11 Things to do for a Dream Wedding Under Budget

Wedding is an event of a lifetime. The trousseau, venue, caterers, the decor, family, food, laughter & traditions are a sum-up of any Indian wedding.

Most brides' dreams of being hands-on with each of the above tasks takes it with full stride. For some it can be a cakewalk due to the abundance of sources & resources ($$$) whereas others have to settle down for Plan B.

As a recently married woman myself, I did my research to keep my dream wedding 'project' under budget. I am more than happy to tell you all the 11 things to do for a dream wedding under budget.

Mehendi decor done by my mom & me - all details in the end

Define a Budget

This is the first alphabet of an essay you're going to write. This would be possible after sitting with your parents and asking them upfront.

In most Indian families, parents want to have a grand wedding. Of course 'grand' is very subjective. Most brides these days want to pitch-in, if not take over their own wedding's financial. If your parents are not comfortable in giving you a number then just ask for a range.

Download my budget sheet from here

Tip: By being involved in each step, you can control the budget of your wedding even if you are not the one spending on it.

Maintain a Planner

A planner helped me in keeping track of not only the budget but also acted as a moodboard of each and everything. Define sections like -

a) Attire & Jewellery - Function date, inspiration images

b) Makeup & Mehndi artist - Inspiration images and/or probable list of artists

c) Venue + Caterers - Local or destination

d) Invites - This is accompanied by a Save the Date website and/or chatbot for RSVP link to be sent out.

e) Photographer & Videographer - Includes pre or post wedding shoot.

f) Financials - With columns like Budgeted amount, Vendor statement, Amount spent.

g) Miscellaneous + Timeline + Ideas - Timeline & to-do lists are available on WedMeGood.

You can download my planner by clicking here.

The first page however would have all the dates of functions. Also, attach a guest-list (which you will make on excel sheet)

Approach in Advance - I followed a AA or approach in advance strategy for almost everything. I did not intend to take anything for granted. This saves out on valuable time later and not to mention that you will be able to book your favourite photographer or MUA and get good deals on various apps like WedMeGood.

How & Where to Start 

i) Start by saving looks of everything you like. Instagram folders, Pinterest boards, WedMeGood dashboard, Mail labels (mails sent to yourself & labeled under 'Wedding Diaries') REALLY HELPS.

I saved all the ideas on IG & labeled each mail

ii) By now you will have a broad idea as to what kind of makeup look, bridal lehenga or venue you would like. Start approaching professionals in the field and ask for a quotation. I religiously used the WedMeGood app for this.

iii) After you get a range of everything you have enquired - you can see which things you can 'settle for' and which things you 'absolutely want' for your wedding. For example, I let go of mehendi jewellery and outfits for some indoor functions for which I bought fabric from Lajpat Nagar, Delhi. I absolutely didn't want to let-go of matching my lehenga with my fiancé's and matching my pastel theme with my family. It was a MUST.

Before Mr. & Mrs.

iv) Certain apps like WedMeGood even have budget filters to narrow down your venue, caterer, artist expert and even choreographer.

v) Before going to market for ANY kind of shopping, make a plan. Which market, for which function you want to shop for or is it category specific like buying jewellery for intimate functions? I first chose my outfit as it was something I didn't want to settle for after buying jewellery. Besides, my jeweller told me that he can easily break my heavy bridal set into 3 light necklaces to wear later so I was very content with my purchase.

My pastel lehenga - all details in the end

vi) Branded & Couture vs Artificial & Local - Again, this depends on your budget and liking. I was set on NO YELLOW METAL (or gold) and no throwing money at some high-end designer label for something I will probably wear once. This doesn't mean I didn't splurge on my time to get exactly what I wanted. Jewellery was artificial but was by a fabulous store in Delhi. Both my wedding & mehendi outfits were from an amazing store in Chandni Chowk. Other jewellery and outfits were either custom made (like my head-dupatta fabric was sourced and dyed in the colour of my choice) or bought from Chandni Chowk.

Bridal jewellery- all details are in the end

vii) Venue - Probably the first to book and not to overlook. Let's be honest here, over 80% of our family would be there for the food & selfies. We all do that and there's no denying it. Let your parents handle this. You will of course sit for the decor part but venue & food is what you should choose very carefully. You definitely don't want to settle on this one.

