How to keep wedding costs low

Weddings are expensive.

Let's make that, very expensive.

What are the ways that you can think of that can help you save money on your big day?

Carousel Moments, a cake shop located in Serangoon Gardens, has started offering dummy wedding cakes for rent.

To put it simply, a wedding cake that costs $1,700 (pictured below and which is the most expensive one they have ever sold), can be duplicated as a dummy cake and rented for just $150 to $250.

Couples who prefer this cost-saving method will then only have to pay for the separate slabs of real cake for their guests.

Ms K Lalitha Nair (below, right), the 52-year-old owner of Carousel Moments, has been baking cakes for the last 30 years.

She is now also enjoying creating and making the intricate dummy cakes.

Her son, Mr Keeran Segaran (below, left), 26, who helps her with her business, said they launched rent-a-dummy-cake two weeks ago and the idea has gone down well with customers.

One customer even rented a dummy cake for her baby shower.

Said Mr Segaran: "Couples who are getting married have been coming in and giving us pictures of their dream wedding cakes.

"But the problem is that sometimes, we can't meet their budget.

"Then they will request that we cut out parts of the cake and that compromised on the design and other aspects of the cake."

One tier of the usual three or four tier wedding cakes is around 12 inches in diameter and can feed 50 guests.

Have your cake and eat it too

Mr Segaran added: "So we started thinking of a way to solve this problem that these couples were having.

"Perhaps having dummy cakes for rent could provide couples with awesome cakes that they wouldn't have to pay hundreds or thousands for."

So how can one tell the difference between a real cake (all pictured above) and a dummy cake (pictured below)?

Apparently, there are no distinct differences between the two that are clearly visible to the naked eye.

Dummy cakes, however, have sharper edges because of the straight-cuts on the foam used inside it compared with a real cake.

So how else can you save money on your wedding?

Let us count the ways.

1.Online Invites

Wedding invitations and postage are a huge expenditure that can and should be avoided in today’s digital age.

There are many online platforms online to create unique and custom save-the-date cards and official wedding invitations.

Also, couples can create a website for the wedding and post a RSVP tag on it.

Not only will such online invites and website make a memorable impact on the guests, going paperless eases a huge pressure on the wedding budget.

Plus, being environmentally friendly is always a good thing.

2. Number Of Guests

The problem that many couples face when planning their wedding is having to limit the number of guests.

This is especially so if traditional parents have a long list of relatives and friends who HAVE to be invited to "save face".

The best rule to stick to is that if you have never interacted with the person more than just the obligatory "hi", chances are you should not invite them to your wedding.

Another way to reduce the number of guests at your wedding will be to hold it on a weekday instead of having a grand weekend affair.

Not only are venues cheaper on weekdays, the guests who are not close family and friends might not be able to attend and you can maintain a more manageable guest list.

Just make sure they RSVP so that you do not end up with a wasted seat.

3. Wedding Events And Roadshows

It is a good idea to be on the lookout for wedding shows and events by wedding experts in the industry.

Often, exclusive discounts and better package deals are available at such events.

From wedding cake makers to hotels to even florists, getting a discount on such necessary items will ease the pressure on your wedding budget.

Also, there may be exclusive packages which would get you an even better deal on your wedding.

So be willing to travel around to attend such events and also, keep following the main social media accounts of such companies who hold such events.

4. Rent

No matter how grand your wedding is going to be, chances are that you will have to dispose of many of the items you bought after the big day.

This is especially true for theme weddings where many novelty items are needed.

The best way to go about reducing this cost would be to rent instead of buying.

Apart from saving a lot of money, you would not need to create space in your homes for such items that are not reusable just because you have no heart to throw them away.

There are a few companies which are providing a wide range of items that can be rented for weddings.

The wedding dress and tux for for the couple can also be rented and even the bridesmaid dresses.

Not only will renting these items save you a lot of money, there will be more variety for you to choose from if you rent as the cost is a lot more cheaper.

5. Wedding Favors

Wedding favors are gifts from the couple to the guests as a token of their appreciation for the attendance.

Buying such items are not only going to cost a lot, many of such items are going to be just relegated to a forgotten corner in these guests' houses.

A better way to cut cost in this area is to make small DIY items that will be more memorable.

You will be surprised at the very creative ideas you can find online on sites such as Pinterest.

Also, creating a wedding photo booth with guests by uploading the pictures with the couple on Instagram or Facebook accounts set up just for the wedding will definitely mean more and cost less.