Budget Shaadi
To cut down on your cost, cut down on your guests.
Here's the scenario: your family has planned a small wedding. You suddenly realise that your relatives, friends, colleagues and neighbours are part of this small family! Now how do you manage the dreadful task of eliminating those few unwanted guests you are not sure about? Here are a few tips that will help you think wisely and make your (rather) difficult job easy!
1st step: Make a separate list for close relatives, distant relatives, friends, neighbours, and co-workers. Study each list carefully to prioritise.
2nd step: If you're having a really small wedding, keep your family invites restricted to close relatives only -- like immediate aunts, uncles and first cousins. The distant relatives list can be discarded, like your second and third cousins etc. But if your parents are sponsoring the wedding, then ahem, let them do the listing!
3rd step: Talk to your parents about must-have people for the party. If they are planning on inviting friends of their own, give both sets of parents the same limit. Again, if they are sponsoring the wedding, let them decide whether they want to invite those three great aunts you've rarely met.
4th step: Invite your boss and assistant by visiting them personally at their residence. Avoid the office, as it will automatically set an office-invite chain reaction! Invite only those colleagues who are your lunch buddies or you might end up spending more by treating them later (after you return to work).
5th step: If you've been staying in the same area for years, it might become important to invite some very close neighbours. But if the space is really tight, don't risk it -- you can always send them some sweets announcing your wedding (hopefully, they'll understand!).
6th step: If there is a possibility, that if you invite a particular person, you might have to invite the rest of the gang which will add up to eleven more guests, then just drop that person off your list!
7th step: Keep your list to close childhood friends only. Avoid all long distance, pen pals, chat buddies or your party pals.
8th step: Eliminate people you know, but haven't been in touch with for years. Please don't feel obliged to invite those acquaintances, who might have invited you for some wedding a few years back.
9th step: Decide on a cut-down date and make your RSVP list at least ten days before your wedding day. That gives you enough time to find out if your guests are planning to come, before you have to give the caterer the final head count.
10th step: Don't feel bad about cutting your list. Remember you cannot please everyone. It's a very special day for you and obviously you would like to be surrounded by people you know and love. If you have to leave out certain people due to budget compulsions, compensate by sending them some sweets announcing your wedding.
"Imagination is as good as many voyages; and how much cheaper..."
