If you have recently become engaged, congratulations to you! But whilst you are in the unique throes of happiness, you are probably thinking of planning your dream wedding as well. It’s only natural; it’s a big event, after all, and it is, perhaps, the most significant event in your life at this point. So making sure it is perfect is your goal, but the difficulty lies in the details. This is particularly true if you are thinking of an Indian wedding. But before you start looking at wedding suppliers or visiting wedding shows, there are some things you should do first. So what are the first steps you have to take when planning your dream Indian wedding? Let’s find out.
Figure out your wedding dates
Indians love to celebrate, as you may already know – and a wedding is a perfect excuse to have more than a few special wedding dates! The first thing you have to do, therefore, is to figure out your wedding dates. By figuring out a few dates for your wedding, you will be able to check the availability of wedding suppliers, especially when it comes to venues, catering, and the like. You should get everyone involved in the wedding together and determine the perfect dates for your wedding; a list of three prospective wedding dates should be good enough. If you have three prospective dates for your wedding, then you will have more options if the suppliers you want aren’t available or the venue is already taken. Take note: once you have decided on your potential wedding dates, you also have to decide on the events you will have leading up to your wedding, including Mehndi, the meet and greet evening, Vidhi, and so on.
Book the priest/Maharaj
Before you even decide on looking at Indian wedding venues for your special day, you should first book the priest/Maharaj. The simple reason is that priests/Maharaj can get booked quite quickly, especially those who can explain the ceremony in a very good way for the wedding guests. Additionally, most Indian families are very particular in regard to the priests they choose. If this holds true for your family as well, then it’s essential to book the priest as early as possible. If you have the three prospective wedding dates listed down, then you should also book the priest for all three dates; you should advise him, however, to ring you if there is another engaged couple who would like one of the dates. This way, you have a longer time to decide on the best date without risking losing your priest/Maharaj to another engaged couple.
Determine your guests
Another important thing to do before anything =else is to determine your guest list. Make the first draft of your guest list and remember that the list will probably go through several revisions. But this will already give you an idea of how many guests you can expect. If you already know the approximate number of your guests, then you can more easily choose the venue for your big day. This will also help you decide if the number of guests you are planning to have can be accommodated by your wedding budget. Remember this: the number of guests you have will also determine the cost of other essentials, such as the catering, the beverages, the centerpieces and table settings, the favors, and more.