An Indian wedding is known for its colors, vibrance, festivities, elegance and tradition. From glamorous weddings to simple ones, we at Avadhani Nisargah would be delighted to host you and your family on the most special day of your lives.
We all know that managing an Indian wedding is no easy feat. It takes a lot of research and planning to have your dream wedding.
So to make it simpler for you, we have made a guide for the preparation timeline to make the process simple, worry-free and we assure you it will help you focus on every detail of the wedding.
The wedding preparations usually start right away after the roka ceremony. There’s a lot to do and it’s important we get an early start to the preparation. So here’s our 12 month guideline to the ultimate Indian wedding.
NINE – TWELVE MONTHS BEFORE THE WEDDING
It’s vital to have a minimum of nine months prior to the wedding date as most venues, photographers and caterers are booked months in advance. Following are the important decisions to be made at this time.
1. Finalise the season/week for your wedding
It’s the first and probably the most important decision that needs to be discussed by the bride and the groom and their respective families. Finalising the season/week will further determine major decisions such as venue, food menu and other wedding preparations.
2. Finalise the Budget for the wedding
A budget is required to foresee the expenditure for the wedding. It will give you a good idea of the monetary requirement as well as how money should be allocated depending on the event and the vendors.
3. Finalise all pre/post wedding events
Once the wedding budget is finalised then you can decide the pre and post wedding events that you would like to have/that would fit your budget. This would help avoid unnecessary expenditure.
4. Guest list
The entire guest list including all those who are to be invited from both the bride and groom’s side should be noted down and an average number of guests invited should be finalised.
5. Wedding Planner (Optional)
A wedding planner is a professional who will help carry out all the planning and finalise wedding vendors as well as communicate with them.
6. Finalise the venue
Most of the venues are booked months in advance. So it’s important to visit potential venues and finalise them as early as possible. Finalising the venue will also help you understand what kind of decor would be aesthetically pleasing for your various events.
7. Research on wedding decor
Once the venue is finalised, it’s time to get going on the wedding decor. You might already have a thought of a few ideas but it’s better to start researching online on websites like Pinterest and saving the themes you would want for your wedding. It will help the wedding planner as well as they will know what you’re expecting as well and they can start sourcing the materials required once the themes are finalised.
SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS BEFORE THE WEDDING
1. Finalise the caterer
One could say this is one of the most crucial bookings. Finding the right caterer is like finding the right lehenga. One size doesn’t fit all so it’s important to do sample food tastings of shortlisted food caterers and finalise them.
2.The Wedding Card
The official invitation to the wedding, the wedding card requires good attention to details as well as it’s advisable to send it in advance to notify the guests about the wedding. Also mention the RSVP details as it will help to book the stay for the guests.
3. Finalising the photographer
The wedding week needs to be captured in its true essence and a skilled professional will help you relive those memories by clicking some beautiful pictures. As most photographers are booked for destination weddings as well, it’s highly recommended you meet with potential vendors and finalise the photographer in this time frame.
THREE TO FIVE MONTHS PRIOR TO THE WEDDING
1. Sourcing the wedding decor
Now that the venue is finalised and the themes have been finalised, it’s important to start sourcing the wedding decor. Some decor items are shipped from different parts of the world and some are sourced locally, so keeping that in mind it would be a good idea to start sourcing the decor items to find alternatives in case of any last minute emergencies.
2. Wedding attire & jewellery shopping
With the latest trend of color coordinating with your significant other and wanting the perfect fit, it’s better to start the wedding shopping at least 5 months in advance. Bear in mind that tailoring requires time, especially if it’s during wedding season.
3. Finalise your MUA ( Make-Up Artist)
It’s only natural to want to look your best on your special day and the MUA can work their magic for this particular task. But in a sea full of professional MUA it takes some time to finalise the one who is the perfect fit for you. Do trial sessions and finalise the artist.
THREE MONTHS PRIOR TO THE WEDDING
1. Take the bachelor/ bachelorette trip
Your last holiday of being single calls for a celebration! Plan a trip you’ve always wanted to take with your close friends or if time doesn’t permit you could have a nice night out with them and celebrate the occasion.
2. Book your honeymoon
This is preferred to be done at least three months in advance especially if you’re planning to take an International vacation. You get ample time to research countries and book your visa appointments as well as flight tickets and hotel stay.
3. Finalise the Pandit
his is most important especially during the wedding season. Most Pandits will be able to source all pooja requirements for the wedding but in case you want to source it yourself it’s better to have a good time frame.
4. Google Spreadsheets to the rescue
Use Google spreadsheets to plan all logistics for guest accommodation, pick-up and drop as well as for personal errands. It’s also very useful to use it for payment to vendors before, during and after the wedding. Since it can be shared it’s easy to add all family members so that all updates happen in live time.
ONE WEEK BEFORE THE WEDDING
1. Go for a Spa
A week before the wedding it’s important to relax and pamper yourself. Book an appointment for yourself and your entire family and get the much needed pamper session prior to the wedding week.
2. Do a fitting trial
A week before the wedding is the ideal time to do last minute adjustments to all your outfits for all events. It’s preferable that once the outfits are adjusted, for it to be ironed and steamed and sealed in vacuum bags to preserve it as is till the event.
3. Prepare emergency kits
Ideal, especially if you’re having a destination wedding. Emergency kits can contain anything right from emergency medicines to some make-up products for last minute touch-ups.
ONE DAY BEFORE THE WEDDING
1. Ensure a good night’s sleep
It’s definitely going to be a long day with all the photographers, MUA, the guests and all the actual events of the wedding- the baarat, the pheras ,kanyadaan and bidai. A good night’s sleep will keep you fresh throughout the day.
2. Spend time with your family
Some words of wisdom and some fun – all happen just before the wedding. With the elders sharing their marriage l and to your cousins teasing you and making you blush, the day before the wedding is truly remembered by all.
It’s important to have a proper check-list to keep you on track for your wedding preparations. We hope this guide has helped you with the wedding preparations. Do contact our team for any details regarding the wedding planning services, we would be delighted to help.
