- Avarna Jain,
Chairperson RPSG Lifestyle Media
Ditch The Distress Of Debt And Plan Your Wedding Budget The Smart Way
A guide to eliminate unnecessary expense with ease.
The Wedding Industry is expected to see a surge in its business in the year 2025. Pexels
Planning your wedding budget is a hard nut to crack. The process of allocating expenses without going overboard on your finances and inviting debt is undoubtedly tough. With the wedding industry expecting to generate a revenue of 6 lakh crore rupees in the year 2025, you can expect the process to get tougher. But, fret not, we’ve spoken to pros, who have given us a guide on how to plan your wedding day budget without having to burn a hole in your pocket.
A Guide to Planning Your Wedding Day
The Lehenga Vs The Legacy
Sonakshi Sinha chose to wear her mother Poonam Sinha's sari for her wedding with Zaheer Iqbal. Instagram/Asli Sona
Your bridal lehenga will be the star of the show for approximately six hours. Then it’ll go into storage, emerging only for nostalgia sessions and the occasional dry-cleaning disaster. But your jewellery? That lasts forever. It’s passed down, worn again, and appreciated. Moral of the story: invest in things that outlive the wedding album. And if you want to be a trendsetter, repurpose a family heirloom. Modern brides are redesigning their mothers’ saris, giving them a fresh spin while keeping the sentiment (and savings!) intact.
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Entertainment That Doesn’t Cause Hearing Loss
The 2025 wedding report revealed that guests crave for more personalised wedding experiences. Pexels
Somewhere along the way, we confused “celebration” with “auditory assault”. If your wedding DJ is one decibel away from summoning the police. Maybe rethink your entertainment strategy. Instead of a super popular and expensive DJ who has probably been there at your friend’s wedding, or the neighbour's son’s wedding, how about a live band, a jazz ensemble, or even interactive pre-wedding games? A pottery corner where guests can create something and take it home? Now that’s a souvenir they won’t throw away. Finding an upcoming powerhouse talent or a unique form of entertainment may cost you time, but it will save on finances and, most importantly, add a unique touch to the otherwise run-of-the-mill flow of weddings.
Wedding Loans? Hard Pass
Wedding loans come with a high rate of interest and may take time to pay back. Pexels
If you’re financing your wedding through credit cards and emotional blackmail, it might be time to reconsider. There’s something tragic about spending years paying off a party. Instead of a 70-piece dance troupe, maybe allocate some funds to a honeymoon that doesn’t involve Googling “cheap places to stay near the beach.” Or better yet, put some of that money into an investment fund. Imagine celebrating your 5th anniversary in the Maldives instead of still being haunted by your caterer’s final bill.
Guests Remember Thoughtfulness, Not Swarovski Tableware
Having limited menu as per the head count also makes the wedding a sustainable one. Pexels
Let’s be honest—no one cares about the imported orchids or the custom ice sculptures. What they will remember is how they felt at your wedding.
Instead of a 12-course buffet where no one touches half the food, curate a smaller menu that people enjoy. (Seriously, no one needs six types of dal.)
Instead of drowning your venue in pointless décor, let the setting breathe. If you choose a stunning location, let it shine without covering it in fake roses and glitter.
Instead of generic return gifts, give something with meaning. Personalised shawls, artisanal treats, or handwritten notes go a long way in making guests feel special.
Your Wedding Isn’t An Awards Show— Stop Trying To Impress The World
Prajakta Koli and Vrishnak Khanal's wedding had minimal guest count. The Wedding Files
With wedding reels and trending hashtags, the pressure to have a “viral” wedding is stronger than ever. But here’s a radical idea: what if your wedding was about YOU? Not about impressing Instagram, not about topping your friend’s wedding, not about feeding a guest list full of random family acquaintances who don’t even know your last name.
At the end of the day, a wedding isn’t a competition. It’s about love, laughter, and the people who matter. It’s about making memories, not making headlines. And trust me—no one remembers the five-tier cake, but they will remember a night full of joy, warmth, and zero financial regrets. Your wedding is about you and your future—a future that will be built on a sound financial foundation and principles. Take the first right step by budgeting it, line-item-wise, too. Do yourself proud!!. So here’s to weddings that are beautiful, sane, and enjoyable—because nothing ages worse than a wedding debt and regret.
This story appears in Manifest India’s Issue 02. Subscribe here for more stories like this.
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It has everything you need to make your wedding special. From the big comeback of red and pink in bridal wear to how the cool kids are wearing corsets to the celebration, there is only one way to get ready for a wedding —with enjoyment.
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This needs very little description. It has travel with a special focus on incredible India, and a collection of wedding albums, sourced randomly, but collected with abundance because happiness has no limits.
