––––

Congratulations

You are about to start a new life… one filled with the promise of
happiness & dreams coming true…

Your wedding is meant to be a momentous affair, but one that

will demand a lot of planning & decision making

Wedding Gyan is specifically designed to provide a pragmatic &

organised approach towards making your wedding a runaway
success

Why should you read this book?

You might be doing a lavish wedding by hiring a wedding

planner or a small-scale wedding with the help of your friends,
but there are many things that you might miss & feel guilty
about on the day of wedding, to avoid those small awkward
moments which spoils the whole mood of wedding we came up
with a guide that will not let you miss anything from your
wedding

This book has a lot of information related to Planning & Cost

saving but along with it you also get Handy printout of important
sheets like Checklist which makes sure that you doesn’t miss on
anything, Budget sheet to keep a track on you Estimated cost &
Actual cost, Contact sheet to keep all you vendor details at one
place and many more, this sheets will helps you as your
personal wedding planner in executing a perfect wedding
 About Me

Myself Yash Solanki, I have been part of wedding industry for

more than 3 years & have organised more than 100’s of
weddings, I have been into various rolls thought my career I
have been part of some of the biggest event organised to name
some of them are Cold Play, Film Fare awards, Radio Mirchi
awards, Some of the top class weddings like VivEkPal, Ambani
wedding & have done weddings in numerous destinations like
Goa, Jaipur, Lucknow and many more

As everyone knows wedding is fun but on the management side

there any many challenges that a wedding planner face &
learning from those challenges & experience, I have decided to
write this book for all those who wants to have a perfect
wedding but are doing it for the 1st time.
 About our company

Smile Events is India’s premium wedding planning company

based in Mumbai. We specialize in destination weddings all over
the globe. We have executed events in top hotels like The
Leela, St Regis, Grand Hyatt, Oberoi & Taj.

Our company takes care of all the events involved in a big fat
Indian wedding such as Cocktail party, Sangeet, Mehendi, Haldi,
Your Wedding & Reception. Our Services include Total Event
planning & co-ordination Right from venue Selection, Decoration,
hospitality, logistics to artist management, entertainment &
couple entries.

A strong network with all the renowned decorators, vendors,

artists ensures that we offer the best services and best rates to
our clients.

At the end of the day, our aim is to render an unforgettable

experience for the esteemed guests and bring a smile to their
faces!
Content
• Part 1 – Step by Step

- Setting the wedding Date

- Wedding Budget
- Guest List
- Invitation Cards
- Venue
- Service Providers
▪ Decorator
▪ Caterer
▪ Photo & Video Grapher
▪ Wedding Planner
▪ Printer
▪ Wedding Entertainment
▪ Travel & Transport
▪ Choreographer
- Jewellery
- Grooms Attire
- Brides Attire
- Gifts
- Licence & Permission
• Part 2 – Functions

- Engagement

- Pre-Wedding Ceremony

- Cocktail Parties

- Ladies Sangeet & Mehndi

- Haldi

- Sangeet

- Theme Parties

- Wedding

- Reception

- Honeymoon
 Step by Step Process
Wedding is a step by step process & not only understanding
each step is important but following the step as mentioned in this
book will help you avoid mistakes, save cost & most importantly
a lot of time.

You might be thinking that you have seen lot of wedding & you
know everything but the best part about wedding is that no
wedding is same & each wedding has different challenges & this
book has been written in order to help you make right decisions
at the right time

Wedding planning starts the moment you thing that you have find
your better half & sadly that is the only part where we don’t help
our client, the immediate next thing is wedding date & setting
wedding date is also a task because you want each and every
guest to be part of your special day

Wedding Date
The date is usually based on the auspicious time given by the
family pandit, but it is thoughtful to make sure that it does not
clash with any other event in the family and is convenient for
people to attend

These are some other points you should take into

consideration before finalising the Wedding date

Budget – if you want to have a lavish wedding but you are

worried of the budget than you should avoid getting married
during peak season because getting married during wedding
season is costlier than rest of the time

Venue & Vendors – venue that you have set your heart on, might
have already been booked for that day. You need to see
whether you and/or your partner have such things in mind,
before the date is set. At times, even things like availability of
favourite flowers, favourite photographer, etc., can affect your
decision to set a date.

Destination Wedding – If you are planning to have a destination

wedding, then you have to be extra-cautious before finalising your
wedding date. Once you have a set of possible dates with you,
enquire about the climatic conditions of the desired place during
that time. Additionally, you also need to check that there is no
big event planned in that city on or around the date you wish to
get married. A clash with any such event can make it difficult for
you to make flight, accommodation, and other arrangements.

Wedding Budget
Creating a wedding budget that's perfect for you, without skimping
on the fun stuff. It's all about communication and organization—
we'll take you through it.

It is a vital & determining factor & It is a good to commit a

specific budget for everything before even starting the process
How to get a rough budget?

