Just when it’s about the time when the wedding bells start ringing in most houses, it’s time we dive in a bit deeper about this beautiful yet very interesting topic “the ultimate Indian wedding checklist”.
Weddings are the most beautiful celebration especially if you are from India. Indian weddings are not just about the wedding day, it’s a wedding bash or to better explain it; it’s the wedding party where the celebrations go on and on.
Indian weddings are not a day’s event where we meet friends, family members, and meet our spouse’s near and dear ones. An Indian wedding goes on at least 3 days, even for a week!
From pre-wedding rituals like Mehndi (henna) to the 2-3 hours of the main ceremony and the reception, there are a lot of events taking place, some of which you may be invited to participate in as a guest while some are reserved only for the family members.
Weddings tell a lot about the family and their culture, value systems, and serene traditions in ways to bestow the blessings of God and elders and our ancestors.
An Ultimate Indian wedding is a beautiful exchange of people of 2 different families coming together to celebrate the joining to begin a new family and to live as one forever. It is a true experience of divine satisfaction with an exchange of becoming two in one.
Recent Wedding Trends
A recent trend in India has picked up for the expediting of wedding planners to take this event to the next level of creativity and extravagance. With the growing demands for newer and trendier ways to do a wedding.
Unlike any other western wedding where a small close-knit family and friends come together for the ceremony, In India an average of 500 family members attend a wedding with close to $65,000 is spent over the entire event.
With huge budgets and a lot of guests who will come and be a part of this big celebration calls for this important list of “the Ultimate Indian wedding Checklist”.
This can be used by all the people who professionally provide wedding services and to the ones who like them DIY – Do it yourself.
Here in this article will provide you with a clear cut checklist in order not to miss anything based on a detailed 6-month timeline.
6 Months Before the wedding:
- Create a detailed budget for your wedding ceremony
- If required Hire a wedding planner also for detailed planning
- Wedding Hall – the most underlooked part, in a populated country like India is missing out on your favorite destination or location of your dream wedding place. Here you do it a lot earlier too based on the demand criteria
- Create a guest list and start the overall count for the wedding approximately
5 Months before the wedding:
- Start looking out for your wedding dress
- Plan the engagement party if required
- Hit a gym if you want to get to shape right in time of your wedding
- Suggestion from friends and online to look for your favorite honeymoon destination and narrowing down your search
4 Months before the wedding:
- Indian weddings have a lot of guests from near and far, so book the accommodation well in advance close to the wedding place
- Arrange adequate travel facilities to all the guests and a few local sightseeing if it fits within your budgets
- Purchase or finalize the wedding dress for the wedding and all the other accessories and jewels that go along with it
- Book tickets, travel, and accommodation for your honeymoon trip
3 Months before the wedding:
- Time to get the bridesmaid and groomsmen dress ready, they are to complement the wedding dress of the couple and not to overdo them
- Start looking for wedding invitations and hire a calligrapher if required
- Send a “save the date” reminder to all your dear family and friends
- Finalize your wedding caterers and looking for all the menu you can throw up for the wedding and all the other ceremonies. Keep in mind the traditions and formalities that come with it
- Check out the various themes and finalize it according to your liking, keeping in mind the color of the wedding
2 Months before the wedding:
- If you are a music lover, hire your favorite local band depending on your budget and book their dates, provide a list of songs, and if any specific special requests let them know as early as possible
- Inform the officiant and the other people who will help you to register your marriage
- Start your premarital counseling to start understanding each other much better
- Start your hair and makeup trials and self-care for your special day
- Hire a good professional photographer who specializes in wedding photography to create those everlasting memories
1 Months before the wedding:
- Finalize the fit and size of your wedding attire for both the groom and the bride
- Also, check with the groom’s men and bridal party attire
- Arrange the wedding car or a vintage vehicle or an exotic bike and get comfortable with it
- Getting your wedding bands and thali ready and done
- Finalize the wedding menu and especially
- Finalize the floral decoration
- Choose your wedding cake and order it. Flavors, texture, and the overall design of the case have to match the wedding color and theme
- Buy some gifts for the guests who come
- Dispatch all the wedding invitations to people who are in other states or far off places. Make wise use of social media to invite them formally
1 week before the wedding:
- Buy your partner the perfect wedding gift
- Finalize your wedding vows
- Pay the vendor’s advances for the wedding, the full bill can be settled later after the wedding
- Have a walkthrough
- Practice your wedding recitals and wedding vows out loud
- Get comfortable with your wedding dress and wedding shoes especially, walk around with the attire and enjoy the feeling as much as you can before the big day
- Refreshing your hair color and getting your nails done for the one last time. Go with go mild colored nail paint.
- Get a body massage and sleep enough
- Pack your holiday honeymoon bag and keep them ready. Don’t miss your flight tickets and your passports and visa papers importantly
Last day to your wedding:
- Have a healthy meal
- Drink enough water
- Pack a personal bag with your towels and hair makeup and face wash, mouth freshener, and a few deodorants
- Pack comfortable footwear and a few pairs of socks and other necessities
- Take your wedding dress and veil it out in the room and steam iron if required
- Check your wedding vows and wedding ring and thali
- Have a good peaceful sleep most importantly. You don’t want to look tired and drowsy on your special day.
Planning a wedding that holds memories for a lifetime always takes some careful planning and clear decision making. Elders and other specialist vendors who do it professionally always give us a helping hand to make the day as smooth and special and memorable as possible.
We hope and wish you don’t miss out on anything as you plan yours or your friends or family. Have a hassle-free party time…