Planning an Indian Wedding

Planning any wedding is a herculean task but an Indian wedding can leave you emotionally wrecked before you even begin the ceremonies. Sensibilities of everyone, from the panditji or the priest to your mum’s aunt have to be taken care of. Relatives and rituals that you did not even know existed pop up and need to be managed and followed.

The to do list becomes so long that one does not even know where to start. But as witnessed by the history, billions of couples have already successfully passed the test. And you too can make your Indian wedding less stressful by following some basic do’s and don’ts.

Dos and Don’ts of the I Do

Do plan in advance:

Planning an Indian wedding can never start too early – 6 to 7 months in advance of the date would be the ideal time to start planning for your big day. Maintain an online wedding planner like in WedMeGood that gives you a reminder of important dates and appointments.

Don’t Micromanage:

It is your wedding but you are not the wedding planner. Micro managing your own wedding takes the fun out the whole experience. Choose the colour of the flowers, but let someone else do the bargaining, buying and setting up. Hire a wedding planner or designate your trusted friend or family member as your deputy. It is their responsibility to see that the dotted lines are followed.

Let your wedding be a reflection of you:

The key to planning a perfect wedding is to keep it real and simple. It is your day and should be planned to reflect your tastes and likes. Don’t plan your wedding to appease the society’s idea of what a wedding should look like. Make it as grand or as simple as you want. Remember it is not a show but the beginning of the most precious chapter of your life, so try and create memorable moments with real feelings.

Don’t overspend:

You should know and respect your limits, over stretching your resources can be disastrous. Remember your wedding day may be the most important day of your life but it is just that- ‘One Day’, your life will still go on after that and there will be bills to pay.

Do involve both the Families:

In India wedding is not between just the couple, it is coming together of two families. There are bound to be differences among the family members on the both sides. Hence it is best to involve both families in the planning itself so that any disagreements can be smoothened out early on.

Don’t expect perfection:

There will always be last minute delays, cancellations and mix ups. Don’t let it affect you and learn to take it in your stride. After all it is these last minute goof ups which makes your wedding memorable and gives you stories to tell your grandchildren.

Do Pamper Yourself:

Once you have planned the event with family and friends take some time out and pamper yourself. If you want to glow – you need to de-stress! Don’t forget that this time is yours and life will never be the same, soak it in and enjoy yourself and await your new exciting life.

Kimberly Atwood’s books have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. Kimberly lives in the Rocky Mountains with her husband, an exceptionally perfect dog, and an attack cat. Before she started writing historical research, Kimberly got a graduate degree in theoretical physical chemistry from Ohio State University. After that, just to shake things up, she went to law school at the University of London and graduated summa cum laude. Then she did a handful of clerkships with some really important people who are way too dignified to be named here. She was a law professor for a while. She now writes full-time.

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