So you’re tying the knot but have fallen short on the budget. Nothing comes quite as exciting as embarking on that amazing voyage called marriage with only you and your spouse to be as the main protagonists. Let’s face it, the grandest weddings in the biggest churches, with the most expensive gowns and suits, and inside the most expensive venue aren’t exactly the barometers for what is about to come. Sure, you’ll get a month’s worth of glamor and elegance, but what comes next wouldn’t necessarily be the same thing.
If you’re like me and you want to make sure that the marriage is not all about the wedding, then read on.
Go Traditional
Different nations have different traditions when it comes to wedding ceremonies, but one thing in common in all of the weddings I’ve witnessed is that all cultures have, at one point in time, valued traditional weddings more for their social value.
Instead of holding the wedding in a grand church or in a 5 star hotel, you could hold it in your own garden or home. That is, of course if you live in a place where there’s still lots of garden space.
If you don’t have your own house yet, you could ask close family whether they’d be willing to host the event. It wouldn’t hurt if your parents have a large garden. If they agree, make sure that you pay them and offer to clean up the mess afterwards. Most parents would be glad to accommodate their children’s wedding as long as it would not be boisterous and as long as they don’t have to do anything stressful.
Crowdsource Your Food
Okay, this is a little bit extreme but I’ve seen weddings using this approach when it comes to food. Some people have that knack when it comes to friends that they would gladly pitch in for a simple ceremony where everybody can contribute in their own little way to help out a friend. As the host, you could buy the ingredients and perhaps hire a knowledgeable and local caterer to cook up a delightful meal.
I’ll hazard a suggestion to cook the food yourself but that would just ruin your gown!
Gowns and Suits are for Your Grandparents
I can’t understand what the whole pomp and pageantry is all about. Weddings are meant to formalize the union of two people and not to bring yourself in debt. The last thing that newlyweds would want is to have to grapple with finances after the honeymoon.
If you’re holding a garden wedding, simple attires would do. For the groom, he could opt to wear a simple suit or a simple and white collared shirt with Khaki pants. Or, he could just borrow the suit worn by his father.
The same austerity measure applies for the bride. If she likes she could just opt to wear a simple floral dress or a white skirt.
At the end of the day, your imagination could do wonders for you and your spouse to be. Remember, it isn’t the wedding that’s going to mark you for the rest of your life. It’s the marriage and the company you will keep that comes after.