The Godfather of Planning a Wedding via a Wedding List is Here!

Wedding planning. This is the shortest horror story anybody getting married can encounter. All the efforts and time that go into planning a wedding are just the beginning. You have to plan everything from scratch and make sure nothing goes wrong. Actually, saying that nothing could go wrong at a wedding is pushing it a little bit. This is a fact that no wedding is complete without at least one thing or the other being slightly messed up. But that’s fine. This is the beauty of a wedding. *wink*

If you are going to get married soon, then you have to be well-prepared to take on the task of planning the big day perfectly. After all, it is one of the most special days of your life and you wouldn’t want it to be anything but perfect, right? It’s another thing if you are hiring a wedding planner, but if not then we know what will make it super easy for you to keep a check on everything - a wedding list. Also known as the wedding checklist, a wedding list is a record of everything from food, caterers, decorators, venue, gifts to the mehndi artist, makeup artist and so on.

Without a wedding list, planning, managing and executing a wedding becomes quite a hassle. If you know exactly what you have to do, only then will you be able to figure out a way to do it. That is where a wedding list comes into the picture. So, now that we have explained the importance and need of a wedding list for all the soon-to-be-married couples who have not hired a wedding planner, let us get on with it and tell you how to make a wedding list and what all to include in it. Here goes.

Steps to make a wedding list

1. Choose a wedding date.
2. Discuss and decide on what kind of wedding you want - whether you want it to be a grand celebration or just an intimate gathering of close friends and family.
3. Once that is done, the next step is to come to an understanding of the budget.
4. After you have decided on the budget, you need to start listing the number of functions you want to have.
5. And next, get ready to make a wedding list.

Things to include in a wedding list

Image Courtesy: Shades Photography India

The list of all things one needs to do when planning a wedding is vast, therefore, we will give you a shorter and crisper version of it. You can add the things according to your budget, the size of the guest list, things you want to incorporate at your wedding etc. For now, here are the basics:

1. Chalk out your guest list:

Since you have already decided by now on how big your wedding party is going to be, decide on who you want to invite to your big day. This is the first and foremost thing to include in your wedding list.

2. Finalise your wedding invitation:

Whether you want an e-invite or a paper invite, start putting it together as soon as your guest list is finalised.

3. Start looking for suitable venues:

If you are getting married in peak wedding season, chances are that all the good wedding venues will get booked months in advance. So keep in mind to start looking well in time and even finalise one soon so that you don’t have to go through any hassle later.

4. Photographer

Book your photographer just like good wedding venues, all the great wedding photographers and videographers also get booked much in advance, especially for the peak wedding season. Make sure you look at the works of a few photographers, keep in mind the price they ask for, see if it fits your budget and makes an informed choice well in advance.

5. Get set on the food:

Most people who come to a wedding, except for your close friends and family, look for nothing but good food. This is the harsh reality, but well. So, good food is a must at your wedding. Decide on all the cuisines and dishes you want at the wedding and then accordingly hire a caterer. Also, check to see if your venue has in-house catering and if it is any good. Some venues do not allow outside catering at all, so you might want to make sure about the policies of your wedding venue.

6. Select your wedding outfits:

While your groom might be able to find his outfit even a couple of months before the wedding, you cannot take such a risk. Since you have hopefully decided on what all the functions you want to have at the wedding, you know how many outfits you will be needing. Start looking at trends and pictures of brides much in advance, and also start making rounds of bridal outfit stores. You will not only get an idea of the prices and styles but will also get an idea of what you want and what you don’t want.

Select all your wedding outfits at least six months before the wedding because the bridal stores will need a couple of months to get them ready. Then you have to go in for fittings and re-fittings which might take up a lot of time.

These are the things that you need to take care of at least 6 to 12 months before the wedding. Now let’s move on with the wedding list and what all you need to do in the remaining months:

7. Next stop - jewellery:

Once you have decided all your outfits, you now have to pick up the right jewellery and footwear to go with all your outfits. Jewellery shopping seems like a simple task but to find the perfect jewellery you need to put in a lot of effort, so do it well in time.

8. A makeup artist is a must:

There is no doubt about the fact that having a good makeup artist is a must at your wedding. So, start looking at various MUAs and their work on their social media profiles and then book them in time. Also, doing this exercise well before your wedding helps you understand your MUA and build a rapport with her. It doesn’t leave the scope for any misunderstandings or issues then.

9. Get hold of a good Mehndi artist:

For any bride, her mehndi design is one of the most important things out of all. Make sure you get a great Mehndi artist for your big day. Now just like photographers and venues, even good Mehndi artists get booked quite in advance, so just keep that in mind. Apart from the Mehndi artist, also start looking at various henna design trends doing the rounds.

10. Get a decorator onboard:

Look at the works of various wedding designers and decorators, and then take a pick. Some venues also have decorators in-house so check with them on that front.

11. The return gifts:

Next step is picking out return gifts for your guests and other tidbits like Pagris, envelopes, pooja thalis and all the other small things needed for your wedding.

12. Book accommodation for your guests:

You need to book accommodation for all your out-of-town guests, so do that well in time to avoid hassle later.

13. P.S. Start planning your honeymoon:

Even though this is not apart of your wedding planning, you should definitely start planning your honeymoon at least 3-4 months before your wedding because after that things will get very chaotic and trust us, you don’t want to go for an unplanned or hastily planned honeymoon.

This is a crisp and to-the-point version of a wedding list and all the things you need to align for your wedding. You should also know that it is a great idea to have a core group of people apart from your siblings and parents to help you out with the planning process. If you have a Jugaadu friend who has a lot of contacts then take his/her help.

Maybe some of your close relatives have some idea about where you can get a good Lehenga or where to get the wedding invites from. Let suggestions flow from your near and dear ones and you will see that when everyone works together to plan a wedding, then wedding planning becomes quite a fun task. And hey, you always have this wedding list to help you get that rocking Shaadi planning going.

If you have any queries, suggestions or tips about this wedding list that you want to share with us and your fellow readers then feel free to drop a word in the comments section below. Happy planning!