To get a rough idea about budget you can take reference from
your friends and family who have recently conducted a wedding

Ask both side parents to commit to a specific amount & then add
up all the contributions to create your budget

Decide how much the couples are willing to spend from their
pockets, add up all the amount & you arrive to the total budget

Once you decide on a budget, divide it in the basic breakdown

We have arrived to this breakdown by analysing more than 100

wedding cost sheet & you can use this as a reference

Particulars Percentage

Wedding, Reception (Venue + 45%

Food)
Décor + Sound + Light 15%
Ceremony 8%
Attire 6%
Entertainment 8%
Photo & Videography 10%
Printing & Stationery 2%
Wedding Rings 2%
Transportation 2%
Gifts 2%

There can be many more add on to the above bifurcation as

each wedding is different and needs something unique to make it
special but the above pointers are in reference to a
normal wedding & are must for any wedding to happen

Why setting up the budget is necessary?

Setting up the budget is important because it helps you in

negotiation & also it helps you in shortlisting vendors as per your
budget

Be clear & open with your budget do not hesitate to tell your
budget to vendors because it makes easier for them & you as
well

When you tell them the clear budget, they will not give
you options from all around world

Once you get to many options that does not fit in your budget
you get confused and sometimes sad as well because you will
now have to leave some options that you have liked because
of some budget restrictions

Maintain a budget file

Maintaining a budget file is very important, you can open a
special bank account only for wedding purchase & bill payments,
this will help you to keep track on even small purchases.

This book comes with a folder in which you have print out of
sheets that will help you save time in making formats & doing
research.
You will have 3 column sheets with all the expenses name
written on it along with a blank page to write down additional
expenses

You just have to write down your estimated cost & then
the actual cost when you want to compare the cost

Everyone would know the importance of maintaining a file but

many of us ignores it & we don’t want to let this happen to you

Guest List
Here comes the most important & trickiest part because
everything depends on number of guests who are going to
visit the wedding but nothing gets absolutely clear till the day
of wedding

And yet everything from your venue, food, invite, logistics etc
depends on the number of guests going to attend your wedding

How to start preparing your guest list

Step 1

Write down names of guest in the below order

Immediate Family

Distant family

Friends

Work colleagues

Parents of your friends

Friends of friends

With this step you get a detailed list of all the person you may
invite at your wedding

But don’t send them invitation as soon as you get all the name,
now match this with your budget, will you be able to spend for
so many people, if not start deducting it from below because
your list should always be in the ascending order from important
to less important

Tips to save time while making guest list to avoid double work

Tip 1

Make guest list in excel & in the below format

Name Contact Number Email id

Yash +91 8976244768 yashsolanki380@gmail.com

When you make your list in this format in excel it becomes

easy to import the list in your phone while doing RSVP & save
a lot of time

It is important to mention contact detail in the very beginning

because when you are deciding the guest list you will have a
lot of time left for your wedding, but as the day comes nearby
you would not get time to collect all the contact and do all the
hard work again

Tip 2
I always tell the caterer 10% less number of guest than you
expect this is a major cost saving hack, but the only thing you
need to note Is that you will have to be very precise in making
the guest list

The caterer usually gives you a 10% regret margin but 10%
of the food cost is also a huge amount

Tip 3

If you have some venue in your mind & you are adding everyone
know to your wedding list make sure to check the minimum &
maximum number of the guest allowed at the venue

This point is for those who have already decided on the venue
& than started planning on the guest list

Tip 4

To avoid a huge list of wedding regrets, perhaps send out

unofficial 'save the date’ well in advance so that people can
put your wedding date on their calendars early.

Wedding Invite
The first step over here is to make a decision that weather you
want to have a physical invite or E Invite because this one thing
makes a lot of change in the way you plan your wedding

Physical invite

If you are from Indian than there are 50% chance that you may
go ahead with physical invite because people over here believe
that this is the only opportunity where you get to meet all the
relative & invite them personally to the wedding, because some
might be your close relative who can feel sad if you don’t invite
them personally

What are the things you need to keep in mind with physical
invite?

Step 1

Make a decision - You might want to have a fancy invite & your
parents might want traditional invite so search for reference invite
you would like to have at your wedding, ask your wedding
planner if he can send you some options as per your theme
requirements

And finalise the style of invite you want weather it’s a box invite,
different colour invites for different function, roll up invite or even
the traditional invite

Step 2

Content – You & your parents might have a different opinion over
here because you might want a clean invite with very little
content (content that is important) & your parents might want to
add names of some relatives (traditional Indian invite)

Once you finalise your invite design it becomes easier to think on

the content because you know how much space you can utilize

You may hire a content writer or you can yourself write

the content
Step 3

Ask for sample – Don’t miss this step even if you know the
printer for a long time, because invites might be a costly affair
& you cannot afford to have any mistake in your invite & neither
you can re print them

So, make sure you get a sample, you proof read the sample 2
to 3 times to avoid even the smallest of the error

E-Invite
E-invite might seem to be very easy but it also has some points
that you should keep into considerations

You might be planning to send the e invite 2 or 3 months

before your wedding but there might be possibility that some of
your friends might have already blocked the date for some other
important thing & they may not be able to backed out

Make sure even if you send the e invite 2 or 3 months back,

you will have to send an unofficial save the date message as
early as possible

E-invite can be in various formats & make sure you decide on

one format because if you are planning to send a video invite
you might need a pre-wedding shoot to be done early

It also depends on the number of save the date you are planning
to send, if you want different invite for different functions you will
need different content, images & different guest list to whom you
are going to send

Note – RSVP is very important after sending the e invite,

because your invite might get lost or missed by them in some
festival wishes & by calling them you also make them feel good
& also you make sure that they have read it

RSVP still matters!!!

