The Wedding Budget: Is Minimalist Trend The Right Knot For You?

Band, Baajaa, Baaraat! Indian weddings have been traditionally known for the hullabaloo of lively celebrations, elaborate rituals, and ceremonies that span over several days.

Over the last decade or two, the luxurious celebrity weddings that have become more or less a norm, the most recent example being the Ambani engagement and wedding celebrations, seem to have rubbed off, and most Indian weddings are now very lavish affairs.

However, post Covid, there’s another trend that has caught on. During the period of lockdowns and restrictions, people were forced to embrace minimalist weddings with a restricted guest list of family and close friends. While there was little choice at that time, many are now consciously embracing ceremonies that are bereft of pomp and show, but rather focus on what really matters.

While it’s difficult to etch the exact contours of a minimalist wedding, broadly they focus on embracing simplicity, by means, such as curating the guest list to a bare minimum, keeping the décor elegant rather than extravagant, and spending on things that can create meaningful memories.

Bollywood actress Dia Mirza (42) exemplified this balance beautifully when she tied the knot with Vaibhav Rekhi (43), a businessman and investment banker, in a minimalist, sustainable wedding on February 15, 2021. Dia and her partner chose to celebrate their wedding with a small group of close family and friends, deviating from the larger-than-life celebrations that many associate with Indian weddings, especially if it involves a celebrity.

For her, the decision to have an intimate ceremony under a beloved mango tree in her garden was driven by a desire for authenticity.

If that sounds inspirational and you feel like doing something similar, here’s a lowdown on how to plan a minimalist wedding for your big day.

Tradition Meets Sustainability

By focusing on the essence of the celebration rather than the scale, Dia’s wedding showed how intimacy can enhance the significance of such a special occasion.

She says: “We wanted an intimate, yet beautiful celebration that would make everyone feel right at home. The focus was not on the optics, but authenticity, and every single guest felt included in the ceremony.”

It allowed the couple to connect deeply with guests, something that often gets lost in larger weddings.

“Our wedding was very well budgeted,” says Dia. She spent minimal amount on her wedding dress and décor. “Everything that was used was natural, sustainable, and reusable,” she added.

Trousseau: A key part of Dia’s minimalist wedding was her approach to fashion. Instead of opting for an elaborate bridal trousseau, she chose a red Banarasi saree from Raw Mango, an outfit that held personal and cultural significance for her. Her choice was driven by a desire for longevity and practicality, reflecting a mindset that values mindful consumption.

“I have always loved to repeat outfits with confidence over the years, buying not on an impulse, but according to need, and repurposing old garments has become very important to me. I love to celebrate vintage textiles and make mindful choices when it comes to clothing, and my wedding was no exception either,” Dia shares.

Her choice was also fuelled by her desire to support the sustainable slow fiber movement against wasteful practices of the fashion industry. “I don't think any bride wants advice on what she should wear on her wedding day, but I would recommend a garment that has a personal meaning and offers priceless joy again and again, and not just once,” she says.

Décor: One of the simplest aspects of Dia’s wedding was the minimalism in décor. Instead of sourcing exotic flowers or designing elaborate setups, Dia embraced the natural beauty of her garden. Her approach to decor also aligned with the thought of reducing waste.

“As we were surrounded by trees and flowering bushes, there was no reason to source exotic flowers from all over the world. For additional joy, we sourced locally-grown Indian flowers with minimal carbon footprint. Even the cones to hold flower petals were crafted from banana leaves,” Dia says.

She also made use of the natural light at the venue. “We used LED lightning, so our power consumption was also very low, since it was a sunset wedding,” she adds.

Destination Meets Budgeting

Samarth Jain’s family embraced the concept of a minimalist celebration and married it to the trend of going for a destination wedding. If the concept of a minimalist wedding and a destination wedding sounds contradictory, you are mistaken.

Samarth, 25, and his family organised the destination wedding of his elder brother on October 21, 2021 in Ajmer, Rajasthan. The decision was driven by a desire for intimacy, simplicity, and minimalism. Their focus was on celebrating with close friends and family, without falling for the pressure of holding an extravagant affair, as is typical of most Indian weddings.

The family set aside Rs 15 lakh for the wedding and meticulously planned every aspect so that they didn’t overshoot the budget.

They broke down the expenses in key categories for ease of budgeting: they kept around Rs 4 lakh for catering; Rs 2 lakh for decoration; Rs 3-4 lakh for the venue and stay of the guests and family; about Rs 2 lakh for jewellery; and Rs 2-3 lakh for photography and other miscellaneous expenses.

“The idea was to focus on what mattered most to us. We wanted good food, a beautiful venue, and photographs to remember the day,” says Samarth.

So, they opted for a scenic place in Ajmer letting the beauty of the palace act as a backdrop. This also helped them reduce the cost of the décor to a great extent and focus on the celebrations instead.

Meticulousness Meets Minimalism

When it comes to thoughtful spending, it all begins with the size of the guest list. While both the bride and groom in the Jain family wedding came from large families with numerous social connections, they prioritised inviting only those who were closest to them.

Says Rumela Sen, editorial lead, WeddingWire India, a wedding vendor directory company: “The guest list of a minimalist wedding needs to be exclusive. This might mean taking hard calls and having detailed conversations with your partner and both families, but you should prioritise creating an A-list of wedding guests.”

