What should you decide first?
Four decisions shape everything else. Settle them before you look at décor or menus:
- The dates, or the muhurat window your family is following.
- An approximate guest count, and how many guests will stay overnight.
- Which celebrations you are planning: for example mehendi, haldi, sangeet, the wedding, a reception or a cocktail evening.
- What matters most to your family: the venue, the food, the rituals or the guest experience. When choices compete, this decides.
What is the month-by-month wedding checklist?
| When | What to plan |
|---|---|
| 9–12 months before | Dates and guest count; the venue and a room block; the planner. |
| 6–9 months | Décor direction for each function; catering style; photographer and video; entertainment and the sangeet plan. |
| 4–6 months | Save the date and invitations (printed or e-invites); mehendi and makeup artists; the baraat arrangements; outfits. |
| 2–3 months | Menus; the function-by-function schedule; RSVPs; sangeet performances and choreography rehearsals; welcome hampers and printing. |
| 3–4 weeks | Arrivals list; room allocation (the rooming list); transfers; final guest numbers for each function. |
| The final week | Venue walkthrough, vendor timings, a contact sheet for every vendor and family coordinator, and the day-by-day running order. |
Planning in three or four months is also possible: decide the venue, the caterer and the photographer in the first two weeks, then keep the guest list and the décor brief simple. Options depend on availability, especially from October to March.
How do you plan the mehendi?
- Book the bridal mehendi artist early, and a team of artists for family and guests, sized to how many will want mehendi.
- Allow time: bridal mehendi takes hours, so schedule it in the afternoon or the day before the main celebrations, with seating, shade and snacks.
- Music keeps the afternoon lively: a dholak and mehendi songs, a singer, or a playlist.
- Keep the setting relaxed: low seating, colourful décor and food stalls guests can graze at.
How do you plan the haldi?
- Usually a morning function, often on the wedding day or the day before.
- Plan for the mess: a setup that can get stained, a place for guests to change, and towels.
- The décor is typically yellow and marigold, with a haldi bowl and tray for the ritual.
- Fun additions: a dhol, flower showers, and games or food counters for younger guests.
How should you plan the sangeet programme?
A sangeet works best as a planned running order rather than an open stage. A common shape:
- An anchor to introduce the families and each act.
- Six to ten performances of about three to five minutes each, alternating between the bride's and the groom's sides.
- Children and elders early in the evening, while energy is high and before the young ones tire.
- The couple's dance near the end, followed by an open dance floor with the DJ.
- Rehearsals with a choreographer, a run-through on the stage, and the music files collected in advance.
Check the venue's sound curfew before setting the start time, so the dance floor is not cut short.
What happens on the wedding day, from baraat to pheras?
Rituals differ by family and community; this is a common order for a North Indian Hindu wedding in Udaipur. Share your own traditions and the schedule follows them.
| Moment | What to arrange |
|---|---|
| Baraat | The groom's ride (a ghodi, a baggi or a vintage car), the band or dhol, the route and its timing with the venue. |
| Milni and welcome | Garlands and a welcome for the groom's family at the entrance, often with shehnai or a traditional Rajasthani welcome. |
| Varmala (jaimala) | The stage setup, entries for the bride and groom, the garlands, and any flower shower or effects the venue allows. |
| Pheras | The mandap, the pandit, the ceremony items (havan kund, kalash, pooja items) and seating for close family. Confirm the venue's rules on open fire. |
| Vidaai and dinner | The family moments after the ceremony, and dinner timed for guests who are not attending the pheras. |
If the muhurat is late at night, plan dinner before the pheras for most guests, and keep tea, coffee and seating for those who stay.
How do you plan a reception or cocktail evening?
- Decide the mood first: a formal reception with a stage, or a relaxed cocktail evening by the lake or the pool.
- Plan the couple's entry and the time they spend greeting guests.
- Live music suits dinner: instrumental artists such as flute and tabla, santoor, saxophone or acoustic guitar.
- For a bar, check the venue's policy and the licence needed for serving alcohol.
How do you manage RSVPs, guest rooms and the welcome?
- Collect RSVPs for each function, not only for the wedding, so food and seating match each day.
- Group guests by household. It makes room allocation, transfers and welcome hampers far simpler.
- A rooming list (who stays in which room, and for which nights) is shared with the hotel before check-in.
- An arrivals list (names, flights or trains, times) drives airport and station transfers.
- A hospitality desk at the hotel gives guests one place to check in, collect welcome hampers, and ask about timings and transport.
- A welcome itinerary in each room or hamper tells guests where to be, when, and what to wear.
What else do families often forget?
- Weather comfort: heaters or bonfires for winter evenings, coolers or mist fans in warmer months.
- Guest services: an ironing service for outfits, makeup support for family, and security at the venue.
- Music licences for public performance at some venues, and a bar licence if alcohol is served.
- Gift packing for shagun, mayra and other family exchanges.
- Thank-you cards or return gifts, decided early enough to be packed before guests leave.
How The Indian Wedding Club helps
We are wedding planners based in Udaipur. In our online planner you choose your celebrations, guest count, venue, food and décor, then add the touches that make it yours, such as music, entries and guest experiences. Services like mehendi artists, sangeet choreography and the baraat are on our services page. Our team reviews your plan and contacts you with a personal proposal. Sending a plan doesn't reserve a venue or need a payment.
Questions couples ask
How far in advance should we start planning a wedding in Udaipur?
Nine to twelve months gives the most choice of venues and dates, especially from October to March. A wedding can be planned in three or four months if the venue, caterer and photographer are decided in the first few weeks.
What is the usual order of functions in an Indian wedding?
A common order is mehendi, haldi and sangeet in the days before, then the baraat, varmala and pheras on the wedding day, and a reception. Families change the order and add rituals of their own; the schedule should follow your traditions.
How long should a sangeet programme be?
Six to ten performances of three to five minutes each, with an anchor, usually fit comfortably before dinner and the open dance floor. Check the venue's sound curfew before setting the start time.
Should we collect RSVPs for each function?
Yes. Asking guests which functions they will attend, grouped by household, keeps food, seating, transport and room numbers accurate for each day.
What is a hospitality desk at a wedding?
A staffed help desk at the hotel or venue where guests check in, collect welcome hampers and itineraries, and ask about timings and transport. It is the guests' single point of contact during a destination wedding.
What is the difference between a wedding planner and an event manager?
An event manager runs many kinds of events. A wedding planner specialises in weddings: the rituals, the families, the multi-day schedule and guest hospitality, and coordinates every vendor around them.