Wedding planner
A wedding in the family is a momentous affair that entails a lot
of planning,decision making, nail biting & tons of merriment.
This wedding planner is specifically designed to provide a
pragmatic & organized approach towards making your wedding a
runaway success from the word- go.By following the guide step by step
all your plans will run to perfection.
Wedding Date
Even though the date is usually based on the auspicious time given
by the family pandit make sure that it does not clash with any other
event in the family. Start making arrangements at least 3-6 months
before the D-day.
Budgeting
How do you plan to finance the wedding? It is a good idea if the
parents commit a specific amount of money, and the bride & groom
supplement it. You are advised to take references from your friends
and relatives which may prove beneficial to you in this regard.
First of all make a list of all expected expenses
Create the priority list of urgent and optional items.
An approximate budget of all your expenses may prove handy.
Try for the products and services to be hired or purchased
Ring ceremony
In the ring ceremony, rings are exchanged between bride &
groom,
You are advised to purchase ring of your choice well before the
occasion, if possible take your partner to the jewellery shop &
ask him/her to choose.
Guest list
You have to make a list of your possible guests, those who will
attend the wedding. You are advised to prepare a detail planning
about the venue, accommodation, & of course the finances.
Prepare a list of your invitees their up to date addresses, mobile
no.etc.
Invitation cards-
Now a days, invitation cards are available in different designs &
patterns. It is up to you to choose from the variety of invitation
cards, keep in mind that you need invitation cards well in advance
also order your printer to print a few extra cards, as you may need
them if the list of invitees exceeds. If most of your invitees are
coming from outstation, place a
small map of the venue depicting the nearest famous milestone for
their convenience. Post the invitation cards well before time,
approximately 7-8 weeks before wedding.
Service providers
The service providers include the printer, DJ, Band,
photographer, videographer, stage decorator, caterer etc,
You need to approach service providers yourself and get quotes
from more than one service provider, this will help you get the idea
of expenses, you are going to commit.
Never make bulk advance payment in cash & make sure you have
all contracts signed by the service providers on paper. Now a day,
wedding can be managed by event management companies as well, after
getting the approximate budget of total expenses; you can also hire
an event management company for the same, but make sure to book it
well in advance, as in season time it is very difficult to book one
or if you hire, it may prove very expensive.
Venue
If ring ceremony is to be held in a hotel etc, book the vendue
well in advance. Also check all the arrangements like- seating
capacity, parking space, power back up, electricity etc confirm all
the bookings well in advance & make a visit to the site 1- 2 days
before the ceremony
Catering-
It is up to you whether you wish to arrange for hotel/ banquet
hall or private caterers,
Check the cutlery, linen, table cloth, napkins & make a list
of items you do not get from there, and provide them.
Check the quality of food to be served well in advance.
Floral decoration-
If you have hired an event management company, you can select from
their profiles as which design or theme you want, and they will
decorate it accordingly.
If you are hiring a floral decorator, keep in mind that he should
start working 1-2 days before the occasion.
Photography
Photography is a vital part of any occasion as it captures the
precious memories of joyous moments. While booking a photographer
you should remember that photographer has to be an experience one. Go
through his previous record of his work and see if he can do justice
to this occasion. For this you are advised to go through his
portfolio which shall give you a clear idea of his work. Book the
photographer prior to the wedding season, as in season time, his
availability is dubious. And if you hire one at the very time, it may
prove expensive. While taking photographs at the occasion it is
advisable to guide him as which shot is important or from the guests
etc. who are of much importance.
Accommodation-
For a pleasant and comfortable stay it is necessary to arrange
suitable accommodation for your guests.
Make a list of the outstation & in house guests, who shall
need accommodation. Do not forget to book a hotel or guest house for
their comfortable stay, well in advance. You can also use any vacant
house or rooms of your nearby relatives/ friends for their stay, But
do not forget to arrange for the food, laundry & other
facilities. Ensure to arrange some extra furniture, mattresses,
blankets (in winter season) & cooler or fans (in summer season).
