We are all always super excited by the sound of upcoming weddings; whether you are the one getting married, or one close to you is getting married. But an even louder sound is normally the one of the needs for money to make this wedding a reality; it actually is the reality that would quickly silence our super excitement as the rubber meets the road on how exactly we are getting this done!
This is definitely not to downplay the genuine happiness that we feel of the evident new chapters being opened in our lives,it is just the reality of the journey to this new chapter. You can check out the wedding budget for a few tips.
In this article we are aiming at giving you tips on how to save money on your wedding as you continue to plan.
Consider choosing a season when key items are in high supply as the cost will be relatively fair. For example, flowers are known to be notoriously expensive so if you are stuck on having that floral, elegant themed wedding why not choose a season when the flowers you want are in high supply? chances are that you can make a great save on this. To that list add food as this can also cost you a fortune of your entire wedding budget.
Another trick would be to have your wedding in off seasons. In Kenya the months of April, August and December are known to be popular with weddings. Nobody said June was a bad month to have a wedding and chances are that vendors will be willing to give you good bargains as they are looking for business. So, consider a low season for weddings and events to have your own wedding.
Logistics can eat into your budget quite significantly. Fuel, car hire expenses can be dealt with if you put everything within a stone throw away of each other. If the areas between where you exchange your vows, hold the reception, and take the photo shoot can be a strolling distance then you have just saved a huge amount of money. All under one roof is an excellent way to save.
A lush Garden venue or a Ball room with crystal chandeliers complete with lights, is probably a very much coveted wedding reception idea by any bride; it is possibly every bride’s dream to have the Cinderella experience. But how about we think out of the box and save some pretty penny as hiring these types of venues can be quite an amount of money.
How about talking to that uncle or aunt who has a go down or ban somewhere and turn that into your ball room? Or if you know a friend or family who have a well-manicured garden in their home and they are willing to host you, then just hold your nuptials there. How about a meaningful place you visited that could be deemed unconventional to hold a wedding, but yet can hold your guests? The options are limitless just feel free to ‘Think out of the box.’
Now we know the famous ‘Ni Furahi Day’ saying, especially as echoed in offices towards the close of business on Fridays. What really is the excitement here? Well, we can tell with certainty that it is the ushering in of the weekend. Everybody is ready for a long-deserved break after a whole week’s hustle. What this means in other terms, is that they are also available to gate crush any party that they get their hands on; and that could very well mean your wedding! No pun intended.
Point here is, you do not have to hold yours on a Saturday! This has almost become an unwritten rule in our Kenyan Communities. It will be much harder to control your numbers, even the idea of your card admitting one may not just be adhered to; we are Africans after all. In addition to the numbers problem, you may end up spending a lot more on movement because of the inevitable traffic, which may in turn attract fines by the officiant of your ceremony. There is also the penalty of anxiety and frustration which you will also have to pay with your emotions. The list can be endless!
All we are trying to say is this; it is not a must to have your wedding on Saturday! Why not have it on an odd day of the week? You will not only control numbers but also manage expectations. You will most certainly save.
Did I mention we are Africans? Yes, we are and we may struggle a bit with the idea of sticking to what has been stated in the card. We generally have a tendency of appearing with a child or children and assume they are negligible in the equation; I hate to break it to you, but they are.
If the card admits one, you the invitee may just need to honor this and refrain from making assumptions. As for you the host, if the card clearly admits one you may also need to hire some extra hands to ensure this is adhered to. Have a few foot soldiers to help you manage this, otherwise there will be a bill waiting after you have been pronounced husband and wife, have shaken a leg a little and are well on your way to the honeymoon. This will be a joy killer I assure you, when you are slapped with that additional bill!
We know you want everyone to hear about and come to your wedding; it will be impossible to host all friends and family and this may just have to come down to having the most important people on your guest list. The A-List.
Forget about a B-list since any one who finds out they were on a B-List may feel offended, infinitely; so best is to just have a small intimate wedding with the few you can host well. You can then find a polite way to communicate to anyone else that you really wished to come, that it may be impossible but you can later find a way to make it up to them. It is doable. Not easy, but doable.
You can limit your bridal party to just siblings and perhaps a best friend. Now, this by no means says that if you are a family of 8 children that you have all seven in the line up; Wisdom must be applied. Saving here is really in the fact that the monies that would have gone to gifting, or catering for 20 people can be halved.
Wedding coordinators will come in handy. Overlook the fee you think you are wasting and consider all the bargains you may get through them as they have been in the industry long enough to be able to pull strings you may not necessarily be able to pull yourself. This will not only save you money but precious time as well.
This final tip is just to genuinely bank on friends and family who may donate one thing or the other towards your wedding. If one offers a venue, others their cars, yet others catering services and you are left with just a few items to spend on, then you have ideally saved or worked within a budget that may have been tight! The theme is love after all!