An Indian wedding budget – what to splurge on and where to save

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Your wedding day, a momentous occasion that marks the beginning of a new life, will undoubtedly be the biggest celebration of your life. It’s your chance to make lasting memories of your special day and impress your guests in your own inimitable style.

Indian weddings are known not only for their elaborate celebrations but also for their ornate settings, delicious food and other earthly extravagances. However big or small our budget maybe, most of us like to make it an event that will be remembered for a long time to come. “Marriage is not the end but the beginning of a life shared between two people”. It is not prudent to start a new life with a debt.

With our experience as wedding planners we have made a list of the main items that are worth the price and where you can save without compromising on aesthetics or quality

Splurge on

Food – The first word that comes to mind when thinking of an Indian wedding is food. No Indian wedding is complete without a feast to treat your guests. As a host of your wedding, you’ll want to make sure that your guests have the best food possible.

Photography and Videography – What better way to relive your special day with your loved ones for years to come. A good photo album will be a memoir that will evoke, each time you open it, the same emotions you experienced on your wedding day. These pictures are a cornerstone of what future generations look to as their legacy. It is extremely important that you have a good team of photographers and videographers to cover every detail of your wedding.

Hosting your guests – In a country that fervently believes in the old saying “Athiti Devo Bhava”, we must uphold this tradition as best as we can not just because it is expected but also because our hospitality speaks volumes about our values. How far you go to woo your guests is completely your choice. Do you want to pay for travel, stay, clothes, entertainment and suchlike is one of the things you need to ask yourself keeping your budget in mind.

Jewelry – Jewelry plays an important role in enhancing the beauty of the blushing bride, more so when it has been handed down by the bride’s mother or grandmother. A marriage is the perfect time for you to make something special that can in turn be passed to your future generations. Given that jewelry has not only been considered for the purpose of adoration, but also as a security in times of contingency also makes it an investment.

Honeymoon – This is one of those occasions in life that warrants being a bit more generous with your budget than you’d usually be. After months of planning, stressing and the hectic wedding celebrations it is nice to have some together time to look forward to. Soon you will be thinking of life ahead in terms of buying a new house, starting a family so this is probably one of those times when you can justify the cost.

Wedding planners – As a new concept in India, wedding planners carry the misconception of being a luxury expense. Planning a wedding is stressful! The pressure on a family to have the perfect wedding is immense. Wedding planners with their industry know-how can help couples determine the best venue, vendors and creative ideas with their specific budget in mind. They also make sure that your event is handled to perfection and they bear all the stress so you can enjoy your celebrations with your guests without fretting about the countless little things that make a successful wedding.

Save on

Invitations – While your invitations are the first thing your guests will see and it will set the tone for the wedding, with a bit of creativity and personalization you can make a beautiful invitation without spending too much money. Just by making an invitation that is not oversized or letter pressed you can save a lot of money and cutting down on the number of inserts can also help with the budget

Venue – In India you can choose anything from a five star hotel to a Kalyana Mantapa and everything in between. Select a venue that has a lot of character and built-in beauty as this allows you to create an ambience without spending too much more.

Décor –Using drapes and lighting with flowers can cut down on your décor budgets significantly. Add chair covers with beautiful bows to make your venue look dramatically different. In India, we have the options of using native flowers such as marigolds, roses, rajnigandhas and jasmines which are also very fragrant adding to the mood and traditional festivity…reserve the imported flowers like orchids, lilies and haliconea’s for the more formal and western functions like reception and cocktail evenings. Flowers and drapes can be seen and appreciated in the daylight. For evening functions play with a lot of lighting and decor with lamps and lanterns instead of spending too much on flowers and drapes

Clothes – There is no end to what you can spend on clothes for your wedding. While shopping, remember you will probably use your reception outfit only once in your life time. Emphasize less on designer’s labels and more on the comfort, colors, patterns, fabric and cuts that looks good on you. You can either buy them off the shelf in a store or have them custom made by an upcoming designer. Remember you don’t have to spend a million to look like a million.

