely love the idea of the maang tika and kamarbandh – I wish I considered getting them made in silver and then plated in gold. would have saved a bomb and would have made worth of the money spent on it.
Very informative post it is. All the tips will be helpful for those who are planning their wedding now.
Some great tips to save on budget. Shopping for jewellery that is classic and also wearing semi precious jewelry is also a good idea. Thanks for sharing this.
That’s very beautiful tips for Marriage planning and will be of great help for me. Love the pendant design collection from Caratlane indeed very beautiful jewellery they have
These are awesome tips and will be very helpful for people who are thinking of planning their wedding under budget. Thanks for sharing all the jewelry buying tips, loved it.
Loved these ideas, mainly the expense has to be taken care of while buying jewellery. Indeed pre festival/festival discounts are the best time to buy some gold and diamonds. Even Photographer within budget is a must!
Loved these ideas, mainly the expense has to be taken care of while buying jewellery. Indeed pre festival/festival discounts are the best time to buy some gold and diamonds. Even Photographer within budget is a must!
Some really good ideas that everyone can refer when planning a wedding ☺️????
Loved the tips never knew so much about gold buying will definitely share these with my friends who wedding is coming up
I really enjoyed reading this post and I love your tips. I agree that it’s very important to secure your wedding location early.
Thanks for sharing such wonderful tips. Although I am not married but I can share this with the ppls who are going to get married
Definitely a must read for those who think weddings cannot be done within a budget
Loved your tips… Specially the one on jewellery. I didn’t spend much on gold at all since I knew I won’t be wearing any of those traditional designs. Instead the one I got is simple and could go well with dresses too. Same with clothes. I was like you, didn’t want to spend so much money on wedding. Compared to the amount that’s spent these days, mine was not an expensive affair.
Love all the tops … will be useful when I start to plan my wedding ..
That is a thorough post. Maharashtrian weddings are pretty simple but with changing time, any bride will want to make it up to date after all it’s memorable milestone for her. The tips you have given are very practical.
Really useful tips and tricks. Thanks for sharing such amazing post.
Some great tips Amrita! I agree that we should buy hallmark jewellery! I like the idea of photographer with budget. And yes, never to forget the kindness of people!
Sharing your post with one of my cousins as she is gearing up for marriage post her MDS.
I loved the 6th pointer the most…enjoy the wedding and be relaxed! Marriage happens only once for most of us and is a precious milestone in life!
Thank you so much Anagha.We need to relax and enjoy the day.
It also helps being upfront about the expenses. These are smart tips! We split our expenses, a suggestion given by my father in law!!
Hee hee that we did too.A suggestion given by me.