My entry

viii) Photographer & videographer - I booked a Delhi based team for this who came highly recommended by my family. After spending months to search for that particular photographer I literally gave-in. I mean how can you decide on this? Most are decent and have happy couples clicked in cool destinations. If you plan a destination shoot or wedding then go for someone who has experience in this otherwise ask your friends for this part.

ix) Invites - I asked my friend to create a chatbot for our E-invites. It was so cool for my family members to see our story, interact with the bot and RSVP there & then. This was a gift from my friend but you can definitely find someone online to do this. Hey, if you are a little bit techie, you can set-it up yourself! The invites given to rishtedaars was designed by me. It also had wedding favours like chocolate covered almonds, silver pearls & pumpkin seeds (all unique & unrelated, I know!) in reusable glass jars.

Indian wedding invite

x) To-do lists & keeping a tab- Finally, something you need to come back to often - to do lists & planner. If you don't maintain a checklist or update your planner then it's very easy to overspend. Update every week and after every shopping trip.

xi) Bonus tips:

Don't buy everything nice in one trip. I know time is money but chances are, you might find the same thing at a much cheaper price, a few shops ahead or after a week in a completely different market altogether. If you have maintained a list before you left for the market and if that particular nicety is not in your list then don't buy at that instant.

Don't try to act over-smart and say it's your friend or sister's wedding when you've come with your whole family! Shopkeepers get irritated when they try to show you bridesmaids outfits when all you want is the best of the best since you are a bride.

Spending hours in one shop says you are interested so avoid this. I learnt it the hard way.

Sign-up for wedding apps and wedding exhibitions online if you have at least a year to plan your wedding. If not, avoid going to exhibitions and stick to your good-old social media.

Mood Boards are a life savior. Buy your outfit first and envision the kind of hair, makeup, shoes and jewellery will go with it. This will compel you to STICK to your plan.

Invest in rings & bangles- accessorized right - you will definitely have killer photographs along with your mehendi. Till date my friends ask me directions to the shop I bought my rings from.

To conclude:

There is so much that goes into planning & executing a wedding. I wouldn't say that I stuck to my budget but I controlled my expenses immensely. It gave me a thrill to spend on certain aspects of my wedding and plan others. After all, all dreams are different, all dreams are unique.

My mehendi look

My engagement look

Mr & Mrs.

Makeup & Hair: Vandana MUA found through WMG, 

Photographer: Studio Hari, 

Mehendi: Mehendi art by Arpit

Rings: Soni Jewellers, Lajpat Nagar

WEDDING DETAILS:

Lehenga: Jagdish & Sons, Chandni Chowk, 

Jewellery: Soni Jewellers, Lajpat Nagar

ENGAGEMENT DETAILS: 

Cocktail dress: Meena Bazaar, 

Jewellery: Voylla & Soni Jewellers

Engagement ring: Carat Lane by Tanishq

Watch: Raga by Titan

MEHENDI DETAILS:

Lehenga: Jagdish & Sons, Chandni Chowk, 

Jewellery: A local store in Chandni Chowk, 

Decor: Throughout Chandni Chowk

Do you want to read or see more from my wedding? Let me know in the comments below

If you want help in planning your wedding then I'm at your service ;)

xoxo
Akanksha

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Junagarh Fort Bikaner: Myriad Colours - FICTITIOUS FASHION

Hey readers

To continue off the series from a few posts before, here is the last part of the series.

I brought three of the VERY Indian outfits you can see on one blog. First being, the Lucknow Chikankari suit behind the pastel pink backdrop and the second being, the three Bikaner wedding outfits for Mehendi, shaadi and reception.

Today you will see the most typical yet beautiful of all forts in Bikaner, the Junagarh Fort. You know how nature grows around something that is 'supposed to be' a hurdle (e.g. tree roots around a rock). The same way, but opposite, the modern city of Bikaner has grown around the Junagarh Fort a.k.a. 'Old Fort'.

As we proceed through these pictures, I will take you through the enchanting history behind each image. Stay with me on this one. It is not every day that a fashion blogger acts a guide to an Indian fort.

Bikaneri Haveli, Junagarh Fort, Bikaner

Welcome to the Junagarh Fort in Bikaner. This is the pride of Bikaner city. The perfect staircase, the dome-shaped door, the tiles and other architectural words, are definitely an architect maven. Just look at this monochromatic beauty. Guess, monochrome look in Fashion was inspired by this?