The initialism "RSVP" stand for "Répondez s'il vous plaît". RSVP
is a process for a response from the invited person or Guest.

RSVP matters & it is very important, because your guest will not
come to your door running after receiving an invitation, we live in
a more casual society & to make sure that they have marked
their day available for you, you will have to make sure that you
make it more personalise

When you send a physical invite by courier or even an E

invite, it stays on the coffee table for weeks & eventually end
up dusting itself

With RSVP you not only make the invite personalise but also
make the guest feel important

RSVP is time consuming, because an average Indian wedding

has 500 to 1000 guest & calling them all will take lot of time, so
a good thing is to divide the list among the family members
Note – you might have multiple functions & guest list for each
function might be different so make sure you take one list at a
time

Are you thinking about how should you ask your guest in such a
manner they don’t get offended?

Here is the sample calling script you can follow or you may
even hire some freelance to do it for you.

Hello Mr Gaurav,
I am calling on behalf of Kapoor family, we hope that you have
received our invitation which we have send you by
email/WhatsApp/Courier & you have block the date for the
wedding event, as your presence means a lot to us
Guest – Yes, we have received the invite, thank you
Caller – Thank you for the confirmation & after this call you will
receive a text message please fill in the details of the guest
attending the wedding, in order to help you serve better at our
wedding
Thank you

This is a sample script & you may alter it as per

your requirement

Service Providers
Service providers are the heart of the wedding because
everything depends on the selection of vendors, If they turn up
on time your wedding will be on time & if they don’t you will
delay your wedding as well, selection of vendors is the most
important part & we will give you a detailed list of vendors &
how to deal with them

List of vendors needs to be taken care of

1) Decorator
2) Caterer
3) Photographer & videographer
4) Wedding planner
5) Printer
6) Mehndi/Make up/Hair style artist
7) Wedding entertainment
8) Transportation
9) Choreographer

The above list is the exhaustive list for a wedding & we

will now step by step see each vendor & their service

Service Provider 1 - Decorator

Along with your attire, your wedding decor is one of the best
ways to let your personalities truly shine on your big day

Your decorator is the most important vendor as he takes a

large portion of wedding budget & also it is said that the
first impression is the last impression & the décor create the
first impression on the guest

So, if you want your guest to be excited about the wedding

make sure you don’t miss this part
The wedding decorator should be a well-know of the field. A
good wedding decorator is committed to provide you quality
products, end-to-end solutions, desired look, themes and
unmatched services. The professional decorator will go extra
miles to meet your expectations. He will keep all things in
mind like meeting the deadlines, completing the decoration
well-before time, decorating the place as per your ideas and
proving the best decoration within your budget.

The first step before finalizing your wedding décor is to have

an exact idea of what style of décor you are looking for

Royal, Classy, Vintage, Floral or Thematic so if you haven’t

decided on what’s your suitable style

The location may also have restrictions that will influence

decoration choices. Some sites do not allow open flames,
attaching things to walls or ceilings, loose flower petals,
moving furniture, etc. You’ll want to get a list of any
restrictions up front so you can avoid having any costly
surprises later.

Tips before finalizing the Décor

Tip 1 – Make sure you finalize theme before meeting decorator

Tip 2 – Get some reference pictures from the internet, because

not all the decorator takes the effort to do research on new &
trending themes

Tip 3 – Get minute details in writing like

Seating - how many sofa & chairs will he put, what kind of
chairs (e.g. Shivari Chairs, Crystal chairs etc), how many round
tables, how many catering tables

Sound - What kind of sound (surround or basic) & also get

detail like how many speakers, what brand of speaker because
sound plays a very crucial role and you don’t want to irritate
your guest by that disturbing kuching sound of the speaker

In case of having live band or any other artist, do not forget

to ask them the tech rider

What is tech rider?

