Congratulations!

Welcome to Swayamwara.com's Wedding Planner - the most comprehensive list of wedding to-dos. You are about to undergo all that happiness as well as the stress of the great day. Swayamwara.com has designed a wedding planner for you to help you organise your wedding. The planner, though comprehensive, is not exhaustive and may have to be adapted to accomodate the special customs and rites followed in your family.

THINGS TO DO

First Stage

1. Always deal all the aspects with a smile.

2. Decide the size of the wedding.

3. The Number of functions

4. The No of guests expected for each Function from both sides.

5 Decide the City/Town/Area of the Wedding.

6 Draw an over all Budget (include the Jewels, Tressuoe, Gifts, Venue, Catering to Honey moon)

7 Source of Finance

8 Remember the best wedding you have attended and refresh your contacts with them.

9 Create a time table keeping your regular activities in mind.

Second Stage

Allocate responsibilities between both Bride/Groom families. Create a list your self for the other family also. Think about your family and use their expertise. For instance, if your sister has a green thumb and likes to arrange flowers, let her, if your mother is a marvelous seamstress - engage her, and if your father is a good at organising dinner, you might not need an event manager. 

Share the responsibilities within your family members. Create a list also for them and distribute to them well in advance. Request all the family members to Draw up guest list and create the final list of guests.

Visit possible venue(s) to Check the access, facilities and availability. Also request your close dependable associates to visit the venues on behalf of you.

Interview Caterers, Hotels and restaurants and discuss sample menus. Also discuss with the families which conducted a wedding recently to know the direct experience in this area.

Visit Design houses for wedding invitations. Try to choose a design along with your close ones. Make your invitation as much as unique and new within your budget.

Book a professional photographer and/or videographer after seeing their previous work.

Choose florist and a floral theme for your wedding.

Discuss about trousseau, wedding, and reception outfits with your would be and start purchasing at the right places.

Audition musicians/make music arrangements for the Sangeet/Music Concert. Try to give a list of Songs/numbers well in advance to the Musician.

Decide upon you lighting requirements.

Speak to travel agents about honeymoon destinations.

Revise your wedding budget, compare the estimates from all your wedding professionals.

Set dates for pre-wedding celebrations.

Third Stage

Have all your bookings confirmed in writing.

Book Iyer/pandit/granthi for the ceremonies.

Maintain good contacts with your all your wedding professionals: caterers, florist, musicians etc

Start inviting your close circle friends, relatives and outstation guests first and complete the invitation list before15 days of the wedding.

Choose wedding rings.

Keep a record of acceptances and refusals.

Finalise your honemoon plans, make sure your passports and vaccinations are upto date and you have applied for all necessary visas

Book accomodation for out of town guests

Plan your menu and any special requirements with the caterers

Buckle up... 1 month to go

Be sure your wedding clothes are collected and ready to wear

Make appointments with hair-dresser and beautician

Organize Mehendi artist

Order mithai and related items

Finalize plans for the Sangeet

Book your hotel for your wedding night if required

Make sure that you and the groom have luggage for the honeymoon, think about what you want to pack

If required, book a Open Car/Horse and some musicians for the groom's arrival.

Lets get cracking... 2 weeks to go

Finalise the number of gusests and inform the caterers in writing.

Arrange for all your Dresses and Saris to be ironed and packed.

Confirm with the florist the exact arrangements for collection or delivery of all flowers.

Make final checks on all your bookings

Order relevant traveller's cheques or foreign currency, if needed.

All set... 1 week to go

Confirm all bookings

Confirm final guest list

Confirm menu with caterers

Arrange for drinks/ice creams/gift bags to be delivered.

Confirm arrangements for hired crockery, cutlery, glassware or table linen.

Your wedding clothes should be ready, try on outfits.

The day before the wedding

Your florist should prepare and soak all flowers and foliage and have them ready.

Make sure wedding cars are well serviced and clean.

Pack your honeymoon suitcase, ready for delivery to the reception. Make sure your fiance has packed his/her suitcases.

Visit the hairdresser and beautician (avoid heavy make overs - you can always look appealing if you wear a smile on your face).

Try to relax and have an early night.

How to decide a Wedding Location:

1. Depending on the type of wedding, discuss the size and the number of functions with your side, your fiancé and both the family members.

