Indian wedding checklist, month by month

Fix the date with your priest, qazi, gurdwara or parish before you pay any venue. Changing the date later can cost 25–50% of the booking.

A common split: venue and food 45%, jewellery 15%, clothes 10%, decor 10%, photo and video 7%, music 4%, makeup and mehendi 3%, cards 3%, travel and rooms 3%. Keep 5–10% aside for surprises.

Start with must-invite family and add in rounds. A guest list that grows past the budget is the most common regret.

Start with must-invite family and add in rounds. Share a rough count with the bride's side early so venues can be sized.

A partial planner or day-of coordinator helps a lot if family members are busy. Decide early; good ones book out.

Book 8–12 months ahead for November–February dates. Check capacity, parking, rooms, power backup and the music cut-off time.

Choose by style, not just price. Top names book 12–18 months out. Get deliverables and delivery dates in writing.

Budget by plates per guest per event. Ask about live counters, GST and whether they bring their own staff and gas.

Couture takes 6–9 months. Plan the first fitting 8–12 weeks before and the final one 6–8 weeks before. Add 1–2 months if shipping abroad.

Share photos you like and get a written list of what is included for each event.

Book 6–8 months ahead. Ask who will actually do your makeup and get a backup contact.

Start gentle skincare about 6 months out. Never try a new facial in the last week.

Most vendors take 25–50% at booking. Write down the person in charge, hours, overtime, what is included, the payment dates and cancellation and refund terms.

List every advance, balance and due date, and who on each side is paying. Keep receipts for every advance.

Send 5–6 months ahead for outstation guests so they can book travel.

Start design about 5 months out and send cards about 3 months before. Check names and timings with elders before printing.

Hotel rates rise sharply in peak season. Block rooms early and ask how many can be released without charge.

Book 4–5 months ahead. Get the end time and overtime rate in writing.

Allow 3–4 months for a custom sherwani or suit and plan two fittings.

Book 3–4 months ahead for peak dates and do a patch test before the day.

Taste the main dishes with an elder from each side before you finalise the menu.

Each side sends to its own list. Ask for replies by a fixed date so you can count plates and rooms.

Plan airport and station pickups and buses between hotel and venue. Make a simple pickup sheet.

The law on music licences at weddings is unsettled. Ask the venue and DJ in writing whether they hold PPL, IPRS or Novex cover.

Confirm a generator and enough diesel for every event, and who pays for it.

For interfaith or civil weddings, notice must be filed at least 30 days before. It needs 3 witnesses.

Do the trial 1–2 months before. Take photos in daylight and indoor light.

Share must-play and do-not-play lists for each event.

Book a tent or indoor backup for any outdoor event, and agree when to decide to switch.

Chase replies by phone. Give the caterer and hotel final numbers about a week before.

Depends on the state. Many venues hold their own licence; otherwise apply 15–30 days ahead with ID, venue NOC and the card. Gujarat, Bihar, Nagaland and Mizoram are dry states.

Age and address proof, photos, the card, a wedding photo and witness IDs. Add a divorce decree or death certificate if either was married before.

Do a trial haircut 3–4 weeks before and the final cut about a week before.

Loudspeakers in open areas must stop between 10 pm and 6 am in most places. Ask the venue or local police what permission you need.

Check locally with your police station and traffic police: route, time and size. No road blocking and no celebratory firing.

Only green crackers are allowed, and rules in Delhi-NCR keep changing. Many families now skip them altogether.

Give a list of family groups, including grandparents and cousins, and one person from each side to point people out.

One calm person handles vendors, cash and UPI for the bride's side on the day, so the parents can enjoy it.

One calm person handles vendors, cash and UPI for the groom's side on the day.

List every vendor with a backup number, arrival time and who on your side they report to. Share it with both point people.

Decide who pays each balance and keep envelopes or UPI ready so nothing is chased on the day.

Label a bag for each event with the outfit, jewellery and shoes together.

Safety pins, needle and thread, painkillers, ORS, plasters, tissues, phone chargers, spare dupatta pins and comfortable shoes.

Ask one cousin to bring food and water to the bride and groom between rituals.

Register in the weeks after the wedding with two or three witnesses. It is compulsory in some states and takes 7–21 working days.

The law suggests a written list of presents given to the couple, signed by both bride and groom, made at or soon after the wedding. It protects both families.

In the week after, settle final bills, collect refundable deposits and return rented items.

Follow up on the delivery dates in your contract and keep a backup copy.

Thank guests, relatives who helped and vendors who did well, within a few weeks.

Go in order: marriage certificate, then Aadhaar, PAN, bank and passport. Some passport offices also ask for a gazette notice.