One of the first questions to ask yourself when planning a wedding is ‘how much is our budget?’The next thing is trying to fit all the wedding expenses to that budget. It does not matter how big your budget or for that matter pocket, we all need to work within our budget. The following are saving areas and how to save on them. If you have more tips please share:-
- Food
Keep the food menu simple, if you can get a caterer or a friend who can charge you labor only and you buy all the ingredients even better. You can make a saving of more than Kshs 50,000/= but be sure of the quality of their work.
- Venue
The venue can cost as much as Kshs 100,000/= for the grounds alone. Do your research on the costs of various wedding venues and you could save as much as Kshs 70,000/= (see https://howtoplanyourownwedding.wordpress.com/2011/12/14/50-wedding-venues-in-nairobi/ for a list of 50 wedding venues in Nairobi)
- Video and Photography
One tip I can share from my own experience is to get both video and photography from one person. Most photographers have someone they work with for video and vice versa. But most of all, remember this is one of the few things you will get to keep after the wedding. Make sure you get professionals at a reasonable rate. ‘Cheap is expensive’ applies here.
- Wedding gown
I had always thought I would buy a wedding dress but after analyzing my budget and the cost involved, I decided it would be an expensive affair. I went to a few vendors in search of a gown for hire but it seemed they didn’t stock the best of gowns. Long story short, I saw a photo of my friend in her gown and it looked perfect! So I hired it from her and she even gave it to me to keep till the wedding dayJ. I saved approximately Kshs 35,000/=.
I also hear that you can buy gowns online from China at a very affordable rate although a few of my friends have succeeded some did not have a good experience so order early. Please share your experience and contacts if you have tried the China vendors.
- Décor
To save on décor, you will need to be creative. One way is to hire undressed chairs (thou they look so good when dressed). But the best place to save is the décor. Try and get the chairs, tents, tables and décor from one provider and it will be easier to bargain on the décor. You could save Kshs 20,000 or more.
- Others
Other areas to save on are the cake, photo session place, sound and dj, cards. All you need is a lot of creativity. For example I will be making my own wedding cards and once am done ill post a photo and how much it cost.
Please share with us your own tips and experiences. If you are a wedding planner, feel free to share one or two tips.
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