Choose Boutique or Small Resorts
5-star beach or hill hotels priced above Rs 20,000 per day, look for smaller resorts in sightseeing places ranging from Rs.8,000-15,000. Hosting weddings in tier 2/3 cities like Dehradun, Kochi, Alibaug and Rishikesh can cut your guest accommodation and food costs by almost half.
choose an accessible location
Choose a location that is within a visible distance of your home town. So if you are in Mumbai, you can choose Jadhavgarh in Pune, and if you are in Delhi, you can go to Dehradun. If you choose a faraway location that includes flying, you will significantly increase your costs, in addition to making it uncomfortable for a lot of guests.
cut flowers, Upholstery
If you choose a beautiful destination like a beach or a beautiful valley or hill, you can cut down on the cost of your decor by keeping it simple. Since flowers are one of the most expensive design props, you can reduce your costs by minimizing their use, choosing an outdoor space with natural beauty.
hire local artists
Another way to cut costs drastically is by hiring local vendors and artists instead of kicking them out of your home city. Be it caterers or make-up and mehndi artists, by choosing local talent, you will not only save their fees, but also the accommodation, food and travel expenses of the people who drive you to the destination.
plan an off-season wedding
If you’re looking for a popular destination, hold your wedding in an off-season month to take advantage of lower hotel, travel, and vendor costs. However, make sure you have chosen the right season. So if you choose Goa, March can be a good time for a wedding, when the tourist crowds are dwindling and the weather is still pleasant.
Trim Your Guest List
Local weddings mean inviting everyone you know, but in destination weddings, you can only include close family members and friends. Although the cost of a destination wedding may increase due to the travel or accommodation of the guests, you can still bring it on par with careful feeding of guests for a local wedding.
Gift
The fact that you invited your guests over for a fun vacation-cum-wedding and took care of the cost of their stay and/or travel means that you can reduce the amount of gifts you give them.