Category: Saving Tips

Are you tying your nuptial knot soon? Do you stay in the USA? And want to know your wedding costs? Stay tuned.

We all dream of our wedding day. How it will be, what we will do, etc. But it does come with a hefty price. Recent surveys say so. As per statistics, the expenses of a “dream” wedding costs about $42,000.

This research was conducted recently on 2000 random couples aged between 18 to 55 years (Americans) who were getting hitched.

Americans are not at all compromising when it is about their D-day. “Nearly 90% of people agreed that “venue” was the most non-negotiable aspect in their fairy-tale wedding.” Besides the venue, the cake was the second precedence, and third was the bride and grooms’ outfits.

Why American Dream Wedding Costs $42,000?

An American perfect wedding includes open bar, lavish venues, speeches shorter than 10 minutes, live band performances, and roses in the decoration. The study conducted by Minted Weddings, discovered around 48% of Americans envision unique weddings rather traditional.

The survey concluded that nearly half of respondents (49%) desired white color attires and wedding decorations while the other half were unafraid to show off their bold side by pairing in black. Most of the couples asked for classy flowers including tulips, lilies, baby’s breath, and gardenias as their venue garlands.

Three out of ten people preferred modern wedding rather than traditional church bells and a ballroom.

Furthermore, an ideal wedding consists of not more than 100 attendees. The number of guests is usually mid-ranged. Here 92 were the average invitees. Also, the study stated that almost 72 guests go through wedding websites for planning and concepts.

Well, the list is not completed without mentioning DJs/ bands and speeches by the bride’s family. For a few the speech of the bride’s mothers was important, and the other half mentioned that they are looking for a speech by the bride’s father.

Whatever the case may be. We all know one thing that marriages are made in heaven and executed on earth. This heavenly ceremony includes our loved ones.

For your dream wedding, all you need is great planning and currency. To curb wastage of money and systematic execution go through a quick wedding budget calculator.

An Indian Billionaire chose to spend 11 million dollars to construct houses for homeless people over funding his daughter’s wedding.

If we were billionaire, we would have thought about luxuries, grand parties, premium destinations wedding, holidays in Spain, etc. Extravagant hotels and suites for guests’ and after wedding relaxations via lavish spas.

Everything is just perfect regardless of expenditures. It’s not much hard, isn’t it? But that’s not every billionaire’s dream. Some love to do charities and philanthropic activities for social good.

One “Big B” member of India, Mr. Ajay Munot, changed the outlook of the public by building houses for homeless people. He spends $11 Million to construct 90 apartments for poor and needy people. This money was to be disbursed on his daughter’s lavish wedding ceremony, but he decided to help the homeless community instead.

This was a generous move by Mr. Munot because this huge sum is difficult to arrange even by many welfare organizations. He proved that a thoughtful and productive idea can help underprivileged people and growth in humanity.

The Deccan Chronicle, a local Indian Daily Newspaper printed this news stating Munot ended up building 90 homes till the wedding date arrived. He said 18 more houses were under construction. Ajay Munot got this brilliant idea from friends and family. He further mentioned it was a mutual decision by the family. He made sure that only needy people get these houses.

For this, he made criteria that people living in slums and struggling for their daily needs should be given these houses for development.

In the words of Mr. Ajay Munot, “This is the new chapter in history, and I hope that same concept will be followed by the other rich communities.” He said, “We have some responsibilities towards our society, and we try to comply with it.”

The bride also expressed her happiness stating, “I am very happy with the decision and will consider it as my marriage gift.” Shreya Munot (daughter of Mr. Munot) was proud and grateful to her father giving back to society. On her wedding day, they opened the apartments and handed keys of the houses to the listed under poverty line people.

They have a very decent ceremony as father did not spend all $11 Million on charity. The money left after construction was employed at the wedding.

They planned these houses very well and ensured that each room is built spacious for more than 1 person. Each house 12*20 consisted of 2 windows. The house necessities like clean water and electricity were also fortified. He has done a commendable job for the poor people of his hometown Aurangabad.

