The most intriguing query: how much do Indian weddings typically cost? We'll get to the solution in a second, but first let's examine why weddings are so expensive.
Different faiths in India have developed their own customs and practises over the centuries. Marriage is revered in Hinduism as a sacred ritual that unites the couple spiritually. The ceremony marks the halfway point of the life cycle and the thirteenth of a total of sixteen rituals.
It's an ode to the Vedas, Hinduism's sacred scriptures that have been around for a very long time.
One's sense of self isn't complete in Hinduism until he marries and has children.
Marriage is seen as concrete evidence of a family's economic standing in India.
Because of this, weddings in the upperclass typically cost a lot of money and take years to plan.
The value of the Indian wedding market is currently estimated to be over EUR 34.5 billion, and it is expected to increase by an astounding 20–25% annually. Online matrimonial organisations make 200–250 crores per year registration and match-making fees, whereas the average wedding in a major city costs 25–70 lakhs.
The wedding day is the day that everyone looks forwards to the most. It's a happy time when two people and their families come together. Marriage ceremonies vary greatly from one faith or culture to another. Depending on religion, culture, desire, caste, and financial resources, the wedding festivities could stretch for days.
Weddings are a social and familial requirement in India. That's why everybody starts putting money away right away to pay for their kid's wedding. There are expenses associated with any wedding size. When estimating a budget for a wedding, it's important to take into account the many activities and variables that will be present.
Because of ever-changing inflation rates, it is impossible to provide an exact estimate for the cost of a wedding. However, practically everyone wants to invite all of their closest friends and family to celebrate their big day in a spectacular fashion, regardless of the cost. A lot of work goes into making sure everything goes smoothly on the big day. There are a plethora of resources out there to help you organise your wedding, from wedding budget calculators to customised wedding planning software.
Choosing a budget for the wedding, or estimating it, is the first order of business. A proper budget and subsequent allocation of finances is required.
It is clear that marriage ceremonies in India are an expensive affair from the long list of rituals that take place. Since the dowry system is more common in Northern India, wedding expenses there are higher than anywhere else in the country. In order to pay for their daughter's wedding, some families in India will even risk losing their land or even sell it. The bride's family pays a larger share of the wedding's total budget than the groom's does due to the dowry system.
There are several different components that contribute to the overall cost of a wedding, such as the Pundit's fee, the Mehendi ki rasm, the Mandah, etc. Inflation has made modern living quite expensive. However, wedding expenses might range widely from one family to the next, depending on their economic standing.
As a result of their limited financial resources, poor individuals typically pay between Rs10,000 and Rs1,000,000 to complete their wedding ceremonies. The wedding celebrations of the lower middle class can cost anywhere from one to three million rupees. Cosmopolitan events is your perfect wedding venue in Melbourne delivering fairytale weddings for the bride and groom.
Most people in the middle class spend between Rs2 and Rs7 million on a wedding, while those in the upper middle class can easily spend upwards of Rs40 million.
FAQs About Weddings
Who pays for an Indian wedding? It's mostly split between the couple and their parents, 50/50. Sometimes however, if one side is insisting on more guests or extra fanfare, then those costs are adjusted.
Depending on this, costs around the printing of invites, the size/ seating arrangements of the wedding hall (mandap), the food, and the gifts are going to be determined as well. Of this list, the venue incurs the most cost and the supporting decorations need the extra money to be spent too.
In theory, women economic and financial security in their marriage in the form of movable goods. This helped prevent family wealth break-up and provided security to the bride at the same time.
In the end, why?… Because hundreds of years ago, women were considered chattel and the bride's family used to have to pay off the groom's family in the form of a dowry to take their daughters off their hands.
The bride and groom pay for the entire wedding. Expenses are divided evenly between the couple, the bride's family, and the groom's family. Each family covers the cost for the number of guests it invites.
Food
Catering is a major part of any Indian wedding. Expenses for meals are typically broken out on a per-plate basis.
The total cost of the food will be the number of invitations times the price per dish.
Each appetiser, entrée, salad, and side dish has a different plate price.
It is possible for a caterer to charge more than 3000 rupees a plate if they offer a wide variety of cuisines.
Prices for standard plates of food might range from 300 to 800 rupees.
Overall, you should expect to spend anywhere from 1 to 5 lakh INR (Indian Rupees) on food.
It's commonly held that guests will recall the quality of the cuisine served at your wedding. You shouldn't cut corners on your food budget. If you're having a banquet at a hotel, the per-plate price you're quoted usually includes the banquet fee. Banquet halls vary in size, as do the decorations and catering options accessible to you. Some venues don't even offer catering, and some hotels don't insist that guests use their services. In such a circumstance, you're free to hire any catering service you like. You could potentially save cash by doing this.
If your event space allows it, another viable alternative is to hire in-house chefs. Once you've decided on a caterer, it's time to start planning the meal. Make the most of your catering budget and menu selection by learning the caterer's dish and combo counts. Maintain high standards of quality regardless of the number required. Additionally, selecting foreign fare may increase your per-plate expenditure from Rs 600–800 to Rs 1800–2000.
