Budget Christmas Weddings for an Asian bride

Let's face it, with all the lavish rituals, ancient ceremonies, lively receptions and details meant to impress, an Asian wedding is expensive enough. Centering the wedding on the Christmas theme can be even more involved and costly.

A Christmas-themed wedding is all about adding a sense of warmth and comfort to the atmosphere. 

This can be done easily and inexpensively with candlelight. Buying holiday scented candles will add more depth to the ceremony and reception, since only a few of them can go a long way. 

Twinkle lights are other great options. Purchased on Black Friday or during after-Christmas sales, you can get lots of white string lights for a fraction of what they normally cost. This is great if you are planning your wedding a year or two in advance and can stock up with those after-Christmas sales. 

Purchasing decorations after Christmas is also a must. You can find inexpensive wreaths, red and gold bows, centrepieces . . . you name it. Holiday-themed programs will also be on sale if you plan on printing up your own.
A can of silver or white spray paint can add shimmer to garlands and greenery. Create your own bouquets with silk flowers and try spraying a little bit of this shimmer on the leaves or floral accents like baby's breath.


Tulle is an amazingly cheap fabric and its sheer beauty is perfect for winter weddings. Dress it up by intertwining it with white strand twinkle lights and drape it throughout the sanctuary.

Many venues, including places of worship, decorate for the Christmas holidays.

Take advantage of this by booking a Christmas wedding. The venue will have already put up decorations at their expense, leaving you to handle only minor decorative touches.

Cranberries are a beautiful decorative source. Sprinkle them over table linens, string them across draped tulle, scatter them over centrepieces . . . the possibilities are endless. 

In order to cut down on costs, limit the guest list. Keeping the guest list concise will make the wedding and reception more affordable, so only invite those you are closest to and forego the urge to show off to everyone you know.

Traditional Asian weddings will involve a number of events prior to the actual ceremony, regardless of where you have booked the wedding service and reception. Cut down on events like Sangeet and Sanji to give you more money to put toward the reception.

Certain events are obligatory, like Mehndi Rasam and Mandap Mahurat, but celebrate them as modestly as possible. Instead of enlisting the help of wedding planners to service these events, conduct them in the privacy of your home with close friends and family.

The key is to keep things simple and elegant, and of course keep your bank balance healthy.

This article was written by Katie, a financial writer for moneysupermarket.com.