Return gifts – It can be easy to overspend on return gifts simply out of generosity toward your guests. However, it is important to avoid this by setting a budget and thinking of value ways to save money. Remember your guests are there to celebrate your big day with you and really that’s all that matters to them. Traditionally, families from South India present coconut, blouse pieces and beetle leaves to their guests whereas Marwari’s tend to give sweets and money. If you have to follow these rituals find ways to make them cost effective.

The thing to remember is this is the celebration of union of two families and two people coming together. All that matters is that you enjoy your day.

Interviewing the GM of Taj West End about weddings

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The Taj West End is a lush property in the middle of bustling Bangalore. The landmark hotel located next to the Golf Club and across the Turf Club offers the real flavor of Bangalore with gardens being intrinsic to the overall experience. In co-ordination with WeddingSutra.com, Divya Chauhan and Vithika Agarwal spoke to Sanjay Sood, General Manager of Taj West End to know more about the property and how they create events to delight couples!

What makes the Taj West End so special?
The history, heritage and the whole environ the landmark hotel is set in. It’s a private sanctuary, in the middle of the city, a place where you can unwind in the natural environment. It reminds people of the old Bangalore, the green Bangalore. There are enough venues within the hotel where guests can have different experiences without stepping out- like the spa or nature works. But most importantly, it has an ambience where you feel totally relaxed.

How many weddings do you host every year?
On an average we host around six weddings a month, so about sixty to seventy weddings a year. The weddings range from small gatherings to grand scale ones (maximum 500 hundred guests). The most preferred venues are the Ballroom and the Princess of Wales lawns.

Tell us more about your clientele
A lot are from Bangalore, many NRIs and some from other places all over India. Usually it is the people who have some kind of relationship with Bangalore. Those who want to renew their emotional connect with the city and explore the heritage. Another factor that gives us the edge is our long innings. The parents who got married here want their children to start their married life here as well– carrying the good luck forward.

Food and cuisine, how is the offering from The Taj different?
Taj is associated with royalty so our menu and cuisine integrate this philosophy. We offer a wide variety depending upon the theme. The most popular are the cuisine of the royal palaces. For weddings, there are a lot of region-specific requirements and must-haves and must-avoids. So our chefs make all the efforts to keep every single requirement of a client into consideration.

What are the other services that Taj offers apart from catering?
We have a dedicated team which arranges for interactions with other vendors like local designers, wedding planners, mehendi artists, band organizers. We also plan tours, activities outside the hotel if the guests have free time on hand. So we try to give them an experience, rather than just a comfortable stay.

What budget should clients keep in mind if they’re planning a wedding at a premier property like yours?
It depends on the season and the vendors you have tied up with. But typically a room costs between 250 -350 USD and catering ranges between 50-100 and sometimes 150 USD. But we develop customized packages. The sales team sits with the client, understands their requirements to build a package to suit their budget. Clients should get in touch with us, depending on when they are getting married. Usually, December weddings are booked almost a year in advance.

Do the clients have to work with your preferred vendors or they can have their own set of people?
Of course they can. We do not interfere with that process. But any new vendors have to agree to the rules and regulations especially while putting up the decorations, flowers, fabrics etc. We make sure that they work in tandem with our team so there is no miscommunication

Do you have restrictions like no-baraat on the premises?
Yes, we do because we do not want our other guests to be disturbed. We do help in organization of the baraat outside the hotel. And also provide carriages, cars or other assistance for the groom and party when they enter the premises to reach the specific lawn or venue.

You have to do a balancing act between business clients and wedding clients. How do you manage the delicate balance?

Some people have a misconception (from the look and feel of our property) that we are not a business hotel. But in reality, we have a lot of business travelers who prefer to stay in a quaint place like ours. We keep two blocks reserved for the corporate clients so that they can stay peacefully and have their privacy even when a wedding is going on in the premises.

We have talked a lot about the property, now we’d like to know a little about you.

