{"id":21234,"date":"2015-11-13T00:07:27","date_gmt":"2015-11-13T00:07:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/why-financial-stress-should-not-ruin-your-dream\/"},"modified":"2015-11-13T00:06:55","modified_gmt":"2015-11-13T00:06:55","slug":"why-financial-stress-should-not-ruin-your-dream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/why-financial-stress-should-not-ruin-your-dream\/","title":{"rendered":"Why financial stress should not ruin your dream wedding"},"content":{"rendered":"

{A wedding marks the start of a lifelong companionship. It is the beginning of the journey to marital bliss.}<\/p>\n

A reception in the Caribbean or at the sandy beaches in Seychelles might sound like the perfect place to host your dream wedding.<\/p>\n

Every one prays for that kind of wedding we only see in movies. But far from the movies, in real life you can have your dream wedding too. Does everyone get to have their dream wedding? Or are some couples taking on more than they can afford?<\/p>\n

Richard Byagatonda got married 15 years ago; his wedding was as simple as they come. To him, it was just a ceremony leading to their happily-ever-after so spending a fortune on just one day wasn\u2019t a prudent stride on their part.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur wedding cost us only one million francs, we invited a few people, the reception was at our family home, and basically everything was simple. We have been together for 15 years now and we are still going strong,\u201d Byagatonda says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a wedding is only about a fancy party, life after the big day can be tough, especially if you went all out to make it happen. That\u2019s why I think that planning well right from the engagement day, in some way, contributes to a successful marriage,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

For Lillian Mutaganzwa, her wedding was classy and somewhat expensive. She had the wedding of her dreams because they could afford it.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy husband and I always wanted to have the wedding of our dreams, one where we could astound our guests and make them happy. We spent over Rwf 8million but it was worth it. We had the time of our lives,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

However, Mutaganzwa says that people should only do what their pockets agree with. \u201cIf you have the cash, splash it around on that once-in-a-lifetime moment, but if you can\u2019t afford the luxury, then you need to plan accordingly because there is life waiting after the ceremony,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

It is wonderful to have resources enough to cover every luxurious desire for your wedding day. But unless you just won the lottery, have a high-end job, have saved money from when you were a child, or are related to some oil tycoon, you might want to take some things into consideration.<\/p>\n

Paul Bitariho, a young business man, says that the reasonable decision would be to scrap wedding meetings all together since people tend to make budgets expecting friends and family to cover the cost.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t support people who make unrealistic budgets for weddings they can\u2019t afford. Right now, I have more than five weddings lined up, and of course all of them expect money, this is a problem. You find that one plans to spend like Rwf6million on his wedding but as an individual, he only has Rwf500, 000 and he comfortably expects others to contribute the rest, this is undeniably ludicrous,\u201d Bitariho says.<\/p>\n

Bitariho adds that couples should avoid the mentality of \u2018spending to impress or \u2018be better than so and so\u2019; they should do what makes them happy and most importantly, what they can afford.<\/p>\n

He says that \u2018portraying\u2019 a rich status at a wedding is of no use if walls will fall in after.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll a couple needs is real commitment and happiness; this should be the first priority instead of getting champagne fountains to make your wedding the talk of the town.<\/p>\n

\u201cOthers even plan weddings abroad, now this is another case. It doesn\u2019t help spending your entire savings if, God forbid, all you\u2019ll remain with are photos after a divorce,\u201d Kalisa says.<\/p>\n

Kalisa adds, \u201cIn my opinion, I think Africans have lost the sense of direction for things that used to matter the most. We tend to follow what\u2019s trending, we want to do what we see in movies and imitate the likes of Denzel Washington and what have you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Deborah Umutoni is currently engaged. She says that her budget is within the means that she and her fianc\u00e9e can afford. She has no plans to hold meetings because to her, that\u2019s close to begging.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think my wedding should be a day for my friends and family to join me in celebrating my love. I don\u2019t see why they should contribute money yet it\u2019s my day. A simple place for a reception and later honeymooning at some tiny romantic hotel is cozy enough for me,\u201d Umutoni says.<\/p>\n

