Your Complete 3-Month Wedding Planning Checklist

pauline

First things first, Congratulations on achieving the most precious milestone of this life time!

Planning a wedding may seem like a huge task especially with your busy work schedule or all the other obligations to meet in your day to day life. But we’ve got you covered. All you need to do is trust us as, we are here with you to take on what may seem like one of the biggest challenge of life, yet!

You can use this for your WEDDING PLANNING CHECK LIST for the highly awaited BIG DAY. Perhaps you’d want to grab a diary or an app whichever is convenient to check off the things you’ve completed! 

Wedding Budget

This is the most crucial and the first factor you must consider before you plan on anything else. Without a set budget things may go haywire and you might end up spending more on unnecessary things rather than the essential ones. So only after you have decided on a budget you may go ahead with planning a wedding.

It is often easy to make a rash decision and go a little over the budget but trust me you will thank yourself if you just stick to the budget! Budgeting may vary from family to family  in Indian Weddings.

• The bride and the groom’s family can come together and decide on the details of the wedding and accordingly come up with an approximate budget.

Guest List

A grand Indian Wedding is bound to have a never ending list of guests from both the bride and the groom’s side.

• Ask your parents to make their list followed by yours this will make things easier.

• Don’t forget to send a card to your close friends and family who (in your head) don’t require the formality but it is a good etiquette from your side to show that they have not been overlooked.

City

If you’re planning on having a destination wedding then you need to consider booking tickets in advance. If you’re booking tickets for other family members you may consider all of their costs in your budget as well.

There may be some travel agents who offer good deals for group tickets, so do your research on little details like these that will help you save some money.

Wedding Date

• Meet up with a priest to know what day suits best for the couple
• For some you may simply decide on a date with an agreement from both side of the family.

The catch word here is date, so decide on that as soon as possible so the rest can fall into place.

Side note: Deciding on a date is one thing that may affect the cost when you’re booking your venue. Some venues have lower costs when you book on weekdays and in the contrary some venues will cost you higher for weekend bookings.

wedding Venue

What is your dream venue like? A good old banquet hall? Hotel? Country Club? Or a farmhouse? Whatever it may be, you will only be able to make your dream wedding a reality if you book the right venue!

• Quickly book the venue before anyone else does.
• If your wedding day falls on a weekend then you should consider booking the venue in advance.
• On deciding the venue, you must be cautious of the locality you choose.

Your decision on this will be one of the main factors that will help make your day a successful and a memorable one. So choose your locality carefully. Make sure you consider the safety and the accessibility of the area.

In case you are planning on having a late night party in that locality you may want to take permission from the locality welfare or know their timings beforehand so that there is no misunderstanding on the day of your wedding. 

Wedding decor

• List down all the possible themes you have considered and talk it out with your event planner.
• Consider hiring a professional so that things run more smoothly and in accordance with your budget.
• A hobbyist may know how to decorate well but may not necessarily know a great deal on how to work on a budget with the given theme.

Vendors

Hiring vendors can ease your load but you must know the kind of services they provide. If they offer a good deal with all the catering services and other amenities you require for your wedding day then seal the deal right away! This will help you more than you know, the lighter your load, the merrier you will be.

Caterer

If your vendor does not have catering facility, don’t fret! There are hundreds that focus on solely on the catering business.

• You will need to decide on the menu and consider both Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian meals since Indian Weddings will have guests that don’t consume meat.
• Make sure your caterer meets all the requirements for both varieties.
• Inform them of the number of your guest list.

Photographer

When you hire a photographer make sure you inform him/her of all the little details you want to preserve for later. Perhaps if you’re a pet lover and you want to capture your last cuddle with it, the photographer must know the right time to capture those moments. Moments like these seem irrelevant but they become the most cherished memories later.

Makeup Artist

Forgetting is simply not an option for this one! You must look your best on your big day!

• Research the best artist who will help enhance your natural looks.

In case you don’t have much experience on hiring one then must read -Things to consider before before hiring a Makeup Artist. You may want to take a look to know more on this subject.

Band/DJ

What’s an Indian wedding without good music and entertainment?

• Do not forget to call up Bands that will be playing before and after the ceremony and the DJ that will keep you and your guests off their feet!
• If your wedding falls on the peak season then you must book Bands and Djs in advance, you definitely don’t want a wedding with NO music!

Invitation Card

As obvious as it may seem, you will need to make the number of cards as many as the number of people in your guest list.

• You may have additions to the list so make sure you have some spare cards for last minute changes.
• If you’re making an e-card make sure you don’t double your expenses by sending both e card and hard copy. 
• Make a separate card for the guests who will be attending your bachelorette party and your engagement.

Wedding Favours

Depending on your budget there is plethora of gifts that you can give your invitees. Some of your guests probably may not expect it but it is your responsibility to ensure no one goes home without a gift. You may consider giving it to your wedding assistants such as your makeup artist, photographer and other service providers. It may be easy to overlook it but a little kindness goes a long way.

• You may consider giving it to your wedding assistants such as your makeup artist, photographer and other service providers. It may be easy to overlook it but a little kindness goes a long way.
• It is apparent that you will be too occupied on the day of your wedding, so hold someone responsible for distribution of the gift, it could be a relative or a friend, someone who knows most of the guests that day.
• This way there won’t be any mishap like someone taking an extra gift home with them!

Mehendi Artist

For an Indian Wedding Checklist, once cannot miss the Mehendi Ceremony. Indian Weddings have Mehendi ceremony the night before the wedding and this symbolizes good luck and fortune for the bride.

• You may want to consider supporting local artists for this one because you know they are just as good as some of the artists with a name.
• Hiring local artist may cause you to look up designs on your own but as long as they do the job you’re in for a good cause and you’re saving yourself quite a good amount of money.

However, it is completely up to your decision. If you want to hire mehendi artists who have made a good name in your city, there’s nothing better!

Choreographer

An Indian Wedding Checklist cannot be complete without hiring a choreographer.

• You will need to hire one depending on your expertise.
• If dancing is not your forte then you will need to hire a choreographer who trains beginners and choreographs dances according to your potential.
• The earlier the rehearsal the better your performance will be. So plan accordingly.

Bachelorette Party

• You need to make a list of invitees and book a venue in accordance with the number of people in your guest list.
• If you’re in for a weekend party, make sure you book the venue way ahead of time since weekends are usually the busiest time of the week.
• Send out the invitations for the bachelorette party soon after you book the venue.

Engagement

This party is mainly for both side of the family to get to know each other, and friends of the bride and the groom are also introduced.

• Book a venue according to your guest list perhaps this time your list is shorter than your actual wedding day.
• Hire a photographer and like mentioned earlier make sure you inform the photographer to be alert and cautious at all times!
• You will need for that day is a makeup artist, a different menu for which you will need to inform the caterers.

So I hope the Indian Wedding checklist acts as your backup system that helps you breathe a little easier as you take on the most exciting yet challenging phase of life!  

Good Luck!

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pauline

A wedding enthusiast at heart who finds her niche in writing useful tips and creative ideas for her fellow wedding aficionados. Loves writing about weddings across cultures in India and has had experience in planning special events for friends and family.

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