Planning A Wedding In India: A Step-By-Step Guide

Planning a wedding in India can be a complicated affair, with many moving parts and cultural traditions to consider. From choosing a date to finalising the guest list, there are a lot of factors to keep in mind. One of the most important steps is booking the venue, which is typically the largest portion of the wedding budget. It's also essential to decide on the type of wedding you want and the number of events, such as a mehndi party, haldi ceremony, or sangeet ceremony. With so many details to manage, hiring a wedding planner can be a huge help in ensuring your big day goes smoothly.

Picking a date

Indian weddings are often complicated affairs with many moving parts, so it's essential to book your wedding planner first. Wedding planners have strong relationships in the industry and can help you book the right vendors for different requirements. The wedding ceremony and reception venue should be booked a minimum of six months in advance, and the sooner you discuss potential dates with your preferred venue, the more likely you are to get the one you want.

When picking a date, it's also important to consider the number of wedding events you plan to have. Indian weddings often include multiple events such as a mehndi, garba/sangeet, wedding ceremony, and reception. You may want to add a column for each event when creating your guest list, indicating whether or not each family will be invited to each event.

Finally, consider your budget when picking a date. The budget will help you finalise the destination, and the destination may impact the availability of venues and vendors.

Finalising the budget

When deciding on a venue, it's worth considering that Indian weddings often involve multiple events, such as a mehndi party, haldi ceremony, sangeet ceremony, wedding ceremony and reception. The number of events you plan to host will impact your budget, so it's important to finalise this early on in the planning process.

The guest list will also have a significant impact on your budget, as the number of guests will determine the size of the venue you need and the amount of food and drink you'll need to provide. It's a good idea to assign priority groups to each family, with the closest family and friends in group 1, followed by group 2 and then group 3, which can include maybes or last-minute invites.

Once you have an idea of the number of guests and the type of wedding you want, you can start to allocate your budget to different areas, such as the venue, catering, decorations, entertainment and any other cultural traditions or celebrations you plan to include.

Choosing the venue

Indian weddings often involve multiple events, so you may want to choose a venue that can accommodate all of these, or select different venues for each event. It's also important to consider the number of guests you plan to invite, as this will impact the size of the venue you need.

When selecting a venue, it's a good idea to book at least six months in advance to ensure you get your preferred date. Discussing potential dates with your preferred venue as early as possible will increase the likelihood of getting the date you want.

It is also recommended to book a wedding planner before choosing a venue, as planners have strong industry relationships and can help you book the right vendors for your requirements.

Guest list

Indian weddings are often complicated affairs with many moving parts, so it's important to get a handle on your guest list early on. Wedding planners and day-of coordinators are essential to making the events go smoothly, so it's a good idea to book a wedding planner first and then decide on other vendors.

For the initial wedding guest list, include the family name and number of guests (including kids and significant others). From there, assign priority groups to each family: 1 = closest family and friends you will definitely invite; 2 = invite in round two; 3 = maybes or last-minute invites if you have space.

Indian weddings often have multiple events like a mehndi, garba/sangeet, wedding ceremony and reception, so you may want to add a column for each event and indicate whether or not you will be inviting each family, and how many people are invited to each event. For example, you may not want to include children at the wedding reception.

It's important to finalise the total number of wedding events and the type of wedding early on, so you can choose whether or not to have a mehndi party, haldi ceremony, sangeet ceremony or other cultural celebrations and traditions.

Wedding events

Indian weddings are often complicated affairs with many moving parts, so it's important to plan the type of wedding you want and finalise the total number of wedding events.

Indian weddings can include multiple events such as a mehndi, garba/sangeet, wedding ceremony and reception. You may want to create a guest list with columns for each event and indicate whether or not each family will be invited to each event.

The wedding ceremony and reception venue is typically the largest portion of the wedding budget and should be booked a minimum of six months in advance. Wedding planners and day-of coordinators are essential to making the events go smoothly.

It's also important to consider the budget for other wedding events such as a mehndi party, haldi ceremony or sangeet ceremony.

Frequently asked questions