Tech rider is a set of requests or demands that a performer

sets as criteria for performance. Types of riders include
hospitality and technical (like monitors, Mic, extra cables)

Some basic Audio Equipment’s

1) Amplifiers, Mixer, DJ Mixer, Speaker (3-way, open Air), Band

set, Cassette Deck, DAT tapes recording, Mini discs (MDs)
2) Mikes
o Handheld cordless
mikes o Lapel mike
o Head set mikes – used when the performer
needs to move a lot
o Podium mike – also known as goose mike
3) Players – CD, DAT & MD player
4) DJ Boxes: input units – Connecting units
There might be case where the decorator will not provide you
with all the technical stuff or he might charge you bomb for
those things like Sound, LED wall, generator, Vanity van etc, in
that case you may ask your wedding planner to arrange the
same & if you are not planning to hire the wedding planner you
may yourself arrange the same with external vendor

Tip – A full day wedding sound may cost you somewhere

around 30 to 35k excluding band setup

Lights – in most of the cases the decorator will provide you with
the lights & you don’t have to count each light on the day of
event, but you can still have basic understanding of lights

There are some basic lights which the decorator will include in
the package

1) Halogen light - It is a type of incandescent lamp. However,

it emits whiter light, last longer this light is mainly used in
the kitchen area and for general lightning
2) Par can – This are also known as focus lights where one
can use different colour get papers or butter paper to create
colour effects, they are mainly used to highlight some
aspects of stage or any other specific part
3) Led lights - Short for "light-emitting diode," LED lights use
much less electricity than (and don't get as hot as) regular
incandescent lightbulbs. They can also be wireless, which
makes them even more discreet. LEDs are great for colour
changes and vibrant hues.
However, there are few more lights which are not used
in every event but have some great effect if used

Gobos - Circular stencils that are put over a light to project a

design or pattern onto a wall, ceiling or floor. Monograms,
dates and wedding motifs are popular gobo designs.

Follow Spot - It is a manually operated lighting fixture which is

used to follow performers as they move on a stage, Couple
entry. Like pin spot, follow spot also produces a spot light.

Mirror Ball - This ball is used to create a dazzling effect of

light and movement. This dazzling effect is created by rotating
the ball through Mirror Ball Motor and focusing a narrow
beam light on it.

Sharpie – also known as moving head, Sharpy is small enough

to be fitted anywhere – on trusses at live events, on stage, in
showrooms or conference rooms

Laser - It is a device which produces strong and flat beams of

light. It is used to create 2D or 3D geometric patterns and
other special effects like laser tunnel, ascending or descending
laser sky, scanning effects, rolling effects etc.

Controller - A device which can control the functions of lighting

fixture, dimmers, rope lights, strobe lights, PAR CAN, Pin
Spots, Smoke machine etc from a remote location
 Service provider 2 – Caterer

Catering – It is the heart of wedding, because you must have

finalized the best venue, best vendors but if the food quality
is not up to the mark you have failed to impress your guest

Catering is all about 50% taste, 25% Hospitality & 25% Food
presentation

Try to go with quality of food instead of quantity because the

more you will demand for a limited budget the less quality will
the caterer provide

Most of the venue nowadays has either inhouse catering or

monopoly so it is very important for you to first taste the food &
then finalize the venue, once you book the venue that has
monopoly of food you are trapped, you can do nothing about it
later

Royalty – some venue allows you to get your own caterer vendor
but they charge some amount of royalty so you can get an
outside caterer (royalty is somewhere around 5 to 10% per plate)

How do you shortlist the best caterer?

The best way to do this is to take reference or hire

someone whom you have witnessed yourself

Tips before you close the deal with caterer

- Ask for the number of full tables 2.5feet x 4Feet & half
table 1.5feet x 4Feet, he will need to serve food &
give the count to decorator
 - Weather he we get his own lights to highlight the
tables & table décor, if not ask for the requirement
because then you will need to ask the decorator to get
the same
- Ask for the table décor options if he is doing the basic
frill & draping ask for different colour options available
& later you can inform decorator to use same
colours in décor to maintain the parity
- Ask for sample Food tasting, Plate design,
staff clothing etc
- Ask for menu booklet, you might not know all the
items available for wedding & you don’t want to agree
on all the items suggested by the caterer so the
booklet will help you to pick & replace any item
- Take everything in writing Menu finalized, also note even
the minute details example the mix vegetable should be
less spicy or should not have this particular vegetable
etc, because the caterer might forget what you have
decided on the day of event & you should have
everything in writing so that both of you can refer
& stay in loop

Before speaking to caterer, you need to decide on things like

what type of serving would be needed Seating, Buffet, Round
table, Restaurant Style or Sajjan Kot (Royal lunch/Dinner with
Silver & Gold utensil) also get the basic idea of how many
guests would be attending to get a fair rate
 You can ask for more options such as, instead of frill you
can have frame & sheets, flex etc

Make catering more dramatic

Caterer might not give you options for this but there are plenty
of food options that can be creative & engaging at the same
time, you can ask for such options if you have in mind or you
can ask your wedding planner to suggest you some

Table girls, welcome artist, cocktails girls & food jugglers can
be good option to make your catering more interesting

Do not forget to keep sufficient Sound speaker in the food

area, soft music adds charms to your catering section.