Some parts of the haveli were restricted for the public so only a few Mahals were open to tourists.

 

This was our entrance to one of the forts. These iron curtains, I wouldn't mind staying behind in.

Anup Mahal, Junagarh Fort, Bikaner

Welcome to Anup Mahal. The guide said that the tiles were Italian and we could see ornate mirrors on ceiling and latticework on doors and pillars like on the respective ends above. This was known for its grandest construction. Guess we had a great taste back then as well.

One thing you should know about me is that personally, I'm not a great devotee or hold pride 

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A Bikaner Wedding to remember: Three wedding outfits

Hey folks

I know there has been some delay between the previous Bikaner wedding post where I gave you the pastel feels with my Lucknow Chikankari suit.

I was feeling under the weather. May didn't start on the right note for me: been sick twice and it's not even mid-may. Anyway, let's not put it on the month. May-June would be the most important months of my life. You will know why in the subsequent few posts :)

Since the wedding went by in a jiffy, I didn't get enough time to go to a good location to take these pictures or enough of them in the outfit I got designed myself. I decided to combine the three posts into one. I will write about each one individually though. The third and the final article of the Bikaner trip would be about my first fort visit.

SANGEET

So, the Sangeet is a tradition where both the families come together and the bride gets Mehendi on her hands and feet. In Rajasthan or Marwari culture, the bride and the groom get Mehendi done separately. Yes, the groom has to get the Mehendi done too. Insane, isn't it?

Anyway, so Sangeet is the first function that I attended and it is quite a vibrant and informal event. I chose to wear a skirt and crop top with it. This pink skirt was already bought so all I had to choose was the crop top. Now, I didn't want to go all traditional and colour-block it or wear a silver or golden blouse.

I was at Lajpat Nagar's most famous shop for getting fabric/unstitched garments -

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Lucknow Chikankari in Bikaner: Pastel Feels

Hey all

Last weekend I had attended my friend's wedding in Bikaner, India and it was a blast. The whole MBA gang was there and we just couldn't keep calm.

- It was my first close friend's wedding.

- It was my first destination wedding that I had attended.

- It was my first time in Bikaner and,

- It was my first Marwari wedding.

So many firsts so I had to do extensive shopping right from design selection, fabric sourcing, tailoring and hairstyle & jewellery for each occasion.  You can imagine the number of weeks(ends) that I must have spent doing it.

Did I mention that it was my first dance in a wedding? Oh yes! So many videos and pictures coming soon. This outfit I wore on Day 3 for the Mehendi/Haath Kaam function of the groom (I was from groom's side).

This is a special post as this Lucknow Chikankari white suit was gifted to me by Mr. A himself, when he had gone to Lucknow. Funny story - he almost missed his flight (by 5 minutes) because he was buying this exact ethnic suit for me. Sowwieee! :P

I have never worn a full dupatta except for this wedding here. I never knew white would suit me as much as it did in this Indian attire. They say that best things happen unplanned but the author/poet didn't meet me. I had this exact same location and poses and voilla; look at it. Match made in heaven!

At first I was apprehensive of this traditional suit as Lucknow Chikankari is a very old (3rd century!) embroidery worn by royals and I am anything but traditional.

But, Mr. A convinced me and with a bit of help from mom, I gave it a youthful look. See the slit at the bottom (inverted V) that balances the V-neck. For the sleeves, instead of the traditional half-sleeves, I went for 3/4th length. It makes your appear look longer and slimmer.

I kept the look simple as the print and design deserved to stand out. Borrowed mom's traditional sandals and had put on some kajal and kiehl's simply rose butterstick on lips.

You guys tell me now, do you own a Lucknow Chikankari suit? I would love to see it. DM your pictures on Instagram - fictitiousfashionblog and I will share the best ones in my stories.
Also, have you been to Bikaner? Planning to visit it? If you are, definitely go after October and before April. 

Things to do in Bikaner, places to visit and what to eat - all coming up in subsequent posts.

Keep smiling

xoxo

Akanksha

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Wedding MoodBoard

I'm on a wedding writing spree.

