Wednesday, 5 February 2014

Cost Efficient Budget Wedding Planning

Cost Efficient Budget Wedding Planning
Bigindianwedding.com has identified simple money saving strategies for your wedding ensuring that it is only the excess that gets trimmed and never the joy of getting married. These ideas may sound penny-pinching, but when the total expenditure bills come home, you will realize what a huge difference these money saving ideas have made.
Trim the Guest List
A smaller number of people translates into everything lesser and smaller; venue, food and drink, invitations, favours, accommodations, transportation, etc. Calling close family and friends will also ensure that your wedding is a time for personal celebrations.
Wedding Ring/Band
A simple gold wedding band is just as elegant looking as an expensive platinum one. You don’t really need a giant sized rock on your finger to announce your betrothal; a small delicate diamond ring has its own charm. 
Ceremony
If the religious considerations allow, keep the ceremony short and simple. Too long a ceremony means too many things are needed, which gets expensive. Pre-decide the pundits fees and donations!
Keep it Elegant, yet Simple
Ditch the vague need for over-the-top and the-best-in-line everything. Instead invest that money into something that will last you beyond that one particular day. I know of this one couple who went for sensible budget wedding and made a down payment for their own home with the money saved.
Invitations
Simpler the wedding invitations, lesser the cost. You can indulge in some excess here by highlighting one feature or element, and keep the rest simple. Expensive paper with fancy typography and printing techniques inks increase the cost. To keep postage costs down, don’t add too many inserts.
RSVP a Must
Make sure you add in a response card to determine the number of guests accepting the invitation. Once you know the number, you can manage or even eliminate all excess easily.
Wedding Ensemble for Brides
If you want the look of a designer outfit, work on it. Get a good tailor and get an outfit design from a magazine or the Internet. To get the best, go in for an elaborate duppatta, this way you don’t have to worry about your tailor messing up your embroidery. There are a variety of silks available that cost you half of what real silk would.  If you are wearing a saree, try skipping the designer chiffon (that’s so common), go for a traditional weave. 
Make-up and Hair Stylist
If you have a friend who is good with brushes and tints, have her/him to do it. If not, go for a good make-up artist. A good make-up artist need not be a top-notch one, just someone who knows what they are doing.
Wedding Ensemble for Grooms
Wear basic formal suit or a sherwani. As for the sherwani, keep it simple, let the women play with embroidery. If you want a different look, go for a coloured one. The best time to pick a good one would be during a sale. 
Food and Drink
A smaller guest list means you pay lesser for the food and drink. But if you can’t do anything about your guest list, then it is best to reduce the number of main courses down. Limit the number of appetizers and snacks, as well as the desserts. Keep the beverage list short and simple. Go for traditional Indian fare that make more use of seasonal produce. The more exotic the cuisine, more the cost. Adult and children have a different price rate per plate, ensure that the caterer calculates accordingly.
Cakes
Cutting and serving cake is a new trend, feel free to skip it. If you are still keen to go ahead, order a small, one-two tier cake. Avoid the handmade sugar flowers and other shapes, lots of people tend to leave that part. 
Venue
Select a place that is perfect in size for your guest list. Go for an off-season wedding date. Try to hold most events in the same location and strike a deal with the venue vendors by using their caterers as well as decorators.
Transportation
Your own car should be good enough. If you want something different or more try hiring by the hour, or better still rope in your friends for their cars.
Décor
Venue décor must be kept simple. Go for seasonal flowers and avoid excessive lighting. Got a creative relative or an Ikebana specialist friend, request them to handle your centerpieces and other decorations. If you have a favourite florist you have been buying flowers for a long time, now is the time to strike a deal with them. 
Music
A small live band is better than a large orchestra. Skip the dancers, and avoid the use of many speakers. Music should be part of the background and not the other way round.
Photo and Videos
Keep it simple and have just one of each; a photographer and a videographer. Make sure the video is only about the ceremony, just watching four hours of what the guests did can get pretty boring and expensive too. Avoid special treatments for your photographs, keep the prints simple.
Honeymoon
Look, look and look very hard. Our country is blessed with over a dozen places that aren’t common, but are just as beautiful and exotic as popular honeymoon spots making then inexpensive to visit and enjoy. Still keen on a popular spot, buy a whole package instead of purchasing services as plane tickets, accommodations and food separately

