Wedding planning is stressful, and when it comes to planning an Indian wedding, the stress seems to increase a few notches. While you may have been dreaming about a grand wedding with all the bells and whistles, let’s be honest – most of us do not have the backing of an endless budget. You can have a thousand different ideas regarding the decor, the food, the attires, and the videography – but all of this is dependent on the budget that you have for your wedding.

But do not get heartbroken. There are ways to plan a budget wedding without missing the grandeur. Read on to learn more about the tips and tricks to have your dream wedding within a limited budget.

Planning a grand budget wedding

A grand budget wedding – sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? But the trick to including grandeur in your budget wedding is to plan ahead and plan with precision.

Location matters

You might think that hosting the wedding in your home will be cheaper. But there are hidden costs when it comes to hosting a wedding at home. From arranging adequate lighting and decorations to ensuring enough seating, a wedding at home can increase your costs and stress.

But party grounds, luxurious hotel receptions, and lavish lawns have a heavy price tag. Instead, select family hotels in and around your destination of choice. By selecting family hotels, you also ensure adequate accommodation for your extended family. This not only ensures that you win brownie points from your relatives but also that your venue comes with a lower price tag.

Reduce the number of events

An Indian wedding ceremony is hardly over without several small ceremonies – engagement, sangeet, mehendi, cocktail, ritual wedding, reception; the list goes on. By grouping several ceremonies together, you not only cut down the cost but also reduce the guest list in an effective manner. For example, if you plan the morning mehendi around elder relatives, have the cocktail and sangeet together in the evening for the extended family. Consolidating some of your events will reduce your expenses. Hosting it at the same venue as family hotels in the suburbs adds a destination wedding feel to the entire event. And nothing is grander than a destination wedding.  

Reduce the guest list

No Indian wedding is complete without a 500+ guest list. But ask yourself if it is really important to invite your Uncle’s neighbours to your wedding. Be selective with your guest list. Invite close family and friends to the wedding and make a separate list for the reception to invite everyone else.

Food for the win

Once your spending reduces on the venue, you can dedicate a healthy portion of your budget to catering. Weddings are never complete without good food. Our culture and weddings both place a great deal of importance on food. With caterers creating menus that are a mile long with novel and unique delicacies from cuisines all over the world, it is simple to get carried away. Be careful to stick to the fundamentals and concentrate on the quality of the cuisine rather than the variety. Select dishes that are favourable to mostly everyone.

When you select family hotels in OYO rooms, they also come equipped with in-house catering and menu services which will also reduce costs.

Spend wisely on attire

Your budget can take a massive hit by the cost of your wedding attire, jewellery, and other trousseau items. Don’t overspend on them. Do you really want to spend too much on an outfit you will wear, perhaps once in your life? Instead, use the antique, precious sarees in your mother’s and grandmother’s closet to make your wedding attire or take a lehnga on rent. You can consider wearing family heirloom jewellery and embrace yourself with the blessing of your ancestors. 

Added activities

Want to add a bit more grandeur to your wedding? Include some top sightseeing in between the mehendi and shaadi! Research a bit about the surrounding areas of your venue and throw in an all-paid touristy visit for your guests who want a breather from all the wedding activities. It will not break the bank, and your aunties will rave about the purani haveli tour during your wedding for years to come!

Conclusion

It is not hard to add grandeur to a budget wedding. All it needs is a bit of planning. While you plan, do not forget to check out the family hotels in OYO rooms at your preferred destination to get an idea about your venue budget!