Hi Folks

I hope you guys are having great June days. My June is all packed with traveling and explore galore. Here I'm planning where to go next and my friends are all getting married (Facebook is one gossip queen). So it makes me think of the time brides-to-be find difficulty in gathering inspirational outfit ideas.

I stumbled upon Modabridal which, obviously, sells wedding dresses, party outfits, bridal accessories and so many silver things. I was delighted to see the following things presented in the most aesthetic manner as possible:

• Each dress having the title 'tailor made' that makes it sound more personalized
• Under each item, there was a visual list of pantone like colors that Modabridal uses for everyone's reference
• Having Plus size chart made their market broader.
• Most dresses come in the following colors- White, ivory, pink, silver and champagne

Isn't that a treat for many of you? Let me know how else would you have paired this dress :)

xoxo

Akanksha

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Wedding Drama : CocoMelody

Hello Readers

How's the weather like where you are? Here it's really hot; hot flashes hot! A while ago it rained in Delhi and it was quite pleasant, but then the effect lasted for less than 48hours and it was back to normal (=hot). So in moments like these, we stay indoors, drink lots of water and surf the net.

So this website talks a lot about how good they are with wedding & all the accessories to cover you up on your special day. So I decided to check them for myself. The moment you see their homepage, you know they are right! Beautiful designer wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses and even cocktail gowns are my favorites.

The thing about wedding is, they are more special for the girl than the guy. You got to back me up here. It's more her day than his, her needs than his, her dress, her veil, her something blue, her bouquet and the song. So everything right from her dress to shoes got to be perfect.

I especially like their convertible dresses. I'm always inspired by creativity and innovation.

You just need one thing to change your life forever and these dresses surely would. All eyes on you, the perfect white, the tulle, the lace and silk against your skin will make up for whatever that did or didn't happen that day.

Now you must be thinking, this would cost a fortune but you couldn't be more wrong. The above pieces start at a price of as low as $110. It's all about quality and I'm sure you'd doubt theirs. You can see a video of each dress and every dress is made to order so there is no hidden costs.

We all know that in blogging world, CocoMelody is known for beautiful wedding dresses and they always stand true to their name. So check out their website for free shipping and other details.

Pick your favorite and let me know in the comments below.

xoxo

Akanksha

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Gowns online Shopping

A girl can dream of countless diamonds, prince charming sweeping her off her feet, eating everything without gaining weight and the perfect wedding dress. We love so much that it almost, most of the time, empties our pockets. Enter, E-commerce websites.

Now in my earlier post about I talked about cheap Quinceanera dresses with unquestionable style!

Today let's talk about how E-commerce industry has helped shopping fanatics around the globe to stay in style whilst saving money.

Forget "I need to try before making sure I purchase it" and the likes. In today's day and age, we know our size and if an online casual dress is actually what the websites boast about or not.

The style & price is unmatched, customer service is good and you mostly get what you see are pleased.

If you're looking to buy the latest 2014 ball gown wedding dresses online then take a look at what I've selected for you.

 

Once the dress is selected, all is smooth after that, said no one. I literally spent 3 whole days for the perfect pair of heels for my cousin's wedding. It was strenuous yet fun. I wish these websites were there 3-4 years earlier; my life would have been simpler back then.

Now, I find myself constantly staring into computer, looking for cheap women sandals hot sales and I found one great website that caters to all my special occasion needs. Here are my picks

We are constantly driven by 

Cheap special occasion dresses- http://www.dresswe.com/special-occasion-dresses-c1-4349/

 and most of us don't know where to find the perfect fit for weddings & celebrations. Some websites like DressWe, do good-deeds by giving us what we want here- trust.

 

Which one is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below. :)

P.S. I will be more regular now. I'm so happy just to even write one blog post. I will bring many giveaways, DIYs and inspirational posts to your door. Just wait :D

For now, Here's one awesome giveaway where you can win Rs. 1000 voucher. Ends 31-05-2014

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Quinceanera Dresses: DressWe

Hey all :)

Have you heard about DressWe? It's a beautiful site that predominantly sells special occasion dresses.

You will just fall in love with their prom dresses, red and white quinceanera dresses and Bridesmaid gowns.

Let's see a little more about DressWe

In their words, "On a budget? Looking for a cheap or inexpensive dresses that looks great? These stunning dresses can make you elegant and sexy. From short and sweet, to long and luxurious; you won’t be able to contain your excitement as you browse through the rainbow of colors available for all the hottest dress styles featured in our catalog."