Well, it has been a fantastic journey—I’ve been with the Taj for 26 years. I’ve been married since 16 years and I have two beautiful daughters. In my long stint with the group, I have worked all over India- Kolkata, Bombay, Chennai and now Bangalore. The best part of working with The Taj is that you develop a lifelong relationship with the organization.

Photographs courtesy of Joseph Cairns, joseph@depthoffield.co.in

Our guide to perfect wedding gifts

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With the wedding season round the corner the one question that is on everybody’s mind is “what should I gift the couple?” Sometimes in Indian weddings, customs dictate what and how much you gift during the wedding, but even if that’s the case make sure you do a little something extra for the couple to make them feel special.

If you are indecisive about what to take as a present for the next wedding you attend, these questions should help you before you go on the shopping trip:

What is your relationship with the bride and/or the groom? – Are you related, close friends, acquaintances or colleagues?

What are they like? – Whilst the answer to this question will depend on how well you know the couple, it would help if you had a general idea of their likes and dislikes. Do they love partying? Are they travel bugs? Are they romantic? Do they have it all?

What kind of gift will add value to their lives and leave a lasting impression? – Electronics, experiences, traditional gift items, custom made or personalized

How much to spend? – “The excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness rather than in its value.” The amount you spend on the gift should be based on your relationship with the couple and/or their families as well as your budget.

Notwithstanding, whatever you choose as a present, a bit of creativity and thought will touch their hearts and leave an impression that will last long after the wedding is over.

As wedding planners, we work very closely with the bride, the groom and their families. We have interviewed many couples to identify what they would like as a wedding gift and here are some of the top answers:

Money – Yes it’s true! Money is the number one gift that most young couples want. It gives them the freedom and luxury to use it as they see fit. It could be used for the honeymoon at their dream destination, down payment for a house, a car or something else that might be on their list.

Charity – Forgoing lavish and extravagant wedding gifts, Prince William and Kate Middleton set up a charitable gift fund in honor of their wedding. More and more couples are choosing donations to their favorite charities over traditional wedding gifts. When all or a portion of the wedding gifts are donations to worthwhile causes, the bride and groom are able to share the happiness of their wedding day with those in need and help make a difference. We can’t think of a better way to start a new life that to receive heartfelt blessings.

Gold/silver – Among Indians Gold and Silver are considered auspicious as a wedding gift. A coin, some jewelry or an idol of a god especially Lord Ganesha are some of the most popular choices for weddings

Honeymoon package – Newly married couples would love to go on a honeymoon. Unfortunately, not all can afford a pricey tour package. Usually gifted by a close family member a honeymoon package makes for a wonderful wedding gift, and has always topped the list of wedding gift ideas.

Some of our favorite gifts are –

Photo Frames. One of the most popular gifts here’s how to do it with a twist. We have gifted the wedding invitation framed as gift and it has been really well received. We also like to personalize a photo frame based on the personalities of the couple. Thanks to designer fotoframes that this is possible. www.facebook.com/DefignerFotoframes/photos_stream

Watches. Indian themed watches from Titan make for a great gift. We are fans of the Raaga and Bandhan collection

Gift Baskets. Gift baskets are one of our favorites to give because we can pick out everything individually, and there’s nothing more delightful than getting a basket full of themed goodies to pick through. We create a gift basket full of personalized stationery for the couple. We usually put in thank you notes so that the couples have them ready to thank all their guests for the presents, personalized gift tags, post it notes and some note cards. www.templetreepaper.com is a favourite place for us to order our stationery.

