Planning guides
South Asian wedding planning, step by step
Planning a South Asian wedding means planning several events, two families and a long list of vendors. These free guides explain each part in plain words: what happens at each event, a 12-month checklist, budgets, costs and guest lists, Gujarati, Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali and Pakistani traditions, and what to ask every vendor before you book.
Plan your wedding
Indian wedding events explained
What happens at the haldi, mehndi, sangeet, baraat, pheras, vidaai and reception, and how to plan each one.
The desi wedding checklist
What to decide, book and confirm from twelve months out to the wedding week.
How to build an Indian wedding budget, step by step
A step-by-step method: budget by event, price per guest, compare quotes and track payments.
Guest list tips for big desi families
Agree a number, give each side a share, keep a list per event and track RSVPs.
Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and fusion wedding ceremonies
The main rituals of Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and fusion ceremonies, and what to plan with your officiant.
How to make a free wedding website for an Indian wedding
What to put on it for a multi-day wedding, and how to build one free on Desi Shaadi & Co.
How much does an Indian wedding cost in the US?
What decides the cost of a desi wedding in the US, what public wedding studies report, and how to estimate your own.
What to wear to an Indian wedding, event by event
Outfits for the haldi, mehndi, sangeet, ceremony and reception, colours many families avoid, and gurdwara and mosque etiquette.
How to find an Indian wedding photographer
The experience to look for, the questions to ask and how to compare quotes.
The desi wedding vendor checklist
Every vendor a South Asian wedding needs, the order to book them and what to confirm with each.
Plan each event
How to plan a sangeet night
The running order, family performances, choreography, DJ and MC, stage, sound and timing for a sangeet night.
Mehndi night ideas
Setting, seating, food guests can eat with henna on their hands, music, activities and timing for the mehndi.
The baraat checklist
Venue permission and route, horse or car, dhol and sound, timing, the welcome and milni, and photos.
Traditions by community
Gujarati wedding traditions
Gol dhana, mandvo, pithi, garba, mameru, the jaan, the mangal pheras and kansar, and what to plan for each.
Punjabi wedding traditions
Roka, chunni, maiyan, jaggo, chooda, the baraat and milni, Anand Karaj or pheras, and the doli.
Telugu wedding traditions
Nischitartham, pellikuthuru, snathakam, Kashi yatra, jeelakarra bellam, talambralu and the muhurtham.
Tamil wedding traditions
Nichayathartham, panda kaal, Kashi yatra, maalai maatral, oonjal, the thali, saptapadi and nalangu.
Bengali wedding traditions
Ashirbad, aiburobhat, gaye holud, shubho drishti, mala badal, sindoor daan and bou bhaat.
Pakistani wedding traditions
Mangni, dholki, mayun, mehndi, baraat, nikah, rukhsati and walima, and what to plan for each.
Choose your vendors
Indian wedding photographers and videographers
An Indian wedding photographer covers several events, not one day: the haldi, mehndi, sangeet, baraat, ceremony and reception, often with a film team alongside.
Indian wedding decorators
An Indian wedding decorator designs and builds the look of each event: the mandap for the ceremony, stages for the sangeet and reception, entrances, florals, table…
Indian bridal makeup and hair artists
Choose a bridal makeup artist who has worked with South Asian skin tones and hair, and who can set a dupatta, jewellery and hair accessories securely.
How to choose a bridal mehndi artist
Choose a mehndi artist whose bridal designs you have seen in person or in recent photos, who uses natural henna, and who can apply the bride’s mehndi a day or two…
Indian wedding DJs and entertainment
Choose a DJ who plays Bollywood, bhangra and your regional music as comfortably as English hits, and who has run a sangeet, baraat and reception before.
Indian wedding venues
Look for a venue that has hosted South Asian weddings and allows what your events need: a fire in the mandap, a baraat on the grounds, outside Indian caterers if theirs…
Indian wedding caterers
Choose an Indian wedding caterer who cooks the regional food your families expect and can handle vegetarian, Jain, halal and allergy needs reliably.
Indian wedding videographers and filmmakers
An Indian wedding filmmaker records the music, speeches, dancing and rituals that photos cannot, across every event you book.
Indian wedding planners
An Indian wedding planner manages the vendors, schedule and logistics across every event, so families can enjoy the wedding.
Indian bridal wear
Plan a bridal outfit for each event, starting with the ceremony: a lehenga, saree, sharara or gown in your family’s tradition.
Dhol players for Indian weddings
A dhol player brings live drumming to the baraat, the sangeet, a jaggo or the couple’s entrance.
How to find a pandit, granthi or imam for your wedding
Start with your family’s temple, gurdwara or mosque, or ask relatives and recent couples who married in your tradition.
Plan it together
When you are ready, the free planning tools keep your checklist, budget, guest list, seating plan and wedding website in one place, shared with your partner. To find vendors, browse vendors by state or see South Asian wedding vendors in New Jersey.