How to plan a wedding in 2024?

Table of Content

• The Indian Wedding Timeline
• Money Matters
• Step by Step planning of an Indian wedding

Rishta fixed? Now let’s get to wedding planning!

You’ve fallen in love and the parents have approved; you’ve been set up by the matchmaker and it’s a tie; you’ve gone through matrimonial sites and found the perfect match - in a nutshell, you are hitched, and you’ve made it official. Now it’s time for wedding planning. But here’s the thing - what are the steps to planning a wedding, things you need for a wedding, how much does an Indian wedding cost, that too an Indian wedding or a traditional Punjabi wedding? Gone are the days when the entire village of relatives would descend and gladly take on duties of arranging food, accommodation, the ‘khaatirdaari and mehman nawazi’, tenting and transportation, etc in a traditional Punjabi wedding. The venue too would be simple, being the local Gurudwara or temple and the phera back home. In marriage plans, parents took the lead and the kids follow. Fast forward to the present day, and all the marriage plans and Indian marriage planning has reached a whole new level - be it Canada, US or India, the Indian wedding checklist has destination venues, high-end catering, extravagant gifting, elaborate wedding tent layouts and designs, dance and musical fiesta - basically, wedding planning translates to an entertaining gala of an event. 

The Indian Wedding Timeline: How long does it take to plan a wedding?

So, how long does it take to plan a traditional Punjabi wedding of this magnitude? We are certainly not discounting those wedding plans that are a simple fare or something more earthy, but then, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event, that entails a guest list anywhere from 300 to 1000 and events and rituals that run into days, and whether it’s Canada, US or India, folks everywhere want to make everlasting wedding memories. So, what are the steps to planning a wedding, things you need to plan a wedding, and how much does an Indian wedding cost? Now, once the couple is engaged, the stars are aligned and Astro checks done, the blueprint for marriage/wedding plans is drawn out, average Indian wedding costs are calculated and preparations for the wedding planning begin. Ideally, in the Indian scenario, and especially if you have relatives settled overseas, then the wedding planning timeline is anywhere between eight to ten months. 

The venue is the first decision families take during wedding planning, and booking is paramount because of the heavily booked wedding season. So, weigh in the weather conditions during marriage plans and book your venue at least six months in advance, because this also eats into a chunk of your designated wedding planning budget. For destination weddings, it needs to be booked at least eight months ahead. WeddingWire India’s budget planning tool can also come in handy for such wedding planning.    

Money Matters: How much does an Indian wedding cost?

So how much does an Indian wedding cost? Considering the lavish styles and luxury gifting and destination weddings, the average Indian wedding cost these days can be any number. According to the wedding plans of the Desi Bride blog , desi/Indian weddings can go as low as $50,000 and as high as $250,000, basically ‘sky is the limit’ high. During wedding planning, budgets are subject to the wedding theme, venue, guest number, tentage and catering - so you can either keep marriage plans budget-friendly friendly, reasonable or go all out with a lavish affair. For instance, if you’re investing in handmade heirlooms of love like those at Pataaree, an exquisite designer trousseau, premium gifting for friends and relatives, and hold a luxe event for every ceremony, then wedding plan budgets will escalate. So, our marriage plan advice is - work out your costs, get the balance sheet in order and then proceed with cutting cheques for the wedding planning.

The Plan: Step by Step planning of an Indian wedding/traditional Punjabi wedding

Nowadays, there are umpteen number of websites/blogs/event planners laying out the ground rules, outlining steps to planning a wedding and guiding you on the wedding plans. But the big fat Indian marriage planning is another ball game, be it in the USA, Canada, England, Australia or India. So, next in how to plan a wedding, from our experience, once here is the wedding plan list that what you need to keep in mind while planning a wedding:  

1. Set a budget: How to plan a wedding? In the steps to planning a wedding, budget is the first thing you outline and the key in the wedding planning - once you’ve decided on the expenditure limit, you will be able to divide the cost, make decisions faster (like food, drinks and venue) and proceed with wedding planning smartly.   
   
   
2. Prepare the Guest List: This is a tricky one during wedding planning. The list is usually an exhaustive one if it’s the first wedding in the family. So, count the family members, assign each of them their upper limit of guests allowed, and factor in the friends, relatives, house helps, drivers and other sundry staff too. Make a draft, and then revise the list at least two to three times before you reach an optimum number that doesn’t really put you in a tight or compromised spot. The guest list also fluctuates when it’s a destination wedding.    
   