Their website contains...

Wedding gowns, cheap special occasion dresses, wedding accessories, prom dresses and more...

Shipping information...

If you have no limitation of shipping time then they won't charge you anything. Depending upon the number of days in which you want your item, the price would increase.

Other major attractions...

Spring Sale is going on where maximum discount is upto 80%. Check their homepage

Links...

1) Red and white quinceanera dresses
2) Dress We

Do you like their collection? Let us know more about your past and future purchases :)

***

DON'T FORGET TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR ONGOING GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Take care :)

xoxo

Akanksha

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Website Review: MAXNINA

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013

Yeyyyyyyyyyy.. Happy New Year Fictitious Fashion Readers <3 I hope your year started on a great note :)

I'd like to start My Blog's year professionally by introducing a website called MAXNINA. It is a China based clothing and dress boutique website. It has HUGE variety of Wedding Dresses, clothing for men, prom dresses and more. I fell in love with the gowns the moment I saw them :D

What is so good about Maxnina?

• Facility of Custom wedding dresses
• Discounts for every member. Read here
• Evening dresses at great prices.
• Shirts, Blouses and more even BELOW $5

Let's take a look at some of my favorite pieces! Click on the caption to view the product.

Ball Gown- Wedding Dress

Prom Dress

Sex & the City Dress

Polka Dot Shirt

Coffee coat

Warm Yellow Pencil Pants

Collar Necklace

Small Beard Ring

What do you have to say? I can't believe the wedding dresses are for INR 5000 ($100) approx.

If I ever do a Christian wedding, I know where to head ;)

I wish you Happy New Year once again. Whatever you wanted to do, DO IT NOW! After all, you've survived a 2012 'end of the world' ;) * No, I didn't believe in it either* hah

Stay Happy, Stay Beautiful

xoxo

Akanksha

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The Big Fat Indian Wedding!- Part II

Happy Sunday Friends :)
How is the weekend treating you? Mine is going good but have to study so sorry for lack of good posts! One of my gorgeous followers suggested that I continue with my happy-life-love and all the candid posts :D like the one here and here...
So shall I make it a point to publish a happy-happy post once a week?? Which day would you suggest? :)


Now, I'd like to thank Linda from The Style Moodboard from for holding such a fabulous giveaway- I won an Ellen Tracy Tee!! Yippee and just received the package. It is beautiful :)

Moving on, this is the 2nd part of the Big Fat Indian Wedding I attended.. If you haven't seen the first, then you can see it here :)

These pictures were taken on the day of a function called 'Gharoli'. It is a tradition where the 'Bhabhi', Wife of the Groom's Brother, goes to a gurudwara/mandir/temple and fetches holy water and keeps it in a pot placed on her head! Well of course, the weight is there that's why we gave her a small pot :D The groom later on has to first bathe with this water.
 Hope you like the pictures <3

Check out my reception look.

 Here you will see me dancing.. We danced all the way to temple and back home!! It was so much fun!! :D

Here you can see my younger brother! :)

Wearing:

Suit- Meena Bazaar

Golden Big Cuff: Fashion and You

Bracelet/Bangles: BG's

Headband: Stolen

Mobile Case: Stilettos

Next up, this is merely a better version of the First part.. The earlier pictures were being taken by my mobile.. These are the Photographer's pick.

 

Here, I'm feeding a Horse with some Dal/Pulses. This is one of the many traditions where the sister of the Groom does the same in order to set the horse for a long-day journey!-That's what I think :P

Wearing:

Electric Blue Lehenga, Bangles, Danglers and Stilettos : Lajpat Nagar

Do you like the pictures?? :)

If you are a member on Facebook then you'd know that I'll be holding a contest in March. Also, I'll be giving 2 awards, one on Facebook and other here in my blog. So to know more about that and to participate, please like my Facebook page. And I'd love if you follow me via Bloglovin too. Make me happy :)

And don't forget to check out  My First Blog Sale!! A member is interested in buying the jeans for a lesser price. If anyone buys it at a higher price before the End of February, then it can be yours :)

Until then

Check out for the next post! It would be the first of it's kind :)

xoxo

Akanksha

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