Appoint one or two people to taste the food before it comes

on the table, having more people can be trouble because
everyone has different taste & food may be spoiled if the
caterer gets too much of opinion (To many cooks spoil the
food & to many people to taste spoil the wedding)

In case if you feel that the number of guests will be much

lower or higher than you have expected inform the caterer
about it prior to avoid wastage or scarcity of food

Inform them about the number of people who will be seating

for family Dinner to avoid last minute ciaos

Bonus cost saving tip will help you save at least 10% on your
total catering cost
 Service Provider 3 – Photo & Video Grapher

Photo & Video grapher – This would be one of the most

interesting part for our Bride & groom, as this is the only thing
that will stay with you forever & also it will be the
remembrance of the most important day of your life & do not
compromise on quality

This industry has grown rapidly both in variety & cost

Before finalizing the wedding photographer here are some

questions you should ask

1) His experience & wedding profile – The person or team

might have good experience of giving their service but in
corporate or other events, so check whether the team has
experience in doing any previous wedding event
2) Can we have two wedding photographer team one for
bride side & groom side?
3) What are the packages available like basic package,
package including pre-wedding, package including drone,
package including album, short film, instafilm?
4) Ask them if any licence & permission needs to be taken
& if yes, the cost for the same?
5) What are the charges based on number of hours, Number of
day or number of functions or number of photographers?
6) Check whether he has included studio shoot in the package
7) Photo booth options available with him example – GIF booth,
WhatsApp booth, instant print etc
 8) Ask for sample album to check the quality of the paper &
photos
9) Do not forget to take all the cost inclusive & exclusive
of transportation

Things you should tell your photographer

- Inform him/her about all your special guests, relatives

& friends whose picture must be clicked
- Tell him who are important & who are to be
photographed the most
- Tell him all the important occasion & moments when
he needs to be present
- Share some reference of pictures that you want to
click & some things if he needs to carry to fulfil your
special requirements

Do not forget to keep one Box table for photographer on the day
of event, make sure the charging point is available near the
table, you don’t want them to make excuse at the end moment

Service provide 4 - Wedding Planner

Many people still exactly don’t know what the wedding

planner does, for them A wedding planner is a professional
who assists with the design, planning and management of a
wedding

Is it necessary to hire a Wedding Planner?

No, it is not necessary to hire a wedding planner

So why do people hire a wedding planner?

To avoid stress at the day of event, because wedding planners
are professionals working in the industry for years & they have
done lot more wedding than you have attended, so they know
better how to deal with vendor also they have good relations
with vendor & vendor will think 10 times before making any
mistake like disappearing on the day of wedding, not picking up
phone, because planner gives them work & they try to give their
best because they expect future work from them

How much does the wedding planner charge?

Wedding planner charges you a particular fee which is mostly

10% of the entire event, if you are booking total of 10lakhs
worth of services from him, his fees would be 1lakh

(This cost is not fixed, but only for client’s reference, every
planner has different profile & may charge differently)

What are the areas in which a wedding planner can help?

Wedding planner helps you in finalizing your wedding invite by

giving you options & creating the designs, getting a good deal
from venue (they usually gets 10% benefit from the venue, so
it is preferable to get the booking done through them) finalizing
décor (Planner has a lot of décor options & he might help you
set up some thematic décor even from your regular decorator),
before finalizing anything you can take recommendation from
planner, they might be able to give you some good quality
vendor at better rate
The best wedding planner is someone who earns by saving a
lot of money for His/Her client

Tips before finalizing the wedding planner

1) Ask for work profile

2) Ask Recommendations from family & friends
3) Set your budget & be open with them regarding your budget
4) Try to get package deal, instead of per service cost
5) Signing the contract – Don’t miss this step
(everything should be on paper)
6) Don’t loose on quality for rates (get less things but
have quality one)

Service provider 5 - Printer

Printer might not be a very big deal for you but when you
want to have a perfect wedding even the smallest detail
matters

You will need to print lot of things for your wedding like
Welcome note, Luggage tags, Car stickers, Airport signages,
Standees, Banners, Stage Backdrop flex etc so even the
printer becomes the important part of your wedding

Look for printer who has inhouse designers & ask for the
designer’s work profile because you don’t want to get into
designing part & if you are hiring a Wedding planner leave
everything on them, they usually have inhouse designers

Tips before finalizing printer

Ask for Rate card – Compare the rate cards

Check sample prints that weather the print is not getting fade

Ask for cost inclusive of transport & make this point very clear
that on day of wedding he will send someone at the venue to
deliver

It is advisable to make a separate printing list in the

below format

Particulars Size Qty Per Unit Rate Amount

(RS)

Flex 4’x 8’ 5 500 2500

Thank You Note 200GSM 200 2 400

The above figures are just for reference but this sheet will
help you to avoid anything at the last moments & try to get
everything printed few days before the wedding so that you
can check the quality of each item

Service Provide 6 – Mehndi, Make up & Hair Stylist

They might be taking a small part of your cost but they play
very important role in your wedding, because your look
depends on them

Hair Stylist

Avoid experiments – if you are dreaming some kind of look at

your wedding, consult your hairstylist way before & also do
trial of How it looks, how Easy/Hard is it to handle on the day
of wedding
Go for your regular hair stylist, it will be easier for you both
to understand each other requirement

Makeup artist

Things to Keep in Mind Before Finalising A Makeup Artist:

1. What does the package include and exclude

2. Availability of dates and time and how many bookings

does He/she have on the same day

3. Who will be coming to the venue - whether She herself or

assistant, and how many people. Clarify this in advance to
avoid any last-minute surprises!