Transportation
Every out station guest should be welcomed at station/ airport /
bus-stand. It is necessary to assign a person to receive them as many
of them do not know the way to the venue, or it may prove troublesome
for an out station person to find the way to your town, for
transportation of guests, hire van or car for few days, car or van
must be hired well in advance. Always make a list of car/ van, the
name of drivers make of vehicle & their numbers.
Bridal trousseau
Wedding is an unforgettable occasion for both bride & groom,
in especially bride wish to adorn herself at her best, it is advised
for a bride to complete her shopping in good time, and make sure all
the costumes fit her perfectly. If she is wearing lehnga choli or
lancha on her wedding day, she should keep in mind that it fits her
appropriately, she should not gain weight during the period of
engagement & wedding day otherwise her clothes won’t suit her.
A bride should choose the attire according to her personality, physic
& look. For the latest trends and fashion she should go through
the magazines etc. accessory should be selected according to the
costume. One should avoid wearing high heels on the wedding day. If
you are wearing different dresses for different rituals, you should
make sure that each dress has to be different from another, by color,
pattern and style. Try each dress before the occasion, as to avoid
any trouble.
Jewellery
One should buy Jewellery from the branded showroom, as it is one
of the most valuable investment (expenses). You should make sure that
it is certified for purity, if you have jewellery of your mother or
grandmother, you can alter it according to the latest trend &
fashion. Whether you are buying bangles, kadas, nose rings, tikka,
earrings, chokers or necklaces, maintain a list of expenses incurred
and collect the bills of each item from the jeweler.
Groom’s trousseau
There is vast variety to choose from in trousseau, you can select
whether you wish to wear ethnic costumes, like- kurta pyjamas,
churidaars.pathani dhoti shawls, sherwani, jodhpuri suit or achkan.
Primarily off white, silver & golden are the colors in trend. If
you are going with western outfit, just ensure you have all the
accessories complimenting the costume. A cool wrist watch, matching
cuff links, ring, bracelet or tie are some of the accessories you
need to wear according to your dress. It should be according to your
personality& style. The dress must suit your personality &
should look sober & different from others. Get ready for the Big
day appropriately, keep hair short, gelled & shampooed. Keep
tissues & wallet ready. Spray a deodorant according to your
choice.
Gifts-
Clothes, jewellery or small gifts, it is an appreciation to
friends & relatives, well before time, make a list of guests to
whom you wish to give gifts. Purchase all the gifts possibly from the
wholesale shops or factory outlets, it will be economical. If there
is enough time left in wedding, You can also purchase these gifts
from the stores, who offer various schemes and discounts. Always
collect guarantee/ warrantee card along with the product as well as
bill.
Ladies Sangeet & Mehandi
Mehandi wala should be booked well in advance so that there is no
chaos at the time of the function. Make sure he/she should bring all
the material along with him/her. At Sangeet, do not forget to bring
taped music cd and cd player. It will definitely bring liveliness to
your function. You should always arrange for snacks / tea or cold
drinks etc for the guests.
Reception
Make a list of your expected number of guests it will give you a
clear idea, and you can manage your budget accordingly. Look after
the whole event by yourself as well as arrangements. The gifts should
be collected by a family member & when the reception is over, all
the gifts & bouquets should be sent to the residence of couple.
Make the arrangements well in advance & confirm the bookings
of caterers/ venue manager in writing.
Honeymoon
It depends on your budget as which honeymoon destination you
prefer. There are lots of honeymoon packages offered by travel
agencies etc. you can contact them for the same. If you are traveling
by air or rail, make sure to book your tickets (along with the return
tickets) well in advance to avoid any trouble. Also book your hotel
well in advance. You should pack your package according to the
climate of the destination you are heading for your honeymoon. If you
are planning for honeymoon overseas, arrange your passport, visa
travelers cheque & foreign exchange etc well in advance, you can
not do all these things at the eleventh hour.
Legal formalities-
Do not forget to register the marriage.
Make necessary amendments in your ration card/ fixed deposet,
insurance & other important documents.
