Real Brides Reveal: One Super Helpful Tip To Reduce Your Wedding Expenses

Are wedding expenses giving you the budget blues? It's a common concern among couples planning their big day. But fear not, because we're here to unveil the secrets of budget-friendly weddings that still pack a punch. We believe your wedding day should be nothing short of fabulous, and we've enlisted the help of real brides who've cracked the code. They've got that lehenga, danced at their sangeets, and now they're spilling the beans on their top tips to trim wedding costs while keeping the dream alive!

Image via Kasvi and Sunay

Manali says

Pick one element that you are not too particular about and hire a new or relatively less experienced vendor for that. I did that for my videography as I had a really good photographer and the video budget was blowing up too much. We found a videographer who was looking to expand his portfolio—at the time he had no experience in wedding videography. You can do it with a DJ or even a new venue. They work hard the most because they want more references and we did not regret it one bit!

Parthavi says

If you are looking to save costs, the one big expense is alcohol. So don’t have an open bar. For my sangeet night, we had wine, beer, and two cocktails (one for me and one for my husband) and served just that. After a couple of drinks, nobody cared and people were just dancing it off on the dance floor. You can also do one of each (whiskey, vodka, wine and beer) and no cocktails or fancy mixers to save costs!

Image via Mythri and Parth

Sania says

I wasn’t too keen on spending on a big fat wedding but my parents were. So, while they call hundreds of guests, I cut down my costs by borrowing. Wore my mom’s saree, my mother in law’s jewellery for the wedding – on the day that real jewellery mattered. For the pre-wedding events, I rented outfits and jewellery that saved me a ton of money. I also hired some friends and family businesses to cater smaller events, allowing me to get some discounts from them. Every penny saved is a penny earned!

Vanshika says

Pick out your wedding date smartly and it will save you a lot of expenses. December-January are big no-no dates. Go for the first week of November or the last week of February, these are shoulder wedding seasons when rates are slightly low and the weather is decent. Have your wedding events on a weekday, the cost will further come down. If you do not have any ritualistic events, you can also have an August-September wedding, when you will get all the vendors you want at great deals!

Image via Suchita and Nisarg

Pooja says

Go with a wedding-cum-reception event. Have a 4 p.m. wedding followed by a reception so that you can club two major events at one cost. Décor, venue, food – you cut that by half. You can serve snacks and tea at 6pm and dinner from 8pm onwards. You can even wear one outfit for both events with some hairstyle and dupatta draping change – that way you save on more expenses!

Monal says

Pick elements which you are okay to compromise on and which are not. Real flowers cost a bomb. If you are okay with artificial ones or to go with a non-floral décor option, pick that. Don’t want 50 counters of food? Go with a basic buffet without any live counters to cut costs. Not keen on lavish décor? Pick a statement stage décor and keep the entrance and rest simple. Or pick a venue with chandeliers and good carpets, which will cut your décor costs. These are things that I did to save on wedding expenses.

All images are for representative purposes only 

Before you make any wedding planning decisions, also check out Real Brides Reveal – One Major Wedding Splurge They Regret NOT Making!