Cost-wise, the smaller the guest list, the smaller will be the venue, the cost of catering, gifting and so on.

For most people, however, having a smaller guest list is the biggest challenge. An easy way to work around this is to create the full list, and then shortlist the final names depending on your relationship and their importance in your life.

The Jain family made an extensive list of 400-500 guests to start with, but narrowed it down to 114. “We had to have some tough conversations about who to invite, but it was important that we felt comfortable with the size of our celebration,” says Samarth.

With a smaller guest list, the family was able to spend more per guest, ensuring a quality experience for each of them. At the same time, they managed to stay well within their budget.

You could divide your guest list into two and invite groups for certain events. One way to do this is to keep the closest friends and family members constant, with a few additions at the wedding reception. Another option could be inviting friends only for the mehndi ceremony, and keeping the wedding open only for relatives and really close friends, and so on.

The next big cost is food. Indian weddings are notoriously famous for an extensive menu which often leads to massive food wastage.

“We ensured that there was absolutely no food wastage in our wedding,” Dia shares. To ensure this, the couple made sure that they knew exactly how many vegetarians and non-vegetarians were attending the wedding, and accordingly arranged the food plating.

Samarth’s family also carefully curated the 3-day menu and laid emphasis on the serving style to reduce food wastage. The family opted for a ‘serving-style’ set-up that encouraged guests to take only what they would eat, rather than a buffet that might lead to excess food being prepared and wasted.

They also curated a menu to include traditional dishes that were familiar and appealing to their guests. Since the bride was from South India and the groom’s family from Rajasthan, they designed the menu knowing the guests’ tastes and individual preferences.

Another cost head is décor. The Jain family took a hands-on approach by doing much of the decoration themselves and hiring local services. “Our destination itself was a decoration,” says Samarth. The family chose to utilise the natural beauty of the venue, a palace in Ajmer.

Planning Meets Celebrations

A minimalist wedding isn’t just about the allure of simplicity. According to Animesh Hardia, a chartered financial analyst, and senior vice-president of quantitative research at 1 Finance, a personal finance advisory firm, it is crucial for couples to consider wedding expenses in the context of overall financial planning.

Balancing Goals: Aligning wedding expenses with long-term financial goals can automatically help one see certain expenses as wasteful and imprudent.

The amount you would want to spend on a wedding may differ for people in different wealth generation groups. Hardia categorises them into three groups and recommends allocations for wedding expenses.

One, those whose primary focus is basic sustenance (it could be a person with low income or one who may have more liabilities and responsibilities than others) may not want to allocate more than 5-10 per cent of their savings on weddings. This section could opt for a simple ceremony at a local community hall with home-cooked food. In exchange, they may save for the downpayment of a house.

Two, professionals, such as teachers or mid-level managers could afford a moderately lavish wedding, but a minimalist approach could still be beneficial for them. “They might choose to spend 10-20 per cent of their savings on a wedding at a mid-range venue with professional catering, but skip expensive elements, such as designer outfits or elaborate décor, to prioritise long-term goals,” says Hardia. The saving may help them fund higher studies or a relevant higher-level course, or any other financial goal.

Three, individuals with significant financial cushion, such as successful entrepreneurs and high-net-worth individuals (HNIs), have the most flexibility in choosing what to spend on weddings. They could afford to spend 20-40 per cent of their savings on a grand wedding without impacting their long-term goals.

“For this group, a minimalist wedding could be a choice if it aligns with their values or allows them to redirect funds towards other priorities, such as philanthropy or starting a new venture,” says Hardia.

Insurance: This is something families often overlook while making arrangements for weddings.

Says T.A. Ramalingam, chief technical officer, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, “In today’s times, even minimalist weddings can come with considerable costs, especially in the metropolitan cities. Expenses related to venues, decorations, catering, and attire can add up quickly. Given these costs, the last thing anyone wants is for unforeseen events to disrupt their big day.”

Wedding insurance acts as a safety net, offering financial protection for non-refundable expenses against a range of unforeseen situations, including event cancellations, accidents, or theft of expensive jewellery. Even in a simple wedding, valuables, such as the bride’s and groom’s jewellery are at risk, and insurance can provide coverage in the case of burglary.

Says Ramalingam: “One of the most important aspects to consider is coverage for event cancellation or postponement. This ensures protection in case the wedding is cancelled due to extreme weather conditions, such as unseasonal rains, storms, hailstorms, or other natural disasters, such as floods that can render the venue unusable.”

Ramalingam further advises that couples should consider public liability and personal accident coverage, which can protect them in the event of guest injuries or damage to third-party property during the wedding. For larger weddings, some policies also offer protection for stage or set damages and stolen cash meant for wedding expenses.

However, note that most wedding insurance policies do not cover pre-existing conditions, or cancellations due to personal disputes between the bride, groom, or their families. It is advisable to check all the exclusions in a policy before buying it.

Is It For You?

Couples looking to honour traditions while still being financially prudent can go for quality over quantity in guest lists and menu choices. They could also choose one or two splurge items that are most important to them (for instance, the venue or outfits), while economising on others. Moreover, involving family and friends in do-it-yourself (DIY) aspects of the wedding can add a personal touch, while reducing costs.

Whatever be your style, the decision for the big day celebrations should always be based on what aligns best with your personal and financial priorities.

anuradha.mishra@outlookindia.com