The people staying in these apartments are thankful to Munot for making their dreams come true. This charitable move by Ajay Munot has brought positivity to people all over the country. It is also a great example of a selfless act for riches. We hope other wealthy people come forward for such a noble cause.

About Mr. Ajay Munot: Munot is one of the richest people in India. He is a businessman who is involved in the reselling of wheat and cloth. His enterprise with years has landed him in monopoly in his state. He hails from Aurangabad and his good deeds have taught everyone an important lesson. “Growing together and giving back to the society”. Spending money on lavish weddings is better than changing the life of 200 people.

Don’t forget to check our wedding cost calculator.

What do you think?

Giving importance to your priorities is the first step for better planning. We know this is an irresistible feeling. The butterflies in your stomach and confusions are very natural because you have thousands of decisions to make.

There may be times when you desire something, but you may fall short in your budget. But things can be molded with proper planning. You may get done a few things yourself to save pennies to be spent on your D-day.

Endless decisions and lots of work to do. They are hectic, confusing, and overriding. But the tips and tricks so mentioned in this article are to get the whole shebang sorted quickly. To begin with just ask your friends, family, and your spouse to help you wherever they can.

Now, why do you want these tips?

Chiefly, these are to save your money. To pay all your bills without compromising on your dreams. It happens, people often end up getting loans after marriage. It is because the budget always goes up due to things that are planned suddenly.

Interesting Wedding Planning Tips

Despite wasting your hard-earned money save them for sponsoring your honeymoon trip. Here is when these wedding tips will help you. Have a look.

1. Guests come first: Always decide mutually and jot down the number of guests attending your wedding. This will help you get a venue that can accommodate the crew. There should be ample space for each guest to settle down. Precisely 25 to 30sq ft space is suggested for each member. You might think that’s very much but tables, dance floor, band, etc. just cover them all.
2. Go for Handy Wedding Dates: Always pick available dates. For this, you need to check the calendar and pick dates that do not have any charity or local festival. This affects prices overall including hotels, venues, catering, etc. Largely, couples prefer tying knots on Saturday and Sunday due to which prices hike up to 20%. Get knotted on weekdays to save more (A pro tip).
3. Choose a Thoughtful Venue: The first major expense as per records says that 60% of marriage outflow goes to the “venue”. There are a few important questions that you need to ask yourself before you pick one, like:

What is your budget?

Do you want a destination wedding? Are you looking for a grand wedding? Would you prefer an all-inclusive venue or caterer will be different?

With all these questions you will be able to decide what you want and how much costs your venue will incur.

4. Snoop Mother Nature: Chilly winters and hot summers is a big NO for weddings. It is seen that guests skip such weddings and if attended they leave premises early. Bugs and flies swarm up in a few weather conditions and seasons. Call the pest control team before and alleviate bugs problem amidst hall and rooms.
5. Your Credit Card is a Saviour: We don’t encourage you to spend over-the-top but when you need to pay bills check reward points collected by you for extra discounts on flight tickets and hotel bookings. Even you can book tickets or do payments via credit cards which have offers and discounts.
6. Pay it onward: Ask your photographer who is the best florist and caterer in town. They have good knowledge of vendors and marketplace. Even some may tell you a known person who may charge you nominally for the same.
7. Check upon guest list: The more the guest, the more will be the expenditure. Suppose one-person table dining costs you $100 eliminating 10 guests will save your $1000. It is good when you are budget conscious and you know your budget is going high.
8. Bargaining isn’t that bad: Ask for freebies and extra things. There is nothing harm is asking extra tables or cocktails; you might get perks, trust me. Also, meet vendors early so that you can do market research and get the best prices. It is seen that booking early saves 10%.
9. Seek advice from family and friends: Reach out to your family and friends who have got hitched recently. They will advise you and will help you in checking lists. Ask them vendors numbers and addresses for further inquiries. Additionally, you might get some friends’ numbers in the businesses, you never know.
10. Leave room in your wallet: Always keep leverage of 10%. Saving money on small things that can be done on your own is a great idea. Afterall every penny counts. It is essential to allocate 5 to 10% budget for immediate expenses like extra invites, tailoring, ribbons, etc. depending on weather conditions.