She adds that couples sometimes complicate matters and go into unnecessary debt like taking loans to meet unrealistic items on their budgets. And to her, \u201cthese are just uncalled for expenses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with taking a loan to finance my wedding,\u201d asks part-time architect, Josephine Komukama.<\/p>\n

Komukama is of the view that weddings come once, therefore you have to make the day as memorable as you can.<\/p>\n

\u201cI only plan to get married once, and I don\u2019t want to compromise my wedding day all in the name of cutting costs. I don\u2019t expect my friends and family to come up with the cost, so it will be best to get a loan and have the wedding of my dreams. Besides, people get loans for less important things,\u201d Komukama says.<\/p>\n

32-year-old Daisy Namara does not like the idea of starting a marriage in debt. And she\u2019s not too keen on passing pledge cards around either.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been saving for my wedding day since I got my first job after I left college. I always said that if I didn\u2019t get married, I would have a baby anyway and use the money as a trust fund. However, I am lucky that as we speak, I am engaged.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy fianc\u00e9 can\u2019t believe how much money I\u2019ve saved over the years. I plan on having a very simple but very memorable wedding day,\u201d Namara says.<\/p>\n

So, unless you\u2019re planning to elope, you\u2019re going to need a lot more than luck to get through your wedding day.<\/p>\n

How you decide to finance your wedding will be one of the first important decisions you make as a couple.
\n{{
\nTips to have a dream wedding without breaking the bank}}<\/p>\n

Be flexible about your wedding date. Saturday night is the most popular choice and commands top prices. You can get better pricing for weddings on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. This applies to your food and virtually all other services. Many hotels offer well-priced packages on these less common days.<\/p>\n

Limit your guest list. Be realistic and invite those people with whom you have an emotional connection. Don\u2019t invite people out of obligation, because they just might come, out of obligation.<\/p>\n

Plan a destination wedding. A combination of celebration and vacation, this is one of the best ways to keep your guest list in check and reserve your budget for the types of activities that create life-long memories. With fewer guests, you will be able to afford a more elegant venue and meal.<\/p>\n

Do It Yourself. DIY projects provide a creative outlet and the opportunity to save money. Websites such as DIYbride and A Practical Wedding provide useful DIY tips and projects for brides.<\/p>\n

Find creative ways to decorate. Shop flea markets and thrift stores to find vintage items for centerpieces and other d\u00e9cor items. Everything does not have to match, as long as it is within a cohesive theme.<\/p>\n

Skip the full bar. A full service bar is expensive. Serve beer and wine instead, or better yet, a signature drink in an elegant martini glass in keeping with your colour.<\/p>\n

Shorten the time frame of the cocktail hour. Make it 30 minutes instead, and save on the amount of hors d\u2019oeuvres (appetizers) and drinks served.<\/p>\n

Skip the formal dinner. Create a stylish lounge with cocktail tables and lounge furniture; serve elegant hors d\u2019oeuvres instead of the traditional dinner.<\/p>\n

Rent your bridal attire. There are bridal shops that offer an extensive collection of wedding gowns for rent, from budget-friendly dresses to couture gowns.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

The New Times<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

{A wedding marks the start of a lifelong companionship. It is the beginning of the journey to marital bliss.} A reception in the Caribbean or at the sandy beaches in Seychelles might sound like the perfect place to host your dream wedding. Every one prays for that kind of wedding we only see in movies. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2000070227,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[75],"byline":[170],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-21234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social","tag-homenews","byline-igihe"],"bylines":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"contributors":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"featured_image":{"id":2000070227,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/arton21234.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/arton21234.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/arton21234.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/arton21234.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/arton21234.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/arton21234.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21234"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21234\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000070227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21234"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=21234"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=21234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}