Weddings in India are mostly a lavish affair – although lavish is a relative term. The sole purpose of saving for many parents is to spend for the wedding of their daughter. So, one can even say that the wedding expenditure of their child (read daughter) becomes the main goal in life for most parents apart from educating their children.
The concept of children funding their wedding is still new in India and it is the parents who organise the finances and other details of the wedding. Sharing wedding expenses is also still a very new and sensitive subject in most parts of India. In fact, in the rural areas, it is an unwritten rule that the bride’s family will take care of the wedding expenses and any suggestion to the contrary is taken as an insult.
In this scenario the often-asked question to us is – what budget do you work to? At Haritham we work to all budgets and feel it is the prerogative of the client to specify the budget to which we should work.
Efficient budget management is one of the key components of wedding planning. A successful wedding planner is one who is able to give the best of options with the client’s budget in mind rather than stretch it, causing stress.
The main challenge of being a wedding planner is working within a given budget. The budget may be big or small but the wedding planner must have the resources to present various options to the client or be creative enough to make variations to make the idea workable.
We never refuse a project on the basis of budget. It is very easy to work to a huge budget or when budget is not a constraint. We make it clear from the beginning to the client that every budget is workable. But the scheme of things will vary. This is not to say that less budget will fetch substandard products.
For example, where décor is concerned if real flowers are the reason for a budget hike, we suggest that the clients go for alternative décor using mats, artificial flowers or just drapes with lights. We also suggest alterable designs where a basic design can be adjusted to look different for the various sessions.
Likewise for thamboolam bags. Likewise for Photography and all other services.
Our Strength is that we work to ALL BUDGETS
On the part of the clients, they also need to be realistic to understand that to get the exclusive things there is a budget. As wedding planners, we are passionate about our work. Monetary aspects are secondary. But clients also need to understand that when there is a budget constraint then adjustments will have to be made in the menu to contain costs. For example, in catering, expensive choices of sweets will be restricted to the traditional ones, since regional specialties call for specialised chefs. Another example would be opting for scoop ice creams in dessert instead of Cold Stone ice cream or exclusive flavours that cost more. At Haritham as a policy we ensure that all guests are well looked after no matter what the budget is. To us it is – Aditi Devo Bhava. At no point of time would we allow guests to leave without a meal. In case the guest numbers exceed the calculated number given by the client, we take instant measures to ensure alternative dishes are made quickly to overcome the issue. There are instances of clients moving away from us due to cost issues only to call back and tell us how they suffered in terms of quality, quantity and service when they went ahead with other vendors quoting less.
To us quality is top priority and we do not compromise at any cost. We know that we can reduce the cost in certain ways (by using preservatives or second grade products) but never do that even if it means losing a project. Instead, we try to convince the client for changes that will reduce cost but still be good enough for their expectations.
So when you come to HARITHAM, spell out your budget clearly and be rest assured to get a memorable wedding done within your budget.