I’m getting married in two weeks inshallah and Ive been reading the posts on this forum.
Ive pretty much got all my stuff done so I thought I might share some tips with any other brides who are having to budget
Okay lets see.
Hall
Halls are seriously expensive. Also depends on the month you’re getting married in. Summer and Winter months are usually the most expensive.
Hilton, Radisson Hotels might sound nice and look good but if you’re on a budget you’ll have to compromise. Just remember the hall isnt the most important thing ever. The most important thing is you and your fiance and your families coming together to become one:)
Look for halls that arent usually on the radar for a wedding. Community halls can be huge and are given at brilliant prices. Just make sure that kitchens are available and also check to see if tables and chairs are included.
Guests
The more guests you have the more expensive your wedding. Fact. So cut down on the guest list. It might be hard (God knows it was for me!) but its the best thing. I cut down from 400 to 200 people. Prioritize! Who doesnt really need to be invited? If they’re coming to the walima then you dont need to invite them to the wedding. If its your aunties friends cousin you dont need to invite them. Invite close family and friends. People you KNOW.
Cake
Oh God. The CAKE. How expensive are cakes??? Unbelievable. You know where you can get a wedding cake for a good price? Big stores like Marks and Spencers (if you’re in the UK) make sure they have no alcohol though. Or better yet you can MAKE YOUR OWN. Much cheaper. Make sure you do a trial run though! Hobbycraft sells loads of stuff that you can use to decorate your cake. Asda and Walmart also sell cakes that have just icing on them and you can decorate them yourself.
Flowers
Ah yes. Flowers. Loads of money goes there. Make your own bouquet. Seriously Youtube is your friend. Make your own flower haars. Again youtube! Buy your own flowers from a flowermarket. Its cheaper than from a florist and the flowers are the best you can get. Florists buy from flowermarkets you know. Google the closest one to you and go check it out. HAGGLE. Remember to haggle.
To be continued.
Hair
Do it yourself. Thats what I’ll be doing. Practice makes perfect people. Youtube helps. If you have friends or family who know about hair then get them to help!
Pinning your dupatta carries on from here. Do it yourself seriously it saves so much on a hairdressing bill. Also practice pinning your dupatta. Basically what Ive done is google dupatta styles and found images of different ways you can pin a dupatta. The one I liked best thats the one I tried to recreate and practice really does make perfect. Just make sure you have loads of pins and a fake bun actually helps as well if your dupatta is quite heavy. Ask family members to help, usually aunties and grans know how to pleat dupattas into nice styles and pin them.
Makeup
Most MUAs are really expensive. More than £300. If you’re on a budget the DIY method comes in handy here. Sisters/Friends/Family who know about makeup and mehndi: Get them to do it. Trials are always the way to go. Go to town and check out the best makeup for you. MAC, Clarins, Bobby Brown, Elizabeth Arden etc etc try them ALL. Find the best foundation for you and the right colours. Once you know what you need and want buy it and use it to practice with.
Invitations
Invitations are seriously expensive. Getting them printed and made is a real hassle. If you can get them made in Pakistan/India and a relative can bring them over then go with it. It is really a lot cheaper than getting them made here in the UK. If Pakistan/India is not an option like for me then go to places like Clinton Cards or some Card Shops and get your invites from there. Better than that is buying wholesale from a cash and carry. They have loads of designs and variety and its cheaper buying in bulk. I managed to buy 100 cards for £10. And they weren’t cheap looking either. Gold embossed cover and lovely envelopes that had a flower design. Seriously shop around and you get amazing deals. All we had to do was write out date, time, place and the names which is done quick with help from family.
I cant seem to get into my post! :D Ah well! I have 5 days left for my wedding btw lol and Im here typing up this post :D
Okay where were we?
Videos/Photographers
Guriya you asked and I remembered lol :)
Okay with these: Get a package deal. Find a wedding company who does pretty much everything (catering, stage decorating, video, photography etc) and then haggle with them for a price that is good for you. Ask friends and family who have had weddings about who they used and prices. Shop around. Find as many as you can and compare the prices. This is what I did. Its way cheaper than hiring all these things separately.
Plus my sisters are making a home video too and we're taking our own pictures with our digital camera :D Sort of the unofficial wedding video lol :D
Wedding Stationary
Things like placecards, menus, programs can all be done DIY. Seriously. Hobbycraft is AMAZING. We've made these things ourselves. The best part about DIY is that you have so much fun everyone helping out and its so personal that you KNOW you're going to remember this for the rest of your life :) The only thing is if you decide to go DIY you need to be organised so DELEGATE. Make a list of what needs doing and the people you have and then give everyone tasks and times that they need to be done by.
Car Hire
Car hire can be done. You need to shop around though. If its still outwith your budget (like with me) then find out who you know that has a nice car lol :D My sister has a Nissan Qashqai in a midnight purple shade. We're going to put ribbon and flowers on it. Wash it the day before. And it looks great. Plus it has tinted windows lol so it looks VIP :D Seriously guys friends and family really can be amazing during wedding times.
Bridal Trousseau
Yup. One of the most important things. And expensive. Most of my clothes were made in Pakistan. It is definitely cheaper than here. Online is also a great way to order clothes from Pakistan/India just make sure you are really organised and everything is detailed and written down. Family back home also comes in handy. Ive actually spent most of the budget on the trousseau lol but then its the most important part I think. Clothes, shoes, bags, jewellery, accessories, makeup, all things you'll need when you go to your new home. Try and buy during sales. My mum and I started shopping at least a year before the wedding. Gifts for my new home were bought during sales :D Brilliant bargains!
have a JOINT marriage ceremony...split the cost...do NOT go for a lavish wedding. keep jewelry cost at it's minimum...have a modest menu...save on photography and video-graphy. etc
Photography: Get an up-and-coming photographer with talent to take your pics..there are lots of really creative and talented newbies that will put a lot of passion and love into your wedding as they are trying to develop their career and portfolio.
Invites: Don't invite random people just because you think you have to. Limit your list at least to people that know and care about you. Cutting the guest list is the best way to save money.
Season: Getting married in the offseason can result in great savings for vendors!
Great advice!
And Rani^, another is hiring students from art colleges. If you're in lahore, check out NCA for some great talent and after liking their work, they may do the work for a great price to get their portfolio started. Of course, remember to have a written contract with them, or anyone for that matter, so they dont think there is no liability.
Makeup: I'm def. going to do it myself. Not to save money but simply b/c I find something very traditional and sentimental about it. hair, however, will def. be done by a pro since the dupatta setting and all.
Jewelry: Again, not for saving reasons (b/c my parents have already purchased gold bricks for us kids) but I have always wanted to wear heirloom jewelry belonging to my mom/nani/dadi so I will be wearing my mother's. Saving a few lakh right there, and all that will be pushed over to my budget for a Bunto, ahem.
And def. cutting down on number of guests is very important. Invite those who actually CARE about the couple or want to come due to family relations. No use in inviting your grandfather's colleagues or something. =/
