Between the ages of 24 and 30. At that time of your life when everyone starts looking up to you to get married. To tie the knot and begin a family. Many are those who will question your decision to wait till you are ready both psychologically and emotionally.

However, one very important reason for this decision delay is financial instability.In many cases, either one or both couple isn’t financially sound to enter into this capital intensive venture. Even if they are, they always look at the future and what it holds for them.

Hence a great consideration for the cost of the marriage ceremony itself. Day in- day out, many couple who are planning to get married are scared of the costs vis-a-vis the outcome of their ‘’dream wedding’’. From the guest list to hotel reservations, Jumia Travel looks into smart ways to reduce cost on your dream wedding.

1. Use a wedding planner

Why do I need a wedding planner when I can order the cake, buy the attire and rent the car myself? Why pay someone to manage the event when my RSVP’s and protocol teams are on hand to take care of that? What will my siblings be doing then if I have to spend money for someone else to do the rounds and parcel the gifts.

There is a completely wrong school of thought that wedding planners are expensive. Of course they are! But they are relatively cheaper in the long run when you compare what you spend with them and what you spend without them.

Look at things this way. With a wedding planner, you get every item on your wedding list discounted because wedding planners have standing relationships with vendors who may even give you some items on credit.

Will you get this anywhere else? Imagine the decor, cake, venue, cars, hotel booking, attire, etc, all for less because your wedding planner knows the top vendors and can get them to reduce prices. You can breathe out now. The cost is reduced.

2. Limit the guest list and choose the date carefully

Some people choose their wedding dates based on birthdays or other significant memories. Not everybody can attend your wedding and not everyone should be invited. The wedding is not to prove to the world that you are married.

The invited guests just serve as witnesses to your marriage. There is no need to have a wedding, reception and a thanksgiving dinner as well. Invite the closest family and friends, stick with your number and work on it. Choosing a good date early also means you have enough time to prepare thus reducing the risk of last minute dealings which might be costly.

3. Have the whole event in one place

The unfortunate trend these days is to have the wedding ceremony in a church and have the wedding reception in another location. The movement between venues is sometimes stressful and costly. Why move from the church to a far place when you can have both the wedding and reception in the same place.

Try a garden, an event home or even a dome. If your church insists that you have the ceremony there, find a place close by. It reduces the cost of vendors transporting their equipment and hereby cuts the total charge as the costs of transportation are factored into the bills.

4. Book eve and wedding night in same hotel

The Bridal shower, the wedding eve preparations and wedding night booking should all be done at once. Booking different hotels only makes your bill more expensive. The best way out is to compare prices and book on hotel booking websites where you can get great discounts as well as request extra services which may come as complementary because it’s your ‘’big day’’. The wedding eve and the night itself should not be two different bookings. Book everything at once and save big.

5. Avoid a large bridal team

You may have attended weddings where the bridal team’s arrival looked like the whole wedding congregation was arriving before the couple themselves. Yes, it’s often like that when you have just too many people in your bridal team. It doesn’t have to look like Manchester United and Chelsea teams of 11 each walking out on a matchday. Just a few of his guys with a few of your girls will do the trick.

Sometimes, just the ‘’best man’’ and a maid of honour settles it. Bear in mind that, when you have a large following, you have extra costs associated with it. You may not pay for the attire and makeup but think about how many cars you have to use and fuel. Think about how many rooms you have to book and how much food you have to buy for everyone. This is avoidable cost. Just get your 3-4 best friends around you and you are good to go.