Clothes And Dresses
The bride and groom's wedding day is one of the most important and memorable of their life, therefore it is only fitting that they celebrate in style.
Wedding attire for the groom (sherwani, suit, etc.) can cost anywhere from 20,000 to 80,000 rupees, while a designer lehenga for the bride can cost anywhere from 50,000 to 1 lakh rupees.
The total cost of clothing for the household will be between one and five lakh rupees.
Costing a whopping Rs. 2,50,000, designer wedding attire is prohibitively expensive, and while families typically splurge on jewellery for weddings, guests may expect to pay their own way.
Designer jewellery can easily set you back between Rs 3,00,000 and Rs 5,00,000, while printing the wedding invitations would run you somewhere between Rs 20,000 and Rs 30,000. Looking for Wedding Dress Shops? Look no further, Cosmopolitan events have you covered.
Further, families may have to spend anywhere from Rs. 1,50,000 to Rs. 2,00,000 to secure the services of a professional photographer.
What Is The Cost Of Wedding Photographers In India?
This captures the happy moments of this new beginning and will be treasured forever by the happy couple.
These days, you can choose from a variety of photographic styles. You have the option of arranging a pre-wedding session in addition to traditional photography, candid photography, cum photography, videography, or drone photography for your wedding.
To cut costs without sacrificing quality, consider hiring a freelance photographer or using the services of amateurs.
Those looking to save money on this front may enlist the help of camera-savvy family or friends to document intimate parties, and hire a professional to document more elaborate affairs.
You would want to have photographs taken at your wedding because it is such a special day for you. Traditional wedding photographers, on the other hand, will demand a hefty fee for their services.
Get a friend or relative who likes to dabble in photography to do it for you. There are a lot of independent contractors out there that are willing to work for less than the going cost.
How Can You Save On The Cost Of An Indian Wedding?
Decoration is one place where costs can be drastically reduced by switching to cheaper alternatives like paper and lighting instead of expensive exotic flowers.
The use of Do It Yourself (DIY) techniques can help you save money and add a personal touch to the decor for smaller events.
The setting for a mehndi or haldi ceremony can be dressed up without breaking the bank by making use of lights, artificial flowers, and fabrics like sarees or dupattas.
Give Traditional Wedding Cards A Miss
Sending wedding invitation cards via the mail is so 2000. The proprietor of Wedding Sutras. Think of creative ways to send out electronic invitations to your guests, such as a wedding website or video.
You can avoid spending as much on wedding invitation printing and shipping with this method You may want to consider printing a limited number of invitations if not all of your relatives are comfortable with technology and would respond positively to an electronic invitation.
Capture Precious Moments For Less
Hiring a well-known professional photographer to capture your wedding on film and in stills is a significant financial commitment. Find local photographers or independent artists who may be willing to work for less.
It's possible to find a promising new photographer and hire them after evaluating their portfolio. They offer better value in their services and new perspectives.
Rent Jewellery Instead Of Buying
There has been a recent uptick in the practise of renting jewellery for weddings. Renting allows brides to accessorise with high-end jewellery without breaking the bank.
In addition, they can shop for accessories that complement their ensemble wedding ensemble rentals cost between Rs 2,500 and Rs 15,000.
Take Your Clothes to a Tailor, or Attempt to Rent One
In addition, wedding apparel, which is often only worn once, can be quite costly.
There are currently wedding dress repurchase programmes available from some brands. A further economical movement is picking a pattern and having it custom-made in one's own city.
People are coming up with the notion of renting wedding garments, which can help them save up to 60-70%.
Lehenga and sherwani rentals for the bride and groom start at about Rs 2,500. Buying a bridal ensemble to resell on one of the many sites after the big day is an alternative to renting one if the thought of renting seems too impersonal.
Book The Right Venue
Select a less expensive venue on the outskirts of town rather than an expensive hotel in the centre.
Many hotels and banquet halls provide significant discounts for events that take place outside of their peak seasons, so wedding planners recommend scheduling your celebrations then.
A wedding on a weekday rather than a weekend can help you save a lot of money, according to Pratish Ambekar, managing director of iLeaf Ritz Banquets in Mumbai.
Find a location that doesn't require you to employ their in-house vendors for everything from decorations to catering if you can help it; these will likely wind up costing you extra.
Clients can save a lot of money by working with their prefered vendors at open ground locations, therefore we always suggest them. In addition, the tax portion at a three- to five-star hotel is 35-40%, whereas it is only 10%-15% in a campground.
How To Plan Your Travel For Your Honeymoon?
Time together as a couple is vital. After a few days of partying, it's time for some downtime to relieve stress.
Successful honeymoons are the result of meticulous planning. It's recommended that you stay away from busy areas and destinations that require extensive travel. The aim is for everyone to spend time with one another and develop relationships.
Couples often opt for a more modest ceremony and save money for the honeymoon. The number of couples who opt for a honeymoon abroad continues to rise.
When comparing honeymoon destinations, India stands out for its abundance of fascinating, scenic, and luxurious options, from beachside villas to mountain retreats. Planning a honeymoon in India, or anywhere else, is an expensive endeavour.
Singapore, Thailand, Bali, Sri Lanka, the Seychelles, and the Maldives are some examples of affordable international travel locations.
