I Planned My Wedding in 3 Months Without Turning into a Bridezilla

Indian weddings are known to be grand family events that require months and even years’ worth of planning. But occasionally, you find a real wedding success story that challenges that notion, redefining the definition of the big fat Indian wedding in the process. Delhi-based bride Sonal Gupta is one such bride, who managed to execute her dream wedding within a limited span of three months and that without turning into a bridezilla! We got in touch with Sonal after seeing her stunning wedding pictures and asked her to share her learnings from the process.

Explaining her objective behind a three-month planning schedule, she said, “We started planning about four months in advance but the actual groundwork started only three months prior to the set dates. I personally feel that is a good amount of time to plan a wedding because when you give have excessive time, you tend to get spoilt for choice. It becomes harder to make decisions and results in loss of time and resources.”

But this advice comes with a very important caveat. “You must get a head start on your guest list well in advance though- addresses, telephone numbers and pin codes! You need a guest count to plan the other aspects of the wedding smoothly!”

Sonal and her family didn’t have to go through the usual time-consuming process of researching a wedding venue. “I recommended Amaara Farms to my parents and they too fell in love with it. Most of the painstaking searching and meeting numerous individuals was cut out. This made the entire process a lot easier.”

She did spend time finalising the right professionals for her wedding. “The most important thing about hiring someone for your wedding is their attitude and personality. I wanted someone who would make the planning process fun and stress-free and who would not increase costs every time I’d request a change. My final choices were Abhinav Bhagat for décor, Fotowalle for wedding photography and videography and Diksha Mehta Invites for my cards and giveaways.”

Sonal hosted her mehndi function at her residence, a decision that helped ease out her stress massively. “I felt a sense of calm and familiarity because of hosting the mehndi at our home. I recommend all brides to host at least one function in their own home, both for emotional and logistical reasons. I have the best memories of my mehndi!”

She learnt another major skill during the wedding planning process – the skill to let go! “I made sure I delegated responsibility to those best suited for them. It was the best decision I could have made. For example. I selected the basic design for my wedding invited but then transferred responsibility to my younger sister who executed the whole thing successfully. The only two things I was fully in control of were the décor and my outfits.” 

“There is no point trying to remote control everything and getting exhausted in the process. Trust your instincts and your family, and everything will fall into place.”

And her biggest learning from the wedding – Small and intimate is the way to go! “My biggest learning and advice to everyone planning a wedding is to keep the guest count in control. I know how everyone loves the big fat Indian wedding showcase but sooner or later, all that fades away. You should get to enjoy your special day with the ones who matter. Planning becomes simpler as does execution and you get the tag of a bridezilla, which is so much more better than that of a bridezilla!” 

Tell us what you think of this real bride's tale? Share your thoughts with us through comments.