Marry Within Your Budget And Be Happy!

Marriages are made in heaven, they say, but the knots are tied here on the earth with great fanfare as if to celebrate the heavenly pact! And, it can take lots and lots of hard cash to tie the knot, so much so that the amount of money spent on marriages can really burn holes in the pockets of the families of the bride and groom. When it comes to Indian weddings, it becomes a costly affair not only because of the myriad customs and traditions that entail lot of expenditure, but also because of the propensity of most of the Indians to make it a grand affair by splurging beyond their means on weddings.

Such extravagant weddings may land the families of bride and groom into a financial mess which may take a long time to clear up. Now, common sense suggests that such extravagance needs to be avoided, especially during tough times. If this can be done at a manageable cost without compromising on the fun of a great wedding, there's nothing like it. But this can happen only if lot of planning and efforts are taken to reduce costs on whatever and wherever and whenever it is possible. Let's look at the major expenses which Indian weddings normally entail and how these expenses could be kept in check so that marriage expenses do not become a financial yoke on the couple's marital life. Speaking about the importance of having local knowledge and the need to bargain to save on costs, Sanjukta Mazumdar, who would be marrying next month (November 2008), says "My parents are staying in Banaras for a long time so they know lots of people there. In this case, it's easy to bargain and limits costs of some of the things at least."

Invitation Cards
The first expenditure in a marriage is the invitation card. Normally, an invitation card can cost anywhere between Rs 15 to Rs 100 per piece, depending on the texture and quali- ty of material used and the richness of printing. Making a style statement with an expensive exclusive designer card is okay for the rich and the famous, but for others, a style statement could be just a simple design with great words! It would save lot of cost, yet impress the invitees. In any case, the cards normally go into the trash once the marriage is over, so why spend a fortune on something which has zero value post-marriage? [PAGE BREAK]

Also, one can easily limit the number of invitations to the nearest and dearest friends and relatives, instead of inviting all and sundry who may be just acquaintances and who may not even bother to attend despite receiving the invitation. The arithmetic is simple: Longer the list, higher the costs; shorter the list, lower the costs. Hence, shorter guest list will not only reduce the cost of invitation cards but also result in huge savings in catering and other costs.

Jewellery
Indian weddings are incomplete without gold jewellery. But the smart thing to do is to purchase jewellery for marriage when the gold prices are low. For this, one should buy jewellery in a staggered manner, that is, buy gold jewellery whenever gold prices dip. This would save a lot of money. Also, it is always advisable to visit 4 to 5 shops and check the gold rates as well as making charges so that you don't end up paying more unnecessarily.

Marriage Hall
The second major expenditure is the marriage hall. Depending on location, date and timing, a marriage hall can cost anything between Rs 5,000 and Rs 2 lakh per day! The up market the location, the higher the cost. That apart, the rent varies between off-season (typically between June to October) and the marriage season (November to May). It is advisable to start looking for the hall well in advance as booking a hall at a short notice will be a costly affair as you won't have too many choices and may be forced to pay higher for want of any other option. Also, looking out for a hall well in advance will give you enough time to compare the charges of various halls and book the hall that is best suited to your needs and budget.

In Mumbai, for example, in a centrally situated place such as Dadar, there is Kohinoor Hall which costs Rs25,000 for half-day shift from 8.00a.m. to 3.00 p.m., whereas full day (8.00 a.m. to 10.p.m. costs Rs 40,000, with Rs 2,000 extra for every extra hour.  The hall has 400 chairs and the total capacity of the hall is 600 people. Outside catering is not allowed and it has to be from the hall's contractor only. In suburban Andheri, Vishal Hall costs Rs 30,000 per shift, the morning shift extending 7½ hours (8.00 a.m. to3.30 p.m.), while the evening shift[PAGE BREAK]

is of 6 hours (4.00-10.00 p.m.). Although the rent may appear to be high, the hall allows outside catering, so one can bring the caterer of his choice and at one's budget and save on the catering costs. In a 5-star hotel, of course, the rent per day runs into lakhs.

