Planning a Bangladeshi wedding is both exciting and stressful. But it is easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of tasks, and end up overpaying or facing a crisis.

Therefore, here are some tips to help you navigate your own dream wedding plans better:

1. Budget for all expenses

If this is the first wedding in your family in a while, preparing a budget can feel intimidating, with the fear that you may be missing out on some costs.

To make that easier, ensure you included these cost headers in your budget:

• Wedding Outfit
• Bridal Look
• Jewelry
• Venue
• Decoration/Event Management
• Light & Sound
• Catering
• Photography
• Card Design (optional these days)
• Card Decor
• Kabin (for men)

2. Book your venue early

The most popular wedding venues get booked out early, often months in advance. So if you start the process too late, you might not find your desired choice. A good rule of thumb is booking at least 3 months before the big date.

Also keep in mind, the venue is the first decision you should make before fixing other vendors. This is because many venues maintain enlisted caterers and event management firms who are only allowed to work there. So if the caterer of your choice is not enlisted in a particular venue, you won’t be able to avail their service.

If your desired service provider is non-negotiable, ask them which venues they can operate in, and then pick from that list.

3. Ensure the venue has mentioned each cost

A venue will typically have several costs associated with your program aside from the rent. This includes service charge, lighting fee, VAT etc. Do make sure you get all such costs outlined by your booking manager.

4. Convention center vs resort

Contrary to popular belief, hosting a wedding at a resort isn’t more expensive than organizing one in one of the more upscale convention centers in Dhaka, like Golf Garden.

In some cases, it can even be cheaper!

The main challenge, though, is transportation for your guests. But if you host your wedding during lunch, that is also manageable.

5. Take multiple quotations from service providers

Even if you have a certain service provider in mind that you want serving your wedding, you should always take at least 2 more competing quotations from other vendors.

This ensures you are getting fair rates, and if any part of the quote seems unreasonably high, you can have that discussion with your service provider.

6. Consider packaged food for drivers

You can have table service for the drivers of your guests. Alternatively, you can also maintain a token system via your caterer, who will then distribute the dinner in packets instead.

The second option will help you lower your cost.

7. Have a backup in place

The nightmare of any Bangladeshi wedding is running out of food. While this is very rare, it can happen. Perhaps more guests showed up than you anticipated. Perhaps there has been substantial gatecrashing.

Whatever may be the cause, it is essential that you talk to your caterer to have a backup plan in place for such a situation. Either they will source extra food from their HQ, or procure them from a nearby restaurant.