“If only your pockets were as deep as your love for one another”, said the old proverb. Let’s face it: Indian and South Asian weddings can be extremely expensive. The horse rental, the jewelry, days and days of events and gatherings. Creating a reasonable Indian and South Asian wedding budget means knowing what you can afford to spend and when, then deciding what matters to you most, then applying your dollars appropriately does not have to be difficult. You can have a great wedding day, no matter the size of your budget and Veroika Khar is here to help you plan accordingly. Having an idea up front helps you know what you expect.

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Here are our ten favorite budget-cutting tips:

When it comes to WEDDING DATE and LOCATION, scheduling your wedding “off-season can save you a big big chunk of your budget.” Nearly 70% of all weddings take place May through October of each year. Even in matters of the heart, the laws of supply and demand apply. If there are lots of brides competing with you for wedding venue and reception locations, limousines service, and florists, the price goes up because of the demand for certain days for the wedding and the reception. You will probably find yourself able to get better deals on virtually every wedding service if you schedule your wedding in one of the “off season” months, meaning not during May through October months. Also avoid late November through New Year’s, when hotels, caterers and bands are likely to be busy with holiday parties. Your best bet? Set the date for sometime in January, February (other than around Valentine’s Day, when the flower prices peak), or March is absolutely great, especially if you live in California.

Set the time for early in the day for your wedding ceremony and reception. If you’re the average couple, your biggest wedding cost will be for fantastic food and yummy beverages at the reception. A beautiful morning brunch / lunch will set you back less than dinner fare. This means saving more moola. And unless you have really outrageous friends and groom’s men, there will be far less alcohol poured before lunchtime. Better to have a wonderful morning reception than be forced to pinch pennies for an evening event. What do you think?

Find a low-cost location. And we are the experts. Here are wedding ceremony and reception locations for East Bay California and here are Sacramento wedding ceremony and reception locations. If you’re flexible about the “where,” you can save a lot on your location. Don’t knock your childhood church or synagogue: if you or your parents are members, the location fee will probably be waived. A city-owned location, such as a public garden or historic building, may be available for a surprisingly low fee. And you might consider marrying at home (yours, or home newly remodeled by your  friend’s!) if your guest list isn’t too large.  But be careful: a home wedding won’t cut costs if you have to bring in additional restroom facilities, seating, lighting, etc. More on this during our consultations. Give me a call today. Veronika Khar Bay Area Wedding Planner. at 916-396-7067