4. Ask for a trial before finalising if needed

5. For destination weddings, it is necessary to confirm how

comfortable the MUA is in travelling along, take clarity on who
would bear the cost of Travel, Accommodation & Logistics.

6. About the makeup lights! Discuss who is bringing it. If

you have to arrange for it, make sure you know where to
get supplies from.

7. Try not to rely on a verbal contract. Sign a written contract!

8. Ask how many bookings your makeup artist has on the

same day. If there are others, consider how comfortable
you will be with the scenario where your MUA has to split
her attention amongst several brides.
 Mehndi Artist

Take care of the below things before finalizing on Mehndi artist

- How many years of experience does she have?

- Past work picture & video
- Do her design capabilities meet your expectations?
- How many artists she will get on the day of event
& for how many hours
- How much time it will take to apply mehndi to per
person
- What quality of mehndi she will be using?
- What’s her charging system Per person, Per hands,
Per Hour etc
- Ask her weather the cost is inclusive of travel

Service Provider 7 – Wedding Entertainment

Before even you start looking for the type of entertainment you
want to have at your wedding venue first collect details about
Timing like what’s the sound limit, Free space available, Venue
restrictions and License & permission

How do you finalize your entertainment?

Wedding entertainment plays a very important role in any

wedding & it is very important to choose perfect entertainment
because it is very difficult that your guest will remember what
décor you did or what food you had at your wedding but
your guest will definitely remembers the experience that you
gave them at your wedding
Step 1 - Decide in which all functions you will need the
entertainment, once you decide now check with your close once
that what type of entertainment you need, On Stage, Guest
Welcoming, Roaming artist etc

Step 2 - Check how much space do you have at your venue &
start looking for options based upon category if you need on
stage artist there can be many options like Singer, Band, Dancer,
Magician Etc if you are looking for Guest welcoming artist there
can be options like African drummers, Carnival girls etc if you are
looking for roaming artist there can be options like close up
magician, Dwarf, Caricature artist etc

How to get unique entertainment at your wedding?

If you are hiring a wedding planner ask them for options or else
you can contact talent management agencies to give you suitable
options

Service Provider 8 – Travel & Transportation

You may be thinking now what do I need to know about

travel, book a car & it’s done

No, you are wrong, there are lot of things that you need to
keep in mind when you are finalizing on transportation

Make list of guests, whom you would be providing transport

facility, with details like name number of members, pickup
location & time
 Sr Name No of Location Pickup Remarks
Guest Time

1 Yash 2 Bhayandar 6.00AM Done

2 Gaurav 3 Bandra 7.00AM Pending
3 Divit 2 Bhayandar 5.30AM Done

Once you are ready with this whole list, second most importation
thing will be Sorting, calculate all the people travelling for a
particular city in our sheet we have in all 4 people from
Bhayandar & the timing of pickup is also manageable so you
can combine this 2 group into a single car depending on the
luggage & car size

IMP tip – if you have large number of people travelling from

similar or nearby place you should hire a bus instead of car to
save on additional cost

Once you are ready with total numbers of cars, Busses make a
new sheet by allotting one car or bus to one group & do not
forget to decide on one point of contact from the car, the
responsibility of this person will be to note that everybody has
arrived

Sr Name Contact No Location Driver No Pick up Remarks

No Time

1 Yash + +918976244768 Bhayandar +919324237412 5.45AM Done

2
This sheet will not only make your job easier but it will give the
driver as well as the guest the exact details about who is
coming to pick up, at what time, take multiple printout of this
sheets for your driver & forward the soft copy to your guests

In case you hire a wedding planner you don’t have to worry about
maintaining sheets & details, your planner will do it for you

Tips before finalizing transports

- Go with someone who is experience in doing

wedding logistics
- Try to get all-inclusive package rate – Two side trip
including taxes plus driver’s food & night allowance
- Ask if all the vehicles have GPS system installed in
it (so that drivers cannot misuse the car for their
benefits)
- Keep buffer of 1 hour at least so that your
guest doesn’t have to wait for the driver
- If the distance is nearby arrange for car hampers with
some snacks, water bottle, wet towels & juice
- If the distance is far pre-deciding for Stop & place
standees at the place to avoid confusion between the
guest

Service Provider 9 - Choreographer

Choreographer is mainly needed for Sangeet or Musical event,

the choice of choreographer purely depends on your need but
still there are few points that may help you in finding the best
ones