Decoration ideas for a budget wedding

Decoration ideas for a budget wedding
Cheap decoration ideas... is your mind conjuring up crass and unrefined images? Using a little creativity and imagination, one can work wonders decorating their wedding venue even when on a budget. There's no need to sweat it out. Bigindianwedding offers some easy out-of-the-world ideas that will give flight to your dream wedding. 

Never ignore the flowers
The most important element in decorating any space, choosing the right flowers is essential while on a budget. Choose in-season blooms from a local vendor. You may even choose to decorate with wild flowers, definitely it will add a dash of originality. Better still, buy artificial silk flowers. They can be used even later! 

Candles, candles everywhere
What better way to add a slice of romance than by lighting a candle? Well, spruce up the space with as many candles as you can. You may even use tea lights and votive candles to add extra glitter to your wedding. The mood will be oh-so-mesmerizing without even hurting your pockets!

Paper lantern prettiness
Whether it is a day function or a nightly event, paper lanterns never fail to impress. Lit or unlit, they hold the place together like no other decoration piece. Imagine an array of pretty paper lanterns hanging in the air with only tea lights and candles glittering away. Do you even need anything else?

Add some quirkiness
It might seem ridiculous but at hindsight, probably it will leave your wedding a memorable event for all the guests present. Why not use some item which usually people wouldn't even consider? Say for instance, colorful umbrellas. Hang some in bunches, let some roam aimlessly around the venue. We bet your wedding would feature amongst the most talked about. 

Tulle to your rescue
One of the cheapest fabrics around, tulle can be of immense help in bringing to life your wedding venue. Drape it around the entrance, feature it while decorating the stage, dress up the tables and chairs... tulle will never let you down. It is one of the most versatile decorating elements for a wedding.

Creative culinary corner
You must have heard that cooking is an art. Well, arranging is also an art. Decorating the dining area right is a great way to save some bucks. Ensnare all with innovative fruit centerpieces, artistic bread creations and candy jars. Place a water feature (like a fountain) to capture everyone's attention. 

Less is more
You must have definitely heard of this adage. Yes, you need not stuff each corner of the venue with some type of decoration piece. Let there be breathing space and highlight only select areas. Firstly, it will add grace to the place and secondly, it will be easy on the pocket.

Choose the right location
If you do not wish to spend at all on decoration, choose a location that leaves everyone captivated. If you have a beach wedding, the water and sand will do all the talking. Or maybe in the countryside where rusticity will prevail needing no decoration whatsoever. 

Choices are aplenty. The only limit is your imagination. Let it loose and see the wonders for yourself

