Tania-Tapel - asian wedding planners

9 to 12 months in advance
Determine what you and your families expect your wedding to be like.

What religion, if any, will the service be performed in?

…How many guests do you want to have?

…Is it important to have dancing?

…A seated meal?

…Live music?

…An outdoor setting?

…Alcohol?

Decide how the wedding will be financed. If parents are helping to pay for it, find out how they want to deal with this. The lowest-stress method for everyone is for the parents to commit a specific amount of money, which the Bride and Groom can supplement with their own money, or keep the extra if they spend less.

It may be helpful to do some research about wedding costs in your area before attempting to come up with a budget.

Allocate responsibilities between both families.

Determine the style and time of day for the wedding.

Select a wedding date. This may need to be done in conjunction with selecting ceremony/reception venues.
Set dates for pre-wedding celebrations.

Select and reserve ceremony/reception venue.

Find a wedding registrar, if one does not come with the wedding site. Speak with your registrar to determine what the requirements are for them to marry you, and when these requirements need to be met. Discuss also when you should meet to discuss the ceremony.

Secure a mandap of your chosen style as early as possible.

Secure a respectable Priest who can translate the ceremony in English during the ceremony if a lot of your guests are English.

Secure a photographer/videographer for your chosen date.

Secure catering arrangements for your wedding date, be care ful to choose someone who will carry out your instructions fully on the day.

6 to 9 months in advance
Select a wedding Sari/Lengha and accessories, or arrange for a designer to tailor make it.

Make arrangements for music at your ceremony/reception.

Decide upon your lighting requirements.

Decide whether you will have bridesmaids’ and order bridesmaids’ dresses, or arrange for a seamstress to make them, or the same designer so that it is co-ordinated to your outfit.

Start working on guest lists. Typically, there are 4: The bride’s family’s list, the groom’s family’s list, the bride’s list, and the groom’s list.

Decide a menu and style of service required on the day.

Get wedding insurance for any mishaps that may occur.

4 to 6 months in advance
Order invitations and any other stationery you will need such as informal notes to use when writing thank-you cards, remember that informals with your married name cannot be used until after you are married, so you will need some stationery for gifts that arrive before you are married.

Your wedding outfit and the bridesmaids’ if ordered should be ready for collection.

Arrange transport for bridal party and guests if neccessary.

Organise a florist detailing your specific requirements, take advice on what is in season, styles, etc.

Take your caterer, to view the venue and the kitchen he/she will be working in to ensure a full check of equipment and facilities is conducted.

Arrange hire of crockery/cutlery/linen/glassware if required.

Plan the honeymoon (often arranged by the groom). Book early especially if you plan to get married in the summer.

Book your first wedding night hotel if required.

Book a horse and some musicians for the Groom’s arrival if traditional event.

Help the mothers’ select their sarees and gifts for the close relatives traditionally given.

Purchase wedding rings and have them engraved.

Register for Gifts List (although Asian people are still reluctant to use this wonderful facility, it is highly recommended purely so that you get the things that you want).

If you are changing your name after marriage, make sure all the necessary documentation is altered.

2 to 4 months in advance
Select attire for the men in the wedding party.

Obtain any immunisations you will need for the honeymoon.

Make sure out-of-town guests will be appropriately lodged. You may want to reserve a block of rooms at a hotel; the hotel will usually give your guests a reduced rate.

Secure make-up/hairdresser, ideally you want one person who can do both and the Mehndi as well as get you ready with your outfit on the day.

6 to 8 weeks in advance
The invitations are generally delivered by hand in most communities (find out who needs to go to the relatives homes). Some can be posted if ‘time’ is not on your side, although some people do tend to get upset when a personal invitation has not been received. Follow-up calls could alleviate some of their ‘upset’.

Purchase gifts for each other.

Purchase gifts for mothers as a way of saying thank-you and any other gifts for helpful friends and family.

Purchase going-away outfit, trousseau.

4 to 6 weeks in advance
Decide on seating plan for reception.

If you will need foreign money for the honeymoon, make arrangements to obtain it.

Be sure helpers are kept informed of rehearsal plans, other commitments they have.

Follow up late invitation replies.

Visit venue and have meeting to discuss all the arrangements of your wedding so they are in the picture of events to take place.

3 weeks in advance
Prepare place name cards and table plan or give to appointed designer

1-2 weeks in advance
Make final checks on everything: catering, honeymoon, photographer, videographer, florist, musicians, Priest, venue, etc.

Confirm all the transport arrangements.

Arrange for all sarees and salwars to be ironed and packed.

Get gifts wrapped professionally in baskets.

Confirm arrangements for hired crockery/cutlery/linen and glassware.

Finalise the guest list and confirm numbers.

Think about what you are going to take on the honeymoon, decide when you will pack.

Buy traveller’s cheques for honeymoon.

List gifts as they arrive and write thank- you notes.

1-3 days in advance
Make sure everyone arriving from out-of-town is met by someone, knows where everyone else is staying, etc.

Sort out your passport and tickets and keep them in a safe place.

Arrange for drinks to be delivered with a stocklist.

Pack an “emergency kit” containing things like spare toothbrush, sewing supplies, aspirin, etc. to take with you to the wedding.

You may choose to give gifts to close family and friends and each other at the main event, or at a more private moment. Make sure these are packed and ready.

Give your wedding file to a close friend to oversee the wedding on the day if you do not have a wedding co-ordinator.

Download budget planner

Name Changing to Official Bodies

Passport office
Doctor
Dentist
Opticians
Employer
Bank/Building society
Credit card company
Insurance company
Driver and vehicle licensing centre
Inland revenue
Department of social security (if applicable)
Department of health
All public utilities