2. Put a ceiling on the number of guests at each event. Expect little more guests for each event.

3. Start searching for the right venue(s).

4. Give extra marks to the venues which has a comfortable road access and grand out look.

5. Check for enough parking space for your guests. No of rooms and its safety measures. Check electrical facilities, ventilation and sanity. If it is outdoors, will the weather be good ? Does the venue have a Fire Safety Certificate? Also, make certain there are no hidden costs such as cleaning up or valet service fees.

6. Discuss with both the family heads and finalise the venue.

7. Whatever you decide, make sure you place a deposit for the venue and have the booking confirmed in writing as soon as possible.

How to Choose the best Catering Service:

1. The success of many weddings rests upon the quality of the food and this is often the most expensive part of wedding.

2. Remember the best catering service you have experienced in other weddings and approach them first.

3. Try and get quotes from minimum three caterers sourced from different ways.

4. Good Hotels can provide a professional service but little expensive . Once briefed on the no of gusets, menu, theme, etc. they usually render excellent service.

5. If you are using private caterers/ Kitchens, see examples of their cutlery, furniture, linen and glasses.

6. Taste their food, both vegetarian and non vegetarian ideally at another wedding or event. See the photo album of weddings and events that particular caterer had performed.

7. Ensure that the caterer should provide enough food for every guest and keep the serving dishes full and attractive throughout the meal. An ongoing rapport with your caterer is vital for keeping track on the expected guests, the number of vegetarian and non vegetarian guests, the time for the actual dinner, how much drink is ordered for each guest and the seating arrangements.

How to order Invitations:

1. A unique card with an elegant design with carefully chosen words of love and humbleness is well appreciated.

2. Invitation cards give your guests the first impression which expresses the style of the wedding. They shall be imaginative but elegant.

3. See to that your card has more earthy colours rather than dashy florecent colours.

4. If your plan is to print less than 1000 invitations, opt for Screen Printing which will save cost at the same time look ethnic.

5. Remember to send one card to each family on your guest list. It is a nice gesture to send an invitation also to friends and relatives who you know will be unable to attend.

6. Place the entire order at the same time to save production costs.

7. Order a few extra invitations to allow for damages and unforeseen invitees.

8. Invitations should be sent out no sooner than two months in advance for the NRI Families, One Month before for Out station and no later than two weeks for the local residents. This way, your guests will not forget your wedding date and would be easy for them to make plans to attend the wedding.

4. Photography/Videography:

1. The most memorable and ofcourse, the most expensive event of your life has to be well recorded for the future.

2. Remember the photographer near your place who shot the best of you or your friends.

3. Discuss your tastes and check whether he had handled similer weddings.

4. Discuss with your photographer and develop an understanding of what kind of pictures you would like. Explain all the religious events going to take place in your wedding one by one. Once he gets an idea of the type of wedding you are having, he will be able to perform better.

5. Book your photographer as soon as you have seen his previous work and are satisfied with it.

6. Ask them to appoint assistants for the group shots and him to take care of the VIPs and close up shots of Bride/Groom expressions.

7. Most of the large photo-agencies have their own videographers, so work out a deal if you are having both a photographer and videographer.

5. Get the best Florist:

1. Flowers are an essential feature of any wedding event.

2. The Flower decorations shall be made in areas like the front elevation of the venue, Back drop for the Bride & Groom, Malas, Reception Tables, Stages and all the entrances of the venue. Specially designed malas are easily available for all sorts of wedding.

3. Every city/town in our country has a Flower bazaar small or big but fresh flowers are almost available according to the seasons.

4. Check out What all flowers available for the season and discuss your theme with the florist. It's always better to use the available seasonal flowers than using the non seasonal flowers from other parts of he world. Choosing flowers that are out of season can be expensive.

5. Refer his album and decide on him if he satisfies your need and fits in to your budget

6. Many hotels and banquet halls do the flower arrangements and decorations themselves including back ground decorations, Malas, tables and front elevations of the venue.

6. Accommodation:

1. Treat your guests from out of town with little more special care. After all they wanted to be with you and bless you for the best of your life.

2. Arrange accommodations near the wedding venue. A near by Hotel or a guest house which also suits to your budget can be the best choice.

3. See to that their morning break fast and the night meal are available at the place you select for their stay.

4. Prefer hotels/Guest houses which provides 24 hours check in and out.

5. Prefer hotels/Guest houses which has in house restaurants.

6. Apart from your guests, you will need first night accommodation after your wedding and before your honeymoon.

7. If you are not spending the night with your families traditional house,make sure you have booked a honeymoon suite; some hotels offer a suite Free to those who have held their reception at their Hotel as complimentary to the newly wedded.