I RECEIVED mail from Kapulula Banda, who wrote: “Hi Madam, I am thinking of having a wedding. I seek your advice. With your experience, what is the average amount of a normal wedding budget?”
The first question when planning a wedding is not how much money you need but how much you can afford.
The average wedding costs more than K1,000 and some weddings cost far more than K30,000.
The first thing one needs to plan a wedding is to figure out the budget first, then where you can economise.
Once you have figured out what your budget is, including any help offered by family and friends, start thinking about what is more important to you.
If your dream gown is silk, calculate the cost and then check where to cut corners elsewhere. Reality is that only you, your spouse and your budget can determine the right price for your gown.
Wedding gowns are another big part expense, typically 10 per cent of the average wedding budget. This can empty your wallet. I assure you grooms, if you are clever, you can save money by hiring one instead of buying it.
The other option for your attires as the bride and groom is that the use of lower cost fabrics can cut out the cost without substantially hurting the look of your gown and suit, buying a too-large and trimming it down will be more cost-effective than buying one that’s tailored to fit.
Economise on the guest list seriously, it is the easiest way to realise significant cost-saving.
Erase some people from the invite-list, especially if you are paying food per plate, merely cutting out a dozen guests will save you a lot of money. One hundred guests will fit in every budget, even a low budget, more than 100 guests is a crowd.
This step is cool because it does not mean you have to change anything about the overall experience. If you are paying for your child’s wedding, the last thing you want is to spend down all your savings and then go looking for jobs in retirement.
The cost of the wedding reception is usually the largest item on the budget. If you have lots of family or friends who are able and willing to help cook and serve, well then you may be able to cut costs considerably. Definitely avoid spending on excess food, a few good dishes will probably be adequate.
Having your ceremony in the afternoon will make you beat the clock, reason being that you will save a tonne more. Cases are rare where some people would miss nshima at their respective homes just like the Bemba saying adopted by many goes on to say that know where you are coming from and not where you are going.
The venue and entertainment will be less expensive as people after lunch eat less. As invited guests you have to bear in mind that the portion of food you eat at home is not the same as that at a wedding celebration.
If you are going to hire a caterer, make it clear to him/her what you want. Your caterer is a salesperson, his/her goal is to put as much distance between you and your money as possible. Just because other people spend huge sums of money on food nobody is going to eat doesn’t
mean you have to do the same.
The purpose of a wedding reception venue is not to make invited guests stagger all over, so you don’t need to liquor everyone up. You can offer just beer or soft drinks or save more money by buying only soft drinks as this is more affordable than beer.
Some venues charge for storage and the charge for beer is higher than that of soft drinks, while others don’t allow beer or soft drinks to be brought in from outside, find a venue that will allow you to bring beverages from outside and do not charge for storage you will serve more money which can be used for other things on the budget.
Many people love to wed on holidays. This is a mistake! It is a very expensive day to tie the knot, don’t do it, think outside the box and get married on any day. Prices tend to go up on holidays.
Some people always say things like “we don’t want a big wedding” and “it doesn’t have to cost much”. Still as soon as you begin planning the big day, the costs add up. Some call this hypocrisy, but the fact is that in most cases many aspects of planning a wedding and its costs are out of the bride and groom’s hands.
An old saying states that a wedding is not about you, it’s about everybody else. Therefore, even if you don’t want to spend money on a fancy reception venue or food or alcohol, something involved may influence these decisions anyway.
To be in charge of your wedding and avoid being influenced once you  have drawn up a budget, stick to it, if possible include a cushion so that if some terms come in more expensive than planned, you can cope. If they come in even more expensive be prepared to cut somewhere else.
The number of bridesmaids and groomsmen should be reduced to a number that is manageable, less number of bridal party means that even the transport will be reduced to that which you can afford.
As the wedding draws closer, you may feel the urge to rework all your plans, or upgrade everything, fight the impulse and follow your plan.
Remember, the joy of the wedding is what people will remember when the total amount of money used has long been forgotten.
Working with what you can afford will give your guests a celebration they will never forget and at the same time it will keep you out of the poorhouse.
Keep in mind that little details can make a difference and nothing is impossible to the bride and groom who know what it is they want and make up their minds to acquire it.
I’m gathering information on the Zambian weddings from 1964 to 2014, from the stories told the 1960’s, 70’s, 80’s wedding sound as if they were stress free.
We look forward to such write-ups. For comments and contributions: Cell: 0966665468
Email: sunittasyabeene@yahoo.com