Budget Weddings: Ways to Avoid Hidden Cost

Budget Weddings: Ways to Avoid Hidden Cost
Trying to stay within the allocated budget for a wedding is a primary reason for sleepless nights and lots of anxiety. An over shot budget can play quite the spoilsport during the celebrations and turn into a horrific experience, once the bills start pouring in. Seasoned wedding planners opine that it is primarily the “hidden cost” which is responsible for a wedding budget to spin out of control. Bigindianwedding.com has put together a list of all the major areas where you should watch out for hidden costs.
Venue Services and Amenities
Once the venue has been decided upon, you need to check for all hidden costs that come under the tag of extra services and amenities provided. Get a complete list of the total rental fee and what all does this price include. The package cost should mostly include complimentary rooms, managing staff, waiters and bartenders, décor and dining areas.  Check for overtime charges. Make sure the cost of the bridal suite as well as extra needed accommodations are all accounted for. Venues have a restricted quantity of electricity and water usage, as well as valet parking charges which in most cases aren’t mentioned, and are usually considered as ‘hidden costs'. 
Décor
It is important to determine who will handle the décor. It is always cost efficient to let the venue managers, coordinate the décor, as most wedding venues have a dedicated staff or vendors for this purpose. The hidden costs generally involved are any remodeling done before the day, provision of decorative supplies, the use of exotic and out-of-season flowers, excess lighting and even grand (not really needed) seat covers. If you are planning to bring in your own decorators make sure you check out the restrictions on the size and quantity of your decorations.
Musical Entertainment
Music plays an important role throughout the wedding and reception celebrations. Live music definitely costs more than playing pre-recorded music, plus the cost of DJ’s also has to be taken into account. Ideally, the cost of the wedding band should include the musician/bands’ time, equipment, dancers, etc.  Go through all details such as why the need for a particular equipment, or whether the numbers of speakers put up are really needed. A time limit, i.e. the time they start to set up to winding down, should be duly noted, else you may easily get charged for extra time.
Invitations
Invitations expense is not just about getting the cards printed, you need to calculate how much it would cost to get them across too. Going in for large, ornate bulky cards is quite a waste, plus they cost extra in postage. If you have bulk invitations to send, send e-cards to as many people as you can. They are inexpensive, if not free, and trendy too. Don’t forget to take in the rising cost of petrol as you move from house to house to invite people. Even if it gets tiring, try covering up the same area within the same day, so you don’t have to go back again and again. 
Wedding Ensemble
Budget wedding and designer wedding attire won’t go together as a cost efficient tool, unless you are smart about it. Make sure you get your outfit during a sale season to avail a good deal. While buying your attire, keep in mind that you should be paying and getting the whole outfit together, and not in parts. A grand saree or lehenga may not come with a stitched blouse, likewise a sherwani may not come with a stole, for which you may have shell out more. Alterations should be a part of the buying deal and not as an extra cost. 
Wedding Videograpghy and Photography
This one particular aspect is full of hidden costs. It makes more sense to book your videographer and photographer for the particular event. Also work out extra time payment on an hourly basis. This way you just have to pay for the extra work done. While hiring the services of a photo/video vendor, work out the cost of getting your wedding DVD and photo album also. Be very specific as to what you want in the video and its duration. When it comes to the wedding album, choose the size of the photographs and your album too beforehand.  

Food and Drink
When it comes to catering, check on the following issues to avoid paying extra; does the venue allow for outside catering or does it have more cost efficient catering of its own? Are there any extra charges for setting provision of alcohol and bar service, as well the license to serve (Bringing in your own alcohol is more cost-effective)? Also check if bartenders and waiters are part of single package or need to be hired separately?

Monday, 20 January 2014

wedding cards

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http://www.beyondesign.in/
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Photo Courtesy- DKreate Photography
www.facebook.com/dkreate.photography
 — withMonica Lalwani.
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Design by The Magic Beans Graphic Design Studio, Mumbai 

www.themagicbeans.in


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Thursday, 19 December 2013

Announcing the Winners- Canvera Better Photography Wedding Photographer of the Year 2012

The country’s biggest Wedding Photography Awards took place on 4th July, 2013 at Taj Land’s End, Mumbai. This year Better Photography received close to 24,000 entries in six categories- Emotions, Couple Portraiture, Bridal Portraiture, Family & Friends, Behind the Scenes and Photo-series on a Single Wedding. Over 110 Judges were part of the online judging process, from which entries were shortlisted for the next round of judging to select the six finalists. The Judges for this round were ace Wedding Photographer Prakash Tilokani, noted Photojournalist Fawzan Husain and Aditya Motwane (CEO of Percept Weddings). The Face-Off took place over a period of three days in Bandra, Mumbai.



