What To Spend , Save & Splurge On For Your Wedding

Most of us don’t think of actually budgeting when it comes to weddings. Since we marry only once (at least the majority do) , desi families go all out to ensure a nice big, fat expensive wedding. While I do agree that it is important to spend a considerable amount of money on this important event – it is also important to understand where you might be spending either unnecessarily, or spending too much.

Hidden costs are unavoidable when it comes to big budget events like weddings. Parents who save a considerable part of their earnings just for their kids weddings often leave no stone unturned when it comes to shelling it out on weddings, but go over your costs carefully and you’ll see that you can actually cut costs where they aren’t needed, so you can spend on what really matters !

Here’s a few notes –

The Wedding Planner – Save!

Okay, I really don’t understand the purpose of a wedding planner anyway. I think, if you have enough time on your hands and good organizing skills, you can put together an event that’s just as good!  Planners essentially are the guys with contacts.  They have tie-ups with caterers, decorators, bands, couturiers and the like.  If you ,or someone you trust in the family has the skills to plan your wedding – go ahead and take it up.

Bridal Outfits – Spend!

If there’s any one person whose clothing is going to be under the radar – it is the bride. Do not try to cut costs here, opt for expensive fabrics and tasteful cuts.  I’d say expensive fabrics have a great fall and feel, even if they look similar to a cheaper fabric ; the last thing you want to feel on your wedding day is tacky.

Of course, don’t go overboard because the thing about bridal outfits are also that you’re going to be wearing like once your entire life, so while you do spend decently on it, don’t cut off an arm or leg.

Jewelry – Splurge!

Now we’re talking ! Jewelry is always a good investment , more so at weddings. Chances are, you have a couple of family heirlooms handed down from older women in the family. You’ll also want to invest in more sleek designs for the wedding – you don’t need to wear every jewel you own on your wedding (I know some brides literally look like they have on everything they own ) .

Invest in bangles, statement neck pieces and kadas – these aren’t just great buys , but also have great resale value, and better to maintain than studded jewelry. That’s not to say you shouldn’t be buying gems, just get some whole gold pieces as part of your bridal stash – the gems can be add-ons.

Food and Catering – Spend!

How many times have we been to weddings and over heard someone finding fault with the food by either complaining about the dish itself, the service, the variety of the spread or the temperature of the food ?  Even though it takes some real bad manners to be vocal about bad service when you’re an invited guest, you can all but stop people especially if your service or food is really bad!

Invest in a trusted caterer and always count a little more number of heads than your guest list – imagine the embarrassment of not having enough food !

Decor – Spend!

Again, this is something guests are going to either rave about or snitch about. Go with a theme and spend on fresh flowers and props. Love it or hate it, weddings are synonymous with flowers. You hardly want fake flowers or dried up flowers ruining your parade.

Invites – Save!

Unless you really want to add in special details and gifts in the invites you send people, a basic invite is great. Some people even use Facebook to send invites. While that isn’t really the thing to do in desi weddings, don’t go all out and send flashy gold embossed cards with chocolate wrapped almonds either.

Honeymoon – Splurge!

Technically, this isn’t part of the actual wedding. But come to think of it, no matter how many trips you and your partner go on, your honeymoon will always be the most special. Make it worthwhile and look up exotic locales according to your budget and choice of location.

Many girls are not fans of beach honeymoons, some are more adventurous and some others prefer colder climates. make your pick and spend on good travel outfits as well.