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Financing A Wedding : Part 1
The cost of financing a wedding nowadays is just incredibly outrages -
which can easily cost anything from RM15,000.00 to RM40,000.00 (whether
it is for a Malay, Chinese or Indian wedding). Sad to say, not all of us
are blessed with wealthy parents / in-laws who can help finance the Big
Day. We often dream of fairy-tale weddings, with hundreds of guests,
exquisite food, lots of drinks, bountiful flowers, and of course, a
blushing bride... But, when we think about the costs incurred to host a
wedding reception, to decorate the reception venue, to take photographs,
to buy the perfect dress (not forgetting the dress for flower girls),
the bridal make-up / hairstyle, the accessories, shoes, etc, it just
brings you back to reality, doesn't it?
Often, money turns out to be one of the most stressful issue in planning
for a wedding. Along the way, we get too engrossed in worrying about
money so much so that we forget about the joy in planning for the
wedding. So, we at Popwedding decided to ask some couples to give tips
on how to reduce the costs of financing a wedding, without blowing the
budget.
1. Bridal Package
When selecting a bridal package, make sure you are comfortable with the
package. Couples rush into signing up a bridal package just because the
price is attractive or because the package offered is limited. Don't
fall into the trap. Be selective. There a lots of bridal shops around.
It's important you like the gowns, and other accessories offered. It can
be heart-wrenching to find out that the package bought does not provide
the gowns you like. Most bridal packages also include the photography
package. Often, it's the most expensive part of the bridal package. If
you think the photography is too expensive (taking into consideration
the after-cost of reprinting the photographs), then opt for a bridal
package without photography.
2. Bridal Photography
More and more couples nowadays opt to skip the whole pre-wedding
photography session to take wedding photographs on the actual day of the
wedding. The hotel or church setting is perfect for taking photographs.
If you are planning to take pre-wedding photographs on your own (which
is much cheaper), then try scheduling your make-up and hairstyle trial
(most artists provide free trial or trial with minimum costs) on the day
of your photography session to cut down on costs.
3. Reception Decoration
Most hotels and restaurants provide basic decorations such as stage
backdrop design and flowers. Unfortunately, the flowers provided are
always not enough to create the ambience you want. To create a more
romantic feel, ask for potted plants. Buy some reasonably priced flowers
from a nearby florist (or Petaling Street which is our all time
favourite) and arrange the flowers in pots. Three to four stalks of
flowers per pot will suffice. The flowers add colours to the greens to
create a feel of romanticism with minimal costs.
Also, you can try borrowing certain flower bouquets from the hotel
(which is used to decorate the hotel lobby, lounges, and corridors)
during your wedding reception - we are pretty sure they will oblige.
4. Help from Friends
Always ask help from friends. Your friends will be more than willing to
help, so harness their strengths and contacts to cut costs. Friends can
help do research for eg. on where is the best place to buy liquor /
beer, and help design the invitation cards, decorate the reception
venue, etc. Friends with an eye for photography or videography can help
take photos during the reception too.
5. Borrowed Items
Using something borrowed has its sentimental values. What's more, it
saves $$$. One couple actually saved RM1,200 by borrowing gloves, veil,
accessories and shoes from her cousin!
There are so many other ways of reducing costs….and yet not reducing
the feel of the wedding. In our next article (Part 2), we'll bring you
more tips on how to help finance your wedding.
If you have any other ways of reducing costs that you want to share with
us, please write to julia@popwedding.com
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