How To Plan A Wedding On A Tight Budget

Financial difficulties have been identified as the most common source of pressure and stress in young marriages.

These financial challenges and indebtedness are frequently the result of excessive expenditure on wedding celebrations. This could have been averted if the couple had planned their wedding on a budget and eschewed a lot of the items or activities in their wedding plan.

Indeed, a low-cost wedding could have prevented some marriages from falling apart too soon.

While many people have had expensive weddings and found no joy in marriage, some have had low-budget weddings and found happiness. In a nutshell, the lavishness of the ceremony does not ensure the union’s success.

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So, what exactly are we attempting to say?  Weddings are a wonderful idea, but proceed with prudence. Make sure you don’t bite off more than you can chew.

Money is necessary for a wedding ceremony, but the lack of it should not be an obstacle to marrying your soul mate.

If you’re suffering financial issues but still want to marry your sweetheart, this article is for you.

Start planning early

Getting started early enough allows you to avoid purchasing costly stuff for your wedding ceremony. In the meantime, you have plenty of time to discover and select essential and reject less significant items for your big event. This way, you can begin to familiarize yourself with current market prices for necessary things and make plans to purchase them. How To Plan A Wedding

Be strategic about your location and venue

Reserving exclusive event venues can be expensive. So, what are your options? Consider something classical but inexpensive instead of the pricey halls.

Alternatively, if you have any friends or family members who have a huge home or premises that can accommodate a large group of people, then solicit for it.

Nigerians are prepared to help if they are rewarded in some way for their charity. If they agree for you to use their compound or home, then go ahead and add some colour to the venue to make it more appealing and welcoming to your visitors.

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Have your wedding ceremony and reception in the same location!

Select a location that can accommodate your complete gathering. For instance, if your church has a hall, you will eliminate the concern and logistical hassle of having to ferry guests from one location to another this way.

Make use of the skills of your pals

Is one of your best friends a talented musician, MC, photographer or DJ? Ask them whether they’d be willing to provide a hand on your wedding day, whether it’s compering at your reception or DJing. They’re likely to be ecstatic at the prospect of playing a key role in your wedding, and it might save you thousands of Naira offering the service to someone else.

Keep the guest list short and keep gate-crashers away

Keeping the guest list limited to family and close friends could help you save a lot of money. Most Nigerian weddings follow a typical practice in which invited guests arrive in large numbers solely to eat your food. This trend tends to blow up your budget. The best thing to do to avoid falling into the trend of high spending is to keep to strictly by invitation, and in this case, just family and close friends. You will also be able to keep gate-crashers out this way.

Use a Restaurant as your reception venue

This is especially useful if your invited guests are not much. Instead of hiring a hall, go to your favorite restaurant or fast food joints and choose a more relaxed and affordable alternative. This can save a lot of costs as you can determine the quantity of meals that would be served by the restaurant.

Instead of wedding gifts, ask for wedding assistance

Rather than asking for gifts from friends and family, ask for their assistance. That friend of yours who has a natural ability to make people laugh can easily pass for an MC.  Consider other areas where you may require assistance and invite your friends and family to come and lend a hand.

Get married during the off-season or on a weekday

Consider marrying out of season, or even on a weekday, to save money on your wedding. Couples may save a lot by having their wedding in off season periods that are not December or early January. By marrying on a Tuesday or Wednesday rather than a Saturday, you might save yourself a great deal.

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Use all-inclusive options

When hiring  service, always settle or the one that offer an all-inclusive option. For instance, hire venues that offer all-inclusive rates if you use the vendors they provide. In other words, pick venues that come with public address system, DJ, MC, cake supply, etc.

Make your own invitation

The world has progressed beyond antiquated practices. Do you know that you can create your own wedding invites without having to understand Photoshop? You may rapidly create your invitation card with the brilliance of colours and options using a superb service like Canva at no cost.

Alternatively, instead of printed Invitation cards or stationaries, you might go the modern approach and send your guests e-invites via e-mail, WhatsApp, SMS, etc. This will save you a lot on the budget.

Hire a graphic designer to design a digital invitation design that you can print at home instead of paying a huge sum to someone to print your wedding invites.

Pick a cake from a store

Consider heading down to your local supermarket or confectionary shop and getting a cake there if the cost of a wedding cake has caught you off guard.

Avoid serving alcohol

Serving alcohol at your wedding can significantly increase the overall cost. Only permitting soft beverages and juices will save you a lot.

Cook your food yourself

You can save yourself a great deal of money contracting catering services to a vendor. For instance, for a token, the dear aunt of yours who cooks so wonderfully can handle catering.

Get rid of the wedding planner

While a wedding planner may have a keen eye for detail, their services can quickly add up. Instead, go for a day coordinator! How To Plan A Wedding

Hire Your Wedding Outfit

You will pay a fraction of the cost of a wedding gown or suit by renting it and keeping it for a set period of time before returning it. This strategy can help you save a lot of money in the long run. Indeed, with this, you may be able to select from designer gowns that would otherwise be prohibitively pricey.

So, instead of purchasing a one-day-use wedding gown, why not rent a nice and clean gown for the same occasion and spend the money saved on the gown for anything else?

Allow bridesmaids to wear their own gowns

Allowing your bridesmaids to browse through their wardrobes and select dresses they already own not only saves money, but also ensures that everyone is comfortable. You will achieve a more coherent effect if you stick to a particular colour.

Go for discounted items and avoid unnecessary expenses

Why not take advantage of discount promotions instead of purchasing expensive wedding accessories from the store? Every November, for example, Jumia holds a Black Friday sale with cheap and discounted merchandise. The same is true for Konga Online Store. So, what exactly are you waiting for? Take advantage of these deals to save money. How To Plan A Wedding

Have a friend take pictures for you

Consider engaging a friend or coworker who has a creative eye and a good camera to capture your wedding photographs. How To Plan A Wedding

It’s important to remember that this isn’t a competition

If keeping your wedding simple is your primary objective, avoid the comparison game— it is the quickest way to overcomplicate, overstress, and overspend. Avoid being swayed by trends.

Long story cut short. You don’t have to spend your entire life savings to have a fantastic wedding. By lowering your costs, you can avoid the temptation to please others. Also, ask for help as soon as possible.

Honeymoon in the comfort of your own home

After the high cost of a wedding, it can seem impossible to afford a honeymoon in a strange location. Instead, consider a stay-cation! How To Plan A Wedding

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How To Plan A Wedding