   
3. Chalk out the ceremonies: The next important step in how to plan a wedding is to finalise the events and ceremonies you want to celebrate. Indian marriage planning/traditional Punjabi weddings entail multiple rituals and customs and can run into days of events. You have to see your need, time and cost. Traditionally, the main Indian wedding ceremonies are Roka, Shagun Ceremony, Engagement, Haldi/Maiyan, Mehendi, Sangeet, Jaago and Cocktail night, Choora Ceremony,  the Baraat, Varmala and phere/Anand Karaj and the bride’s Phera. Do not stress - go for the ones that make you happy and to keep the traditional vibe intact, you can either choose or get collections and products custom-made for the same from Pataaree. 
   
   
4. Book the Venue: Remember this rule of wedding planning - when it comes to venues, never put all your eggs in one basket. Select potential dates, lay out the cost of domestic or destination, check flight and transport details and then zero in on at least two venues. How to plan a wedding? Have a backup plan, always! Choose a venue that can fit in the guest list, has ample parking space and a convenient approach, and has both covered and open area in case the weather plans to spoil the fun. The wedding venue has to be at a reasonable distance, with close proximity to the wedding house in order to keep movement smooth and streamlined.      
   
   
5. Pick a theme: Classic, vintage, romantic, eco-friendly, dreamy, farmhouse, carnival, folk-toned - the wedding planning theme is your choice, and an experienced wedding event planner can pull it off for you.     
   
   
6. Tentage, Catering, Transportation: The guests may or may not remember what the bride and groom were wearing, but they will remember the food and drinks. Wedding planning demands investment in excellent caterers and bar guys to deliver memorable experiences. Also, hire the right taxi vendors to ferry out-of-town relatives.  
   
   
7. Hotel Bookings: A crucial wedding planning checklist - stay and transport for friends and relatives from out of town. Keep guest houses and hotel rooms booked in advance for them with taxi service to ferry them to the venue.   
   
   
8. Wedding Invite: Wedding planning is incomplete without the wedding invite, and if you check out Pataaree, our Sahe Chithi is a bestseller. Create a wedding invite according to your theme and colour palette with us. Nowadays, a ‘save the date’ pre-wedding invite is trending too. This one also helps in assuring an RSVP from the guests.       
   
   
9. Videographer/Photographer: What’s a wedding without some gorgeous, glamorous photos and videos of the bride and groom. Choose your videographer and photographer wisely - especially if you’re looking at pre-wedding shoots, drone photography, small YouTube videos, Instagram picks etc.     
   
   
10. Pre-wedding shoot: In all the wedding planning, the crazy frenzy of events, one can lose track of getting themselves photographed properly. So, keep a day well in advance for a pre-wedding shoot in your Indian wedding/traditional Punjabi wedding.  
    
    
11. Music & Entertainment: How to plan a wedding? Turn up the music! This is the life of any wedding, so get your decor vendor booked along with a choreographer for dance performances, DJ, live musicians and dholki wala. For the sangeet night, check out our traditional yet trendy jaago sets at Pataaree. Create your song list and boliyan, and turn the lights, camera, and action on! 
    
    
    
    
    
12. Trousseau Checklist: The data, the wari, the jewellery, Suhag Pataaree, the trousseau trunks, the designer attires, the utensils, linen, household stuff - this is an endless list, so start working on it from day one. Bride and groom families can also check out our trousseau trunks, jewellery boxes, etc at Pataaree.  
    
    
    
    
    
13. Gifting List: Wedding planning involves endless lists of gifting - for relatives, milni, favors, shagun, etc - you can have a look at collections and essentials from Pataaree for the same. 
    
    
    
    
    
14. Haldi, Mehendi & Make-up: Book the best mehendi wala/wali in town, your beauty parlour, spas in advance. For vanity boxes and Haldi sets, check out Pataaree. 
    
    
    
    
    
15. Wedding Day list: From welcome ribbon cutting, shagun thaals and sweet, ladoo boxes, wedding umbrella and bridal chadar, the Pandit or Bhaiji officiating the marriage, the Rumala sahib to be presented at the Sikh wedding, the Mandap prep for Hindu/Punjabi weddings - create a personal wedding planning checklist for the main day.
    
    
    

Conclusion