- Ask for package rate which includes All family dance

choreography + Back dancers for bride & groom +
Music editing + Show running + Couple entry (if
needed)
- Cross check on weather travel & costume rate is
included in the package & if yes than what types of
costume are available & if no than what will be
extra charges per costume
- Choreographer is someone who deals with every family
member personally, make sure he/she is good in
communication with family members because if not, it
might leave bad impression on the guest
- Make everything clear in the beginning like Number of
location He/she will need to travel, Number of
Performances, Free time slots, Specific requirement like
Props etc,
- Make a family group and assign one person the
responsibility to get all the guest at the decided place
at their respective, to respect the time of
choreographer & guest
 Venue
Booking a venue is the most difficult task because everything
will depend on where your wedding Is

From your catering (if the venue has monopoly, you have no
options to get outside vendor) to location – logistics & even your
décor

There are lot of things you need to keep in mind before &
after finalizing venue

Step 1 –

Decide on location, weather you want to have a Domestic

wedding, Destination or an International wedding

Step 2 –

List down all the facilities your venue should provide for your
wedding like Pool, Private beach, Open lawn, Ballroom etc

Step 3 –

Now start floating the mail to all the properties asking them for
the availability, rates, Food menu & other details (Always ask
for APAI rates)

With this process you can cut down on the hotels which are not
available & those not available in your rates

You may have liked some options but you don’t have time to
visit the property as you have lots of other things to do, you
can send another mail to tentatively block the dates for you so
that you don’t miss on the good deals
Once you start visiting the properties which you have
already shortlisted you should be clear in your mind with
what all functions you will be doing in that particular venue

For example – Pool side mehndi on day 1 afternoon & sangeet in

ballroom on day 1 evening

While your first visit to the venue carry the below printout with
you & fill the information

Venue –

Date of recce –

Proposed Event –

No of Attendees –

Ask the below questions if needed or write them down if

obvious

1) On which floor is the venue located

2) What is the main access route & where is the
service elevators?
3) What is the parking capacity for guest & equipment truck?
4) Room dimensions – Width, Ceiling height, Clear
height (Ceiling height – Chandeliers height)
5) Seating capacity, will the number of guests proposed would
be accommodated after stage & other décor
6) How many inhouse lights, Audio system, Screen, Table (size
of the table) does the venue have & what are the additional
charges for extra of any those
7) Does the venue has built in stage, if yes than what size?
 8) How much power supply does the venue provide &
what are the charges for extra KV
9) Ask them for an inhouse technician number to avoid
any hustle on the day of event
10) Ask for permission details, what are some necessary
permission Required for the event
(We will discuss all the permission needed to host a
wedding event in the later chapter)

Once you note all the details & you are finally satisfied with the
rates, quality, food you can book the venue

Tips – There is a special tip to save a lot of cost while

booking your venue, I have mentioned this tip in my bonus
chapter – Save Wedding cost

Dress Code
If you are planning to set a dress code for your wedding, make
sure that you don’t set it very difficult

Check out the trending dress code & colours that most people
must be having with them & then decide on the dress code, it
is advisable that if you have a guest list of more than 200+
avoid setting a dress code & just decide on the dress style like
traditional, western etc

Close family members

Decide on the colours of the dress & also decide with your
family & close friends that weather they are willing to wear all
same dress, because everyone has their own dress desire for
your wedding & you don’t want to make them sad by making
your colour choice for them

Once you make the decision about colour code, now start
selecting the design, material & type of attire you are looking
for, if everything till here goes well with all your friends & family
you are all set to have a dress code at your wedding

In case of budget problem, you may go for rentals, check

for vendor that have multiple dress of same design

Once you have finalised the dress code for the guest it time
for bride & groom dress

Think of comfort before style – you will have to undergo a lot of

rituals, so the first thing that should be in your mind is comfort

The fitting & colour of the dress will be the second most
important thing after comfort, check will the decorator that what
colour backdrop will be there behind couple seating because
you don’t want your dress to merge with background
 Gifts
Gifts are optional but if you have a good budget it can act as a
cherry on the cake for your wedding, people love surprise & if
you give something which is useful for them, it is surely going
to be one of the wedding they will always remember

How do you decide on the perfect giveaway?

- Decide budget range

- Decide on type of Giveaway like Dry fruit box,
Accessories, Coins, Showpiece or Utility based like pen
drive, Cables etc
- Find out wholesaler, because whatever you are going
to give will be in huge quantity & there is almost as
much as 50% of price difference between wholesaler
& retailer
- Packing is equally important – Make sure to get the
product without price tag & get it packet with your
logo branding that will add a personal touch to your
giveaway
- Make one person in charge for distribution & it is
preferable to distribute the gift while the guests are
leaving, to avoid giving double gifts & people usually
do not open when you hand over the gift while they
are leaving, so you will avoid lot of kiosk regarding
the same
 Licence & Permission
There's definitely a lot that goes into planning your wedding and
other events. make sure you have the right permissions and
licenses for your events you cannot be neglect or forgot this
because all the other efforts can go in vain if you don’t have the
right permission & licences

