It’s the season of weddings in India, which means it’s time to scan through the many wedding magazines to steal an idea that’ll help you achieve your fairytale wedding. But alas! Looking at all that fancy décors and design, the only thing you wish to steal to be able to afford a big fat Indian shaadi is MONEY.
We all dream of a grand shaadi (Bhai! Zindagi mein ek baar karni hai) but how many of us can afford it? And we shudder when someone proposes a ‘budget’ or ‘low-key’ marriage. Eeww! But let’s face it, we’re not all bade khandaan se.
The Quint is here to tell you some ‘uncool’ but sensible ways to not send your dear parents into bankruptcy. Imagine all that you could do with the money saved – splurge on your honeymoon, invest in a house, pay-off your education loans, buy Jimmy Choos. Sigh.
Dress to Kill
Brides-to-be have a long wishlist when it comes to a perfect shaadi ka joda. But if the flawless designer lehenga costs you anything around Rs 2 lakh, we suggest you keep it right back.
Go Gandhi and wear your grandma’s wedding sari or turn your mother’s sari into a beautiful suit. Apologies Ritu Kumar, but heirloom memories would weigh more than your expensive bridal trousseau.
And save the rest for a rainy day.
Off-Season is the Right Season
Getting married in the off-season is value for money. The caterers would not charge you an exuberant fee nor would they serve leftover food from someone else’s wedding. Booking the venue would be cheaper as compared to during the November-February wedding season. Also, the baraatis won’t keep you waiting for long as there would be no shaadi traffic on Delhi roads.
Please to Court: I Do
Break some rules! It’s not just a wedding but a marriage. Why spend those precious hours doing namastes and pairi ponas to relatives and family friends you’ll probably never meet again.
Skip that level of socialising with your chacha’s bhatija or your neighbours dadi – do a quick, low-key court marriage wearing a simple silk sari or a suit and later host a small friends and family weekend lunch or dinner.
And splurge on an exotic honeymoon with the money you save.
Bar Bar Dekho!
An Indian wedding is incomplete without alcohol. Hic! But you wouldn’t want your money to be flushed out of drunk uncles’ and dudes’ systems. Here’s an easy way out –limit the choices of alcohol you have to offer and the time till which it’s available. Only serve alcohol that doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket – after all beer, whiskey and vodka are all-time favourites.
Say goodbyes to fancy cocktails and champagne. Once drunk, it doesn’t matter what you drinking.
WhatsApp? You’re Cordially Invited
Let’s be kind to Mother Earth and save paper. Skip the traditional invites. No shame in being cheap and saving on courier costs. Just shoot an email or WhatsApp the invitations to your friends. We do live in the digital age!
Use the money for the spa indulgence you’ve always denied yourself and what could be a better time than before your big day.
Picture This!
You’ll always have that one friend or relative who’s been bitten by the photography bug.
Cash on it!
It’s always good to have a photographer who’ll capture the true spirit of your special day.
Wedding photography is a big (read: money-making) business. Most wedding photographers are likely to charge you a bomb. Don’t be shocked if you are presented with quotes for packages that start at Rs 2 lakh a day.
Those who cannot afford such rates, and this includes most of us, should thank there stars for the invention of smartphones and cool apps, like Eversnap. Now you don’t need a professional to capture the special moments.
Honestly, with Rs 2 lakh you can gift yourself a Tata Nano!
Stage Alert!
Let’s draw the curtains and dismantle the stage. Why have a stage set up for the bride and the groom when the couple can just mingle with the guests and be themselves. This would save them from the jaw-breaking photoshoots.
A stage would cost anything between Rs 20,000 - 40,000, depending on the décor. Save the money and buy some sexy lingerie. What say?
DIY Make-Up
Ambika Pillai, a prominent hairstylist and makeup artist charges anything between Rs 25,000 - 30,000 for bridal make-up.
The very make-up that’ll last for a few hours and make you unrecognisable in your photos. And unfortunately, the memories would last with you forever!
Why brush away the cash for a few hours? Be yourself. Do some simple make-up that shows the real you instead of covering you up under layers of foundation.
Go buy some fancy shoes with the money saved. It’ll last a season. At least!
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