Your wedding day truly is the most special day of your life. How can it not be? You have found “the one” for you, and you are going to start a new, beautiful journey. However, planning your wedding can be quite tricky. Indian wedding budgets are hefty because of the large guest list, wedding attires, venue, catering etc. Your wedding day should be nothing less than perfect so, we’ve put together 6 smart ways to plan your wedding smartly. We will cover everything in an average wedding checklist from budget planning to Covid-19 precautions that you need to keep in mind.
So before taking you through the 6 key points to planning a wedding smartly, let’s answer the most important and basic questions.
Is planning your wedding hard?
To be completely honest, different items in a wedding checklist can be tricky for different people. For example, sourcing financial assistance to increase your budget may be tricky for you, while for others planning a guest list can be hard. It’s important to be level-headed, have a positive attitude and delegate tasks if possible.
What do you need to be ready with before planning your wedding?
Make sure you have answers ready for these 3 simple questions that can give your clarity while planning your wedding checklist.
- How much can you spend on your wedding? (If your parents are contributing, or if you want to apply for a gold loan scheme)
- Where do you want to get married? (For couples dreaming of destination weddings)
- When do you want to get married?
How much time is required to plan a wedding?
There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to planning your wedding. It depends on your preferences as per the previous question, such as year, and month and how long you would like to be engaged. Usually, couples get married in 11-13 months, which is plenty of time to tick all the boxes on your wedding checklist.
How to finance your Indian wedding budget?
There are several options to finance a wedding. You can seek a marriage loan online as they have a straightforward process. If you have your documents in order, banks can approve quickly and deposit the money right into your bank account. They also have better interest rates than credit cards. However, there are several cons to getting a marriage loan as well. While they may be better than credit cards, the interest rates are still very high. Just an example, if you avail of a loan of Rs.15,000 lakhs at a 10% interest rate for 5 years, then you will end up paying Rs. 4,12,000 over the course of your loan. Instead, you can avail a gold loan from agencies like Rupeek, where they offer loans at much lower rates for longer tenures. So you can forget starting your marriage with money troubles. The entire exercise of applying and processing a gold loan at Rupeek is also much easier as they offer door-step loans. This ensures that you need not scamper for a loan in your existing hectic wedding schedules.
Now let us look at the ways to planning your wedding smartly.
#1: Create a wedding checklist
Make notes of every single detail you want in your wedding. It could be anything from picking up a relative from the airport to your wedding attire. This helps you keep track of whether the arrangements you required are going as per your timeline. A wedding checklist also gives you a clear picture of if you’re overburdening yourself, after all, it is your wedding and your special day. So, if you feel you’re starting to get exhausted, delegate items from your checklist to others.
#2: Have a budget:
It is imperative to have a clear budget while planning your wedding. Not just an overall budget, but a proper allocation of money to each item in your wedding checklist helps you keep track of your money. Discuss with your parents or anybody who wants to contribute to the wedding and create a solid budget. If you require more money, through other ways such as a gold loan scheme or personal loan, then you also need to discuss when and where to apply for the loan. Gold loans have the quickest processing time and require very less documentation, which allows you to get credit even amidst all the wedding hassle. The gold is pledged as collateral, and hence low interest rates are charged by lenders as there is surety. For example, Rupeek gives you instant gold loans at low-interest rates. All you need to do is download the app, and apply for your preferred gold loan scheme and within 24 hours you can avail of the loan. Indian wedding budgets are one of the most expensive so it is vital to have all finances arranged and solid.
#3: Start your guest list:
After implementing the first two tips, you’ll know how much you can afford to spend. Some people like to keep their wedding very private and closed, while others like sharing their day with several people. Your guest list mainly depends on who you would like to invite and their availability of the guest. Ensure that your guests don’t take too long to reply to your invite. Arranging vendors largely depends on attaining a ballpark figure of how many guests will be attending. So, make sure you request your guests to confirm their availability as soon as they can.
#4: Set the dates and choose a venue:
As mentioned earlier, try to close down on the date you want to get married. For example, a weekend wedding is more relaxed as more people can attend. Whereas a destination wedding may require a bigger timeline. Once you have decided your dates, go ahead and choose a venue. Check out reviews, visit in person and ask for your partner’s opinion as well. Before deciding on a venue, write down a list of requirements that you have. Ensure the venue is comfortable, has enough space for all your guests and accommodates other preferences such as a dance floor or stage etc.
#Tip 5: Plan your honeymoon:
Your honeymoon is a getaway for you and your partner. Marriage functions as fun as they are can also tire you out. So, a honeymoon is a well-deserved vacation. However, the location also depends on how much you spend on your wedding. While planning your wedding, ask yourself if you want an extravagant honeymoon or an extravagant wedding. Of course, this only applies to people who have a tight budget. Some people like to spend more on their honeymoon. Start looking at places, and book hotels and tickets once you’re done. You can also plan an itinerary for the location you are going to.
In a nutshell, move with clarity. It is recommended to start in advance while planning your wedding so that in case of any errors, you have time to think of alternatives or solutions without panicking. It is a very popular practice for the parents to pledge the family gold jewellery to meet their daughter/son's wedding expenses as they can be paid off in a comfortable tenure as well. Gold loans can be availed at many banks and NBFCs. They have lower interest rates than personal loans as the borrower pledges his/her gold jewellery as collateral against the amount borrowed. Since there are no end-use restrictions you can use the money to pay your decorators, caterers, wedding couture and also your honeymoon trip! Additionally, agencies like Rupeek offer great options in terms of repayment methods and loan tenure. You need not meticulously plan and stress yourself further but have a clear picture of what you want. It is one of the most beautiful days of your life, so keep a positive attitude and everything will surely fall into place. For more such useful blogs, you can also visit our website.
