Real Brides Reveal: One Destination Wedding Planning Hack That Will Help You Save Money!

Dreaming of a destination wedding without that “how am I going to afford this” stress? You’re not alone! Whether it’s the beaches of Goa, the palaces of Jaipur, or a villa in Bali, having a stunning wedding away from home doesn’t have to drain your bank account. We asked real brides who’ve been there and done that to spill their best budget-saving hacks for planning a destination wedding — and they delivered! From snagging the best deals on venues to finding unexpected ways to save, here’s the tea you need.

Image via Eshieta and Sarthak

Aaruhi says

I always wanted a palace style wedding but I knew it would eat massively into my budget if I did a whole 3-day destination wedding in Rajasthan. What my planner suggested was a huge hack – we booked one venue for the wedding, which was close to what I wanted but did rest of the functions in another hotel. This is where our guests stayed and it was done within the budget. That way I got my dream wedding vision but had to compromise on the other events, which I was ok with. Massive savings and got a fun destination wedding!

Disha says

It wasn’t one hack but a list of small hacks that helped us save big on our destination wedding. The first one was opting for a mid-week wedding (tues-wed-thurs). More venues are available and are ready to bargain too. Second was, skipping the small stuff like welcome bags and random stationery add-ons like customized room tags and all we saw at other destination weddings. Guests will be happy if you give them good rooms and the functions are well done. That's the real fun! 

Image via Unita & Nikhil 

Rupali says

Leverage currency exchange rates. If you're marrying abroad, choose a location where the exchange rate works in our favour. It can make a big difference in how much you spend on everything. We wanted a European destination wedding but the currency exchange for a Bali or Thailand wedding was so lucrative, that we ended up saving and having an equally amazing wedding.

Puja says

The one thing we did was pick venues that were naturally aesthetic. This saved us tons of money on décor. Our venue had the Aravallis as the backdrop and we focussed on that. We went simple with décor. Did a floral mandap and just seating for the wedding, no fancy aisles or table settings. For the sangeet too, we did one stage and fun lights. No props or any jazz. Except for the wedding day, we did not do florals anywhere. These small changes helped us save a lot!

Image via Tithi and Harsh

Rashi says

A Thailand wedding meant a lot of flights and bookings. We found a tour agent who gave us a group deal since we opted to book in bulk. This is a real money saver. Same for transport and hotels. Do nice AC shuttle buses from the airport instead of cars. Bulk booking in airlines also means everyone arrives together rather than staggered transport. Hotels will give you a good deal if you are ready to book out all rooms or the majority of them for the wedding.

Maher says

Book out early if possible. We had a long engagement so we booked our destination wedding venue 15 months in advance. I know that this may not be possible for all but earlier booking does not only get you good options but good deals too. Since we were ready to book so much in advance hotels were willing to include freebies – high teas, discounted rates on panel vendors and more.

Image via Soumya and Khaleel

Ria says

Intimate wedding abroad + a reception back home. I desperately wanted to do a Virat Anushka-style international wedding but I knew with the number of guests we had on both sides; it was too big a cost. So, we did an intimate wedding in Bali with only 120 guests and then a big fat reception back home with the whole janta. This allowed us to do it under the budget we had and ensure that no one is pissed off.

So are you ready to save some moolah at the wedding? 

Want a destination wedding under a budget? Check out 10 Destination Wedding Venues In Goa That Cost Under 40 Lakhs!

All images are representative purposes only