The average cost of a British wedding is around £25,000. However, this can vary depending on the theme of the nuptials, as well as planned entertainment, catering and transportation. With this in mind, many Asian and Desi weddings these days can be expensive across the board. With Bollywood-esque themes, these extravagant weddings have several traditions and customs that must be observed to unite the bride, groom and their families and friends.
Therefore, it is essential to follow some guidelines in order to save on costs. Here are some suggested tips courtesy of industry experts, wedding planners and couples that recently tied the knot in London:
Budgeting is Crucial
Setting up a budget is absolutely paramount when it comes to lavish and elegant Asian weddings. At all costs, you must stick to the budget when covering wedding attire, cake, transportation, reception entertainment, catering and other associated essentials. The bride and groom must sit down with their families and carefully plan a budget everyone can agree on.
With a concrete budget, you can avoid going over budget before and after the wedding. In fact, nearly 39 percent of newlyweds across the UK go over-budget when it comes to Asian and Desi wedding expenses.
Avoid Peak Wedding Dates
According to leading wedding planners, Saturdays are the days that most couples want to get married on. However, you and your significant other should think about Sundays or even holiday long weekends. Remember, the day and venue is one of the biggest cost factors of Asian weddings. In order to save money, you can swap Saturdays for off-peak wedding dates to save on rentals and setup. In the UK, nearly 47 percent of couples in 2017 got married on days outside of Saturdays.
Research is Important
Planning a wedding is meticulous in nature and can be very stressful. However, you and your bride or groom to be can research all the current Asian wedding trends online. This includes planning and arrangement, as well as facilitating customs, traditions and essentials within your balanced budget. You can even open up online wedding gift registries, as well as swap gifts for savings.
Here are some more ways to make your Asian wedding cost-affordable and memorable:
- Spend wisely and smartly on attire, cake, wedding rings, and other essentials. Again, never go over your allocated budget, which can leave you and yours paying off the expenses for months or years to come.
- How about planning your wedding in the winter time? This is off-peak season for weddings, and you may find banquet -- reception hall rentals for much less than traditional wedding seasons.
- Make sure to haggle over prices, especially when it comes to cake, photography, videography, wedding entertainment, etc. Let the vendors know that you and yours have spend a bundle on this wedding, but do not discuss actual figures. Instead, always ask about discounts, wedding specials, and even special promotions for wedding and reception events.
- Use your skills -- and that of your loved ones -- to save on costs. Family members may specialize in graphic design, cooking, decorations, and even driving to pick up family members and guests arriving from all over the UK or overseas.
These are some of the ways to make your Asian wedding cost-effective across the board.