Announcing the winners in the different categories and the winner of the coveted title.
Category- Emotions
Winner- Prasanta Singha, Kolkata
Category- Bridal Portraiture
Winner- Tarun Chawla, New Delhi
Category- Couple Portraiture
Winner- Chenthil Bharathimohan, Bengaluru
Category- Family and Friends
Winner- Vivek Victor Sequeira, Mangalore
Category- Behind the Scenes
Winner- Riddhi Parekh, Mumbai
Category- Photoseries on a Single Wedding
Winner- Sutirtha Basu, Kolkata
Winner- Wedding Photographer of the Year 2012
Vivek Victor Sequeira, Mangalore

From left to right- Aditya Kothari (VP- Sales & Marketing, Canvera), Sandeep Khosla (CEO Network 18 Publishing), Prakash Tilokani, Fawzan Husain, K. Madhavan Pillai (Editor, Better Photography), Vivek Sequeira, Winner- Wedding Photographer of the Year 2012
Previous Years Entries
2009- http://weddingsutra.com/blog/index.php/2010/03/24/wedding-photographer-of-the-year/
2010- http://weddingsutra.com/blog/index.php/2011/04/15/indias-best-wedding-photographers-2010/
2011- https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150989529238941.424519.101055918940&type=3
Canvera Presents Better Photography Wedding Photographer of the Year Awards 2012



Photographs by Vivek Sequeira
Title Partner- Canvera
Associate Partner- Photoquip
Online Partner- WeddingSutra.com
Television Partner- CNBC TV18
Style Partners
Bridal Attire- Priya Chhabria
Grooms Attire- Studio Aboutir
Jewellery- Curio Cottage
Accessories- www.adamis.in
Makeup & Hairstyling- Christine Valmy Institute of Esthetics

Wednesday, 18 December 2013

Priya & Mayank Le Meridien, Jaipur

A classic story of best-friends falling in love, Priya and Mayank took their own sweet time to discover and admit their true feelings for each other. When they finally saw what was obvious to everyone around them, there was no looking back! Mayank 'sealed' the deal by gifting Priya her beloved Golden Retriever puppy- Oscar.
Oscar was such an integral part of their story that the couple just had to include him in the pre-wedding shoot. Needing an open space where he could be let loose to do his thing, the couple decided upon Lodhi Garden and spent a wonderful few hours with Oscar.
Priya & Mayank chose Le Meridien, in Jaipur, as their destination wedding venue. They had visited Le Meridien a few months earlier for a friend's wedding and fell in love with the venue. They had only one requirement for the wedding- to be surrounded by close family and friends and for ever yone to have the time of their lives at the 2-day-long-party! The hotel provided the perfect setting- from the spacious and luxurious rooms, to the beautiful venues and the hospitality- and everyone was well looked after.
The festivities began with the Mehendi. A Rajasthani themed event from the decor to the menu, it was the perfect way to spend a lovely late winter afternoon. By the time the Dhol-wallahs made an entrance, the gang was at their prime!
The ring ceremony', was short and sweet and so the rings were photographed on the day's news paper, which made the date memorable.
And there was a whole lot of dancing- dances to tell the Priya-Mayank story, some romantic and some just for fun.
In fact, the guests were having so much fun that they p retty much pulled an 'all-nighter'! It's a wonder that they were able to be awake and fresh for the Choora & Haldi Ceremonies in the morning.
The Baraat assembled at one far corner of the venue, where Mayank climbed on to an adorable and friendly elephant. Yes, elephant. The wedding was in Rajasth an after all, and only a royal entry would do.
Then entered the bride, looking resplendent in her Sabyasachi lehenga.
The ceremony was a beautiful one, with the couple surrounded by those closest to them.
Priya and Mayank made everything, including planning and executing a wedding, seem so easy th at everyone around were elated- to see two lovely people find true, romantic love in their very best friend!
Photos Courtesy- Arjun Kartha http://arjunkarthaphotography.com


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