GuCCi
August 1, 2014, 3:32pm
7
Re: Cost Breakdown of a Wedding, Mehndi, Dholki, Bridal Shower Decor
thank you for sharing this is something I just wanted to read about and get some info. So it looks like your grand total was the range of 45,000 for both mehndi, reception and valima? I just want to know what kind of expectations to have. I am not sure what my budge is yet but I feel that people in California are paying approximately 40,000 per event. Now the mehndi’s here are not simple they have décor from draping the whole place to extra fancy desserts for the guests. Also the stage is elaborate at least the events I have been attending. My plan is to spend a total of 50,000 for both mehndi and reception combined.
It is all relative and depends on the person, and where they live (or rather where the wedding is). It is best to have a budget and some contingency. And it differs from people to people. For instance my in-laws didn’t want to do anything fancy because of their financial constraints so we were fine with a simple valima dinner. However, I wanted a “beautiful wedding” as close to a typical Pakistani wedding back home - because at the end of the day it is my wedding and I should be happy / content with everything. And to be honest, men don’t usually care about these trivial things, as was the case with my husband. I respected my in-laws constraints and also the fact that I don’t want my own parents to be broke, so I chipped in quite a bit & helped my parents out for mehndi and shadi. For all my events, I spent around $20,000.00 on décor, photographer, video, favours and fresh flowers / garlands. Now I live in an area where there is limited availability to anything desi and flowers here cost a fortune. My budget was $18,000 but had a contigency of $3000. The cost of venue, food etc for about 250 people was $45,000. But like I said the venues etc were my choice so the shadi hotel I picked was a 5-star Fairmont and in heart of city core, and the mehndi venue was also pretty high-end. I wanted a simple Mayoun / Dholki (at home) with only family and close friends, so really it was just the cost of flowers / food / sweets / favours. The bridal shower usually is done by your friends, as it was in my case so no cost there. Now this is EXCLUDING the cost of being a bride i.e. dresses and jewellery. I even had a separate budget for being a bride because I knew that with my taste in fashion etc, things don’t come cheap and I do not want to put my family or my husband’s family in a position where they feel like they are broke after the wedding. Also I saved like crazy after engagement and all my money went in this “wedding fund”, which helped with everything at the end from dress to decor. To be honest, with my budget I would have had a super grand wedding in Pakistan.