  

While gifting art can be quiet risky we have never gone wrong with these one of kind kettles from www.artbyaarohi.com

Cheers. With a selection of Indian and foreign wines now available in India they make for a wonderful gift. Add a bottle of wine with wine glasses that you plan on gifting. Complete the gift with some crackers and cheese. www.fwmclub.com is a great place to buy some fine wines in India

Gift an experience. These days many couples have been living on their own, so they don’t need to set up an entire household—in fact, they may be merging two. Give them a special treat they can enjoy together like a cooking / bartending class, a dinner at their favorite restaurant, a couple’s massage or dance classes www.excitinglives.com has some pretty cool selections in most major Indian cities

Bath Products. Towels can be an incredibly useful and inexpensive wedding gift. Add some bubble bath or some beautiful soaps to make the gift complete. Personalize it with monograms. www.yebhi.com has a good0 selection of towels to choose from

A little practical advice that makes the gift a complete package –

  • Ensure you have the price tag removed from the gift
  • Make sure you put a gift card on the package as well as inside the gift. It is really sad when you go through all the trouble of buying a beautiful gift and the couple have no idea whom to thank.
  • It is always a good idea to send the gift to the couple’s house. We have all heard innumerable stories about gifts getting lost at the venue since there is no security or getting damaged in transit. But for any reason that you have to take your gifts to the venue especially if it is money write an account payee check to ensure that the couple receives your good wishes.

Gifts have such an amazing feel good factor about them that the experience of unwrapping and finding what’s inside the package is exciting. Some gifts leave an impression on our hearts long after the wedding is over.

We would love to hear from you. Tell us about your favorite gift stories from your wedding or something that you gifted to a couple and why was that gift was so unique.

The Taj Falaknuma Palace Hotel, Hyderabad

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We haven’t written about palace weddings in the past mainly for the fear of sounding clichéd. After all, everything that needs to be said about the grandeur of a wedding in a beautiful palace has been said, right? We thought so too but all that changed when we visited the breathtaking Taj Falaknuma Palace Hotel in the beautiful city of Hyderabad. This stately experience compelled us to write about this magnificent property where we felt like personal guests of the Nizam himself.

Taj Falaknuma is more than just a luxury hotel – it is a piece of history. It has been meticulously restored and is impeccably manned by the legendry service of the Taj Group of hotels. The Palace in its various moods is mystical and beautiful and a treat for all your senses.

Having experienced a number of palatial weddings in Rajasthan, we were pleasantly surprised to be treated to similar delights in the southern city of Hyderabad .It is amongst the finest palaces in India and as the name suggests, it truly is a mirror in the sky with a panoramic view of this splendid city. This magnificent property, with a rare blend of Italian and Tudor architecture can hold its own amongst the most luxurious palace hotels of the world.

The Falaknuma palace is a perfect place to create a lifetime of memories. You can choose to celebrate your big birthday with a close set of friends or host a lavish wedding. The one thing the palace guarantees is an experience, for you and your guests, that won’t be easily forgotten and will leave you craving for more.

Based on our own experience, we have listed a few reasons for you to consider Falaknuma for your next celebration

  1. Hyderabad, as a city, has much to offer culturally and is easily accessible by air, road and train.
  2. This palace with exquisite views and stunning interiors allows you to have a very different ambience for all your events, be it indoors or outdoors
  3. Falaknuma palace is home to some of the finest treasures of the Nizam. With its unique jade collection, to a library housing one of the finest arrays of the Quran, and the largest collection of Venetian Chandeliers are just to name a few. You and your guests will not feel the need to leave the palace gates once you have entered the home of the richest Nawab in the world.
  4. The exceptional service that is synonymous with the Taj group of hotels will ensure a comfortable and memorable stay for you and your guests
  5. Taj Falaknuma Palace allows you to experience the exuberance and lavishness of the life of the Nizam’s and get a taste of the royal splendor.
  6. The palace has a remarkable 101-seat dining hall which is perhaps the largest in the world and provides a grand experience for your guests
  7. The hotel caters to your epicurean palate with its culinary delights through one of its two restaurants or through an exclusive spread prepared for your event
  8. The Jiva spa is voted one of the best in India and we personally vouch for it.

 

A royal experience at the enchanting Taj Falaknuma Palace beckons. With our extensive experience and this magnificent location we can help you create a life time of memories. Please get in touch with us if you might be considering this destination for your celebration and want some help with the planning.