But, in Mumbai, most of the halls have catering attached, so when you book a hall, you have no option but to go for the hall’s catering, which usually comes at a premium. Also, you may have to put up with the fixed menu of the hall's caterer and the menu may not be as flexible as one may want it to be. So this factor has to be considered before booking a hall. Narrating the funds of saving on hall expenses, Shraddha Rajani, who is also getting married in November, stated: "We have organised a single function instead of two separate functions of wedding and reception. Our wedding will take place in Mumbai, and the cost in this city is high.

The hall itself cost us Rs 45,000, including the deposit. However, that is just the charge of hall... catering and decoration charges were separate.” Of course, to save on expenses on a hall, one can also think of holding the wedding on the open space around the building, terrace of the building or the lawns of a club. This would save lot of money as these options are much more cheaper than renting a hall.

Decoration
Normally, the cost of decoration is included in the hall rental, but if it is not, one has to factor in this cost too. The more elaborate the decoration, the more the cost. Elaborate decoration with actual flowers all over the marriage venue can be a pricey affair, hence one can always try to limit the decoration to certain areas such as stage and, may be, hall door. Also, one can think about decoration with artificial flowers (which may be also available on rent) as they would work out much cheaper as compared to real flowers.

Catering Cost
The cost of catering is one of the most important costs and can cost a bomb in cities like Mumbai. The cost [PAGE BREAK]

would depend on the menu you select for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The more items you add, the more the cost will be, so it is always advisable to choose the menu right to save on costs without compromising on quality and quantity. In any case, not all guests may taste each and every dish served at weddings.

Hence, rather than going for an elaborate menu, it is better that limited number of good quality food is served which will be relished by all the guests. Making it a buffet spread could help save a lot of money. Typically, the rate per plate can cost anywhere between Rs150 to Rs 300, hence proper choice of menu can lead to lot of savings.

Wedding Wear
Most Indians have the tendency to spend heavily on the wedding attire. For reasons of tradition or plain showmanship, our wedding attire tends bedazzling and flashy, but the fact is that it does not need to be so. Women especially tend to drape themselves in expensive, heavily zari-laden sarees which are dazzling, but totally unsuitable and uncomfortable for use later on. Men, on the other hand, tend to wear heavy three-piece suits which they might rarely use afterwards. Hence, it would be a good idea for the bride to wear good but not-too-expensive sarees. Grooms can wear kurta pyjama during marriage ceremony and suits or band gala attire which during reception. In fact, wearing kurtas or bandh gala attire can add an ethnic touch to the marriage and make the groom look great.

Gifts for Relatives and In-laws
Gifts for relatives and in-laws would increase the expenses corresponding to how expensive these gifts are. To cut down on costs, it is absolutely essential to cut down the list to bare minimum. For this, one will have to limit it to the nearest and the dearest ones and leave out the rest. For in-laws, it should be reciprocal, that is, both the parties should decide on a mutually acceptable budget and then stick to the budget scrupulously. [PAGE BREAK]

Explaining the importance of having one function and buying during sale season, Shraddha says, "When you have four different functions you need to buy heavy clothes and jewelleries for everyone in family for all the four functions but then if you have only one function you need not spend on so many heavy attires and accessories. Also, when I did my wedding shopping, I preferred for sale seasons... during such discount seasons, you get best of things at most affordable prices... which helps in lots of saving.

Wedding Insurance
The concept of wedding insurance has come to India and that entails some extra expenditure, but it saves the both the bride and the groom the tensions of coping with unexpected contingencies, whether natural or otherwise. Wedding insurance policy covers wedding cancellation/postponement due to fire or any natural disaster, accident of the bride/groom, accident of blood relations for a seven-day range (wedding date and three days prior and after the wedding date), damage to property including the venue, burglary, and even cases of food poisoning at the function. Typically, wedding insurance cover ranges from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 8 lakh, with their premiums ranging from Rs 3,770 to Rs 14,276.In the end, it is important to remember that marriage is just the beginning of life together which demands personal as well as financial commitments. What is the point in commencing marital life by spending beyond one's capacity and going broke. It's always wise to plan and save for the life after the big day.