Don’t go out of order with Wedding Expenses

All About Wedding Expenses - Get to Know more About Wedding Expenses In India, weddings are seldom a simple affair. Try as you might, the list of must-do’s often overrides the voices of reason.

Often, parents and the couple blow up their lifetime’s savings to ensure that it turns out to be an occasion that becomes the talk of the town. In the process, many end up creating some unpleasant memories too.

Inability to keep a tight lid on expenses may result in family members resorting to high-cost debt like personal loans and credit cards.

To avoid such hassles, you can devise a meticulously planned budget after taking your affordability and preferences into account.

Take Budgetary Vows

The challenge lies not in drawing up a budget, but in sticking to it. As K Vishwanathan, a Mumbai-based chartered accountant says, "I had earmarked a budget of 7 lakh for my daughter’s wedding ceremony. That didn’t include her trousseau or jewellery. But when I finally went through my final expenditure records, it had almost doubled to 14 lakh."

How did this happen? It started from the food bill, which included four kinds of cuisine, apart from the regular Punjabi and chaatcounters. Gifts, which increased both in terms of quantity and price, were the second culprit. Lastly, rent of the venue and the extra accommodation that he had booked for his relatives and friends coming from other cities added to the overall outgo.

"Given the steep rentals in Mumbai, I didn’t have much of a choice," he says. He had his savings kitty to fall back on, but not everyone can claim to have such luxury.

Trim The Frills

While devising a budget, make a list of areas where cost-cutting can be carried out and the aspects where compromise is a strict no-no for you.

For instance, an extravagant wedding card could be deemed an avoidable expense by some – after all, it is likely to end up in the invitee’s waste bin once its purpose is served.

Such individuals may prefer sending ecards instead.

On the other hand, some may see a no-frills card as a sacrilege, given that it contains an announcement of such a special occasion.