It seems that almost all of us get into some sort of financial pinch at a some point in our lives, doesn’t it? Just when you’ve planned for your finances in the upcoming months, something unexpected comes by and completely messes with your finances.
Sometimes, the most unexpected of events become the most cherished things our lives. It’s a bit of a funny story, but let me share one such experience.
A friend of mine met a girl on Facebook and they both connected instantly. This was a long distance relationship. So they had been dating online for quite some time before they actually met. Though they were about 1000 miles apart, that was the least of their concerns. My friend could not help but popped the question soon after they met in person and she said “Yes”.
All fine and dandy. Or so my friend thought until he found out that the girl’s father wants to marry her off to some guy he knew (yes, arranged marriages still exist in places like South Asia.)
That was a massive spanner in the works: they had to marry immediately or within a couple of days – maximum! This was one of those paradoxical moments for my friend, both happy and sad.
Being a fairly young guy, my friend didn’t really have his finances in order yet, which made the situation all the more difficult. As much as his family and friends tried to dissuade him, he refused to call off the wedding.
So he decided to sit down calmly and figure out an approximate estimate for the marriage. There was a long list of things that he had to take care of in order to make the marriage happen. That’s what we’re going to talk about today!
The Long List of Wedding Arrangements
He shuddered as he stared at the long list of wedding arrangements he had to make:
The wedding venue, attires for bride and groom, photographer/videographer, cake, ring, catering, invitations, transportation etc.
The list just did not seem to end at any point. So he had to prioritize. (That’s the beauty of prioritizing things, you realize there are so many unwanted things that we usually spend our time and money on.)
He was able to skimp on quite a few aspects.
For example, the venue didn’t have to be grand. Choosing to bite the bullet and be selective with his guest list, he figured that a small to medium sized hall would suffice. He could certainly get rid of the Limo ride and also ceremonial musicians.
He did away with luxuries such as a DJ, expensive favors, gala dinner etc.
I thought this was wise. Let’s face it – your guests might enjoy themselves for a short time, sure. But at the end of the day it is you who has to take the burden of all the expenses. If you can trim down the costs at some places, well go ahead and do that!
After spending considerable amount of time my friend was able to cut down some of those expenses, but even that was not enough.
Sure my friend was able to bring down the cost of the wedding on paper, but he still had to arrange for money for the stuffs he had finalized on. Now he was looking at roughly eight thousands dollars. Given his bad credit score, getting a loan such short span was also pretty difficult.
Wedding Financing Options
The most humbling thing to do in such situation is to reach out to family and friends for funds. Of course they’d be willing to help you in times of despair.
However, the costs were too high, and my friend’s savings were absolutely appalling.
The gap was too large. Even though he did manage some money from me, family and other friends, it was just not enough to pay for even the toned down version of the marriage.
Don’t forget that people can contribute in ways other than money. You can also reach out to your friends, for some of them might have some skills that you can put to good use. In our friend circle we found a budding DJ who was more than willing to help my friend during the marriage. Similarly reaching out to friends for flower arrangements, wedding invitation designs etc. is also a good option.
A Loan can Get you Out of the Pinch Quick
If you’re like my friend, you could potentially opt for bad credit loans. Not many people would be willing to lend loans to you, because the bad credit labels you as high risk individuals. But there are some specialist firms that can connect you to lenders willing to give you loans. And they do have some benefits, such as:
- Incredibly fast processing of the loans
- Loans available for bad credit as well
- All the processes takes place online, so you don’t have to visit branch offices
- Loans usually get approved in the same day
- The lender deposite the loan amount directly into your account
One thing you have to keep in mind is that lenders become skeptical regarding your ability to repay loans if you have bad credit score.
That’s often the reason banks have numerous of clauses when it comes to lending money to individuals with bad credit. In addition, go for bad credit loans quick decisions that can turn your application around and help you secure a loan almost instantly.
My friend started looking for bad credit loans, and their quick turnaround time helped him get the money the very next day. This allowed him to procced with the marriage arrangements. If it weren’t for the quick turnaround time of the loan, things would have panned little differently. He kept the marriage and all the ceremonies simple and small.
Party Down
Having bad credit or a lack of finances is not the end of the world. It should certainly not put too much of a dampener on your big day!
To conclude, I’d always advise that can reach out to family and friends as the first port of call. Some friends might also have some experience with the arrangements needed for the wedding and that would come in handy.
However, if the gap between what you can scrape together and what you need is too wide, you can always reach out for bad credit loans. In such a case, go for a quick loan that allows you to receive the loan amount right in your account within a very short span of time.
It comes down to you and the choices that you make for such emergency situations. A toned down version of the marriage and properly managed finances can help see you through the difficult times.
Have you ever had to finance a wedding quickly at very short notice? Let us know in the comments below!
