We all know for a fact that weddings don’t come cheap since there are so many things and details that cost money. From the banquet, invitations, photo books, photographers, music, champagne, table runners, door gifts and many more, these all come together to cost a pretty hefty amount that seems like it can leave you bankrupt.
So, while most of us try to avoid the topic of getting married at family events like the plague, this resourceful young woman named Jasmine Ming Huei has hacked the system and went viral for her special wedding.
While most weddings that go viral are popular for their extravagance, Jasmine’s one turned heads for the opposite reason: its jaw-dropping bargain prices.
Dubbed the “DIY-Taobao Wedding”, Jasmine shares her story on Facebook.
“Many friends have asked me where I got all the bits-and-bobs for my wedding and I just wanted to share my experience with you. Since the wedding venue was expensive, I sought to cut costs in other areas. And I thought to myself: ‘What else can be more economical than Taobao?'”
Logging onto the China-based online shopping site which is also the largest in the world, Jasmine managed to whip up an amazing, Instagram-worthy wedding that blew everybody’s minds. Talk about being financially-savvy!
Since the wedding photography packages were far from reasonable, her husband asked a photographer friend of his to help out. With a little bargain hunting, the couple got a bunch of awesome shots at a fraction of the price.
Meanwhile, her wedding dress cost a mere RM200 and the dapper tux on the groom only set them back at RM300.
(For reference, brides spent an average of $1,357 (approx. RM5,550) in 2014 on their dresses alone!)
The tiara and the bridal veil cost RM28 and RM41 respectively, which a ridiculously low sum for a jaw-dropping style that looks like it came straight out of a fairy tale.
These elaborate outfits look like they’re priced high into the thousands, but Jasmine says that both sets cost them less than RM700!
Jasmine notes that simply renting the clothes in KL would cost more than what she paid for them on Taobao.
In this shot for their invitations, the striking white suits reportedly cost them less than RM100 per set.
Speaking of invitations, they got special 3D pop-out invitation cards that cost only RM2.15 per card; that said, the invites ended up looking like something much more expensive. They also got two beautifully leather bound and packaged photobooks printed and equipped with a specialised carrying case for only RM443.
Meanwhile, outfits for their bridesmaids and groomsmen were found for a boggling RM15 per set, resulting in a retro aesthetic with all of them looking like a troop of Chinese soldiers.
Finally, they decorated the ceremonial hall with balloons and a pretty blue carpet for a picture-perfect fairytale setting, complete with a customised wooden backdrop arch, all for just about RM300. Once again, she notes how much more economical her arrangement was compared to KL’s market prices.
All in all, Jasmine did a pretty amazing job as deal-hunting goes, seeing as how any of the items above usually cost couples more than this whole list put together. Helpfully including the Taobao links for her purchases with each picture, Jasmine ends her post by saying she hopes this helped her friends who want to get married but don’t know where to start.
How thoughtful of her!
Her post has garnered more than 8,500 shares at the time of writing. You can see her original post on Facebook here.
Wow! That’s certainly an impressive bargain-hunting skill on Jasmine’s part. Would you do the same and get your wedding outfits from Taobao?
Also read: New Year, New You, But Still Broke? Here Are 5 Tips On How to Boost Your Savings This 2019!