Are you confused about where to begin with? So, take a quick quiz through the wedding cost calculator. This will help you get an approximate budget you will need for your entire wedding ceremony.

Getting married is simple. You just need to say- “I do”. Is it that meek? No way. It is expensive than you think. 

As per a collective data of 2019’s USA weddings cost approximately $33,900. This sum includes wedding, ring ceremony, and reception. This survey was conducted by The Knot’s 2019 Real Weddings Study. 

Can anybody spend this huge money in one day? But when little things are summed this amount gets bigger with the ad-on including DJs, rings, decoration, catering, venue, etc.

Average Wedding Cost in USA

Let’s look at some numbers now.

Location and Transportation:

• Reception Venue: $15,450
• Ceremony Place: $2,300
• Transport: $830

Merchandise:

• Wedding Planner: $2,500
• Photography: $2,000
• Videography: $2,500
• Officiant: $250

Outfits and Performance:

• Band: $4,000
• DJs: $1,200
• Wedding Gown: $1,500
• Groom’s Attire: $300
• Makeup: $250

Food, Beverages, and Miscellaneous:

• Cake: $500
• Catering (Per Person): $70
• Alcohol: $
• Invitations: $400
• Décor: $2,400

*Note: The expenses mentioned above are the nearest sum of numbers. Also, this number varies according to cities. Apart from this, you will need a marriage license. Fees of a marriage license fluctuate through the state, county, or region.

How to Plan Wedding Budget to Save Money?

Don’t get fooled by numbers! 

Wedding expenses can go up to $1 million to thousands of dollars. Statistics show that every other couple falls in the trap of social media pics. Falling prey in the labyrinth of mortgages and loans.

People often follow Instagram or Pinterest images and dream to wed in the same way. This might get you butterflies but in reality, it is very pricey. Here you need to be practical than mythical.

This doesn’t mean you need to give up on your dream wedding. It’s just getting everything sorted according to pocket.

Plan: Drawing a systematic wedding plan is the first step. Set a benchmark, whatever be the condition you will not spend beyond that figure.

List: Make a list counting no of guests, outfits, venue, food and beverages, bands, cakes, rings, etc. If you are organizing things by you without a planner get your facts precise. Mark green on the task completed for precision. This will help you save money.

Pay Attention to the Details:

Your attentiveness can lower the budget by 10%. Small things always pile up later. Hence, it is recommended to jot down items. Also, little flexibility depresses cost. Certain factors stated below is worth quoting:

1. Hiring Help: Use your relations and ask your friends to do bartending. You can involve your relatives and friends in decoration and transportation if they don’t mind. This is very cheap as compared to premium packages.
2. Guest Lists: It is not important to invite everyone you know. Near and dear ones with few knowns are well to go. Make a minimum and maximum guests list listing their requirements. Headcount is a great idea as every person’s needs are different. 
3. Venue: In a metropolis, the cost is high as compared to rural areas. The second major chunk of money goes to location. Hence, location matters. So, finalizing a venue keeping your budget and desires in mind is necessary. For this researching and visiting location is crucial.
4. Season: Peak off seasons like January and February are economical than peak seasons as rates of venue, caterers and DJs are priced lower. Even wedding dresses are sold at a 20 to 30% discount. Similarly, Saturday’s wedding costs are higher despite the weekdays. So, choose wisely. 
5. Always Bargain and Compare Prices: Take budget from multiple vendors. Compare their services and brand with the prices mentioned. Get quotes from wedding planners too and compare it with your planning. Go for the affordable one. 

Bargaining isn’t a bad thing. Negotiation is necessary when we are talking about a huge amount. A new wedding planner or a bishop charges less as they are just starting up. You can give them a chance but after thorough screening and discussions.

Anticipate Miscellaneous Costs: Always add 10% extra costs to your budget. So that any unnecessary expenses can get sorted.

Add It Up All!

Always keep in mind what you and your partner want rather than going with the flow. Your relatives and friends won’t pay your bills. Remember that!

Once you have an established budget you can take help from us or an expert planner. Keep it simple and straight.

Use our wedding cost calculator for an effortless and quick estimation.

Best of Luck!