Ten percent of your total budget should be set aside for miscellaneous charges like stag and hen parties, vendor tips, chair and fan rentals, gifts for the priest, and travel.
With these suggestions in mind, you can have the lavish Indian wedding of your dreams without breaking the bank.
You might invest the money you would have spent on the wedding in other areas to guarantee your financial stability in the future.
It might be challenging to organise your own wedding, whether it's a modest Indian celebration or a lavish extravaganza.
Guests will understand if you have to take care of the wedding details instead of seeing them. If you want to take it easy and have someone else do most of the work for your wedding, hiring a planner is a great idea.
Hiring a wedding planner will relieve you of stress and allow you to focus on other aspects of the big day.
Need help getting started with wedding preparations? Join forces with India's finest bridal service providers. Need help planning your wedding? Check out our list of Wedding Event Planners here.
Conclusion
A staggering 20-25% yearly growth is forecasted for the Indian wedding sector, which is currently valued at approximately EUR 34.5 billion. Revenue for online matrimony services ranges between 200 and 250 crores per year, mostly from registering users and arranging dates. A wedding might cost anything from 25 lakhs to 70 lakhs in a major metropolis. Across all of India, the dowry system is most prevalent in Northern India. Poor individuals generally pay between Rs10,000 and Rs1,000,000 to complete their wedding rites.
Guests of the lower middle class might expect to spend between one and three million rupees on their wedding celebrations. The average cost of a plate at a restaurant in India is between Rs 600 and Rs 800, thus eating out in a foreign restaurant might easily double or triple that amount. It will cost anywhere between one and five lakh rupees to outfit a family of four. DIY methods are a great way to save money and put your own spin on the decorations for intimate gatherings. Costs can be greatly decreased by switching to cheaper alternatives like paper and illumination instead of pricey exotic flowers, fake flowers and lighting.
Instead of booking an overpriced hotel in the middle of town, look for a less expensive venue on the outskirts of town. You can save a lot of money by having your wedding during the week instead of on the weekend. In comparison to camping, the tax amount at a three- to five-star hotel is 35-40% more. In India, as in any other country, the planning of a honeymoon can be a costly endeavour. Many newlyweds choose to have a more low-key wedding in order to put more of their budget towards the honeymoon. Hiring a wedding planner will free you of worry and allow you to focus on other parts of the big day.
Content Summary
- Because of this, weddings in the upper class typically cost a lot of money and take years to plan.
- The value of the Indian wedding market is currently estimated to be over EUR 34.5 billion, and it is expected to increase by an astounding 20–25% annually.
- When estimating a budget for a wedding, it's important to take into account the many activities and variables that will be present.
- Since the dowry system is more common in Northern India, wedding expenses there are higher than anywhere else in the country.
- The bride's family pays a larger share of the wedding's total budget than the groom's does due to the dowry system.
- The wedding celebrations of the lower middle class can cost anywhere from one to three million rupees.
- The total cost of the food will be the number of invitations times the price per dish.
- If your event space allows it, another viable alternative is to hire in-house chefs.
- Once you've decided on a caterer, it's time to start planning the meal.
- Make the most of your catering budget and menu selection by learning the caterer's dish and combo counts.
- The total cost of clothing for the household will be between one and five lakh rupees.
- 2,00,000 to secure the services of a professional photographer.
- You have the option of arranging a pre-wedding session in addition to traditional photography, candid photography, cum photography, videography, or drone photography for your wedding.
- The use of Do It Yourself (DIY) techniques can help you save money and add a personal touch to the decor for smaller events.
- Think of creative ways to send out electronic invitations to your guests, such as a wedding website or video.
- Select a less expensive venue on the outskirts of town rather than an expensive hotel in the centre.
- Many hotels and banquet halls provide significant discounts for events that take place outside of their peak seasons, so wedding planners recommend scheduling your celebrations then.
- A wedding on a weekday rather than a weekend can help you save a lot of money, according to Pratish Ambekar, managing director of iLeaf Ritz Banquets in Mumbai.
- Find a location that doesn't require you to employ their in-house vendors for everything from decorations to catering if you can help it; these will likely wind up costing you extra.
- Clients can save a lot of money by working with their prefered vendors at open ground locations, therefore we always suggest them.
- In addition, the tax portion at a three- to five-star hotel is 35-40%, whereas it is only 10%-15% in a campground.
- Time together as a couple is vital.
- It's recommended that you stay away from busy areas and destinations that require extensive travel.
- Couples often opt for a more modest ceremony and save money for the honeymoon.
- Planning a honeymoon in India, or anywhere else, is an expensive endeavour.
- Singapore, Thailand, Bali, Sri Lanka, the Seychelles, and the Maldives are some examples of affordable international travel locations.
- It might be challenging to organise your own wedding, whether it's a modest Indian celebration or a lavish extravaganza.
- Guests will understand if you have to take care of the wedding details instead of seeing them.
- If you want to take it easy and have someone else do most of the work for your wedding, hiring a planner is a great idea.
- Hiring a wedding planner will relieve you of stress and allow you to focus on other aspects of the big day.