Here are a few permissions and licenses that are required for
wedding event

IPRS: The Indian Performing Right Society India (For live

performance)

This is the permission to protect the rights of the performer & the
music company. For any ticket as well as not ticketed event.
There is a sum charged for the total number of tickets issued or
the capacity of the event area

PPL: Phonographic Performance Ltd (For recorded Music)

This is the permission that is required, for playing any kind of

recorded music in any event

Loud Speaker License from your local police station

This is the permission that is given by the local police station for
the use of sound/Loudspeaker during the course of the event.
This is according to the rules set by the high court

Below are the licence that are not necessarily required but are
completely dependent upon the location of the wedding
Note – Some of the licence are pre occupied by the venue so
before taking out licences do not forget to check with your
venue contact person

NOC from the Traffic Department

This is a simple NOC that is given by the traffic authorities

stating that they have no objection for the said event if the
agency complies all the requirement

NOC from the Fire Brigade Department –

This is an additional requirement for a fire Bridget that has to

be done on site for precaution

This is a NOC, which is given by the chief fire officer to conduct

any event

NOC from the Collector (if no sales of ticket)

It is also known as entertainment tax that can be obtain

from collector’s office, if there is no sale of ticket

NOC from the Rangabhumi Parinirikshan Mandal

This licence is required for any kind of event where stage is

required

Above are the licence that are required for any wedding event
but you don’t have to worry about all the licence most of
them would have already been procured by the venue & only
the remaining are to be taken care by you

To get all the licence & permission you may hire an agent that
get everything done for you, because getting licence is a time-
consuming process & you might have to face many trial &
errors regarding the same

Functions – Part 2
These Pre-Wedding Ceremonies in India may be different for the
different races and clans. However, each of the custom has one
thing in common and that is to prepare the bride and the groom
for the auspicious marriage day. The bride & groom dress in their
fineries and are surrounded by all members of the family and
friends. The occasions are further enlivened by songs, dance
mehendi rituals and general discussions on love, marriage, and
after marriage commitments.

Some of the important Pre-Wedding Ceremonies in India are

Sangeet, Mehendi, Tilak and Engagement ceremony. In Telegu
wedding ritual some of the Pre-wedding ceremonies are
Muhartam, Pendikoohuru ceremony, Snathakam ritual, Kashi
Yatra, Mangala Snanaam Yatra, Aarti, Ganesh and Gauri Puja.

Tilak Ceremony

Tilak Ceremony is one of the most important Pre-Wedding

Ceremonies; it holds an important position as regards its
auspicious nature in traditional Hindu customs. The Tilak
Ceremony varies from one state to another. It is also very
different in case of diverse castes and creeds. Among the tribal
in India, the Tilak Ceremony holds good, but the way is quite
different from its urban counterpart. According the family tradition
and culture the Tilak Ceremony is usually held.
Tilak which is also the sign of auspiciousness is generally put by
the male members of the groom's family like uncle, cousin,
brother by using Kumkum, the red vermillion. Generally, the
female members of the family do not put this vermillion.

Engagement Ceremony

The Engagement Ceremony is one of the Pre-Wedding Ceremony

in which the couple exchanges rings with each other. Therefore,
it is also known as the Ring Ceremony.

Engagement Ceremony in India is known by different names. In

some parts of the country it is known as Misri, while in others it
is known as Ring Ceremony, still others call it Ashirbad. It is
also called Mangni in some other parts of the country. Various
are the names, but the significance is all the same

Mehendi Ceremony

Celebrated by the Bride's family, the Mehendi Ceremony is an

amusing ritual observance that derives its origin from the
Traditional Indian customs. In this ceremony, Mehendi is put in
the hands and feet of the bride, in beautiful and intricate
designs, especially done with the help of an expert. Mehendi
mainly consists of henna paste.

The Mehendi Ceremony is accompanied with great merriment

and dancing and the females take a major role in Mehendi
Ceremony. Held before a couple of days before marriage, this
function is lit up by the colorful dresses, vibrant music,
enthusiastic dance and pulsating instrumentals that make it all
the more charming.

Mehendi is prepared from dust obtained from finely chopped

Henna Leaves. After the Wedding, the bride is not allowed to
perform any house work until all the Henna has melted away. It
is said that in the Mehendi ceremony the picture of both the
bride as well as the groom are drawn over the hands and feet
of the bride, and the groom should look for it. Till then, the
marriage does not commence.

Ladies Sangeet

The women folk of the household gather around the bride. This
is followed by fun, frolic, dance and traditional wedding songs.

Sangeet Ceremony

Sangeet Ceremonies are usually held after The Mehendi

Ceremony

The theme of these Sangeet Ceremonies revolves between the

bride and groom - their love life, how they fell in love, how
they met, and likewise. The dances are well choreographed and
practiced.

The music that is played in the ceremony varies. Bhangra, Indi

pop, Hindi film scores, are the common preferences. D.J is hired
mostly to make the occasion more lively.
 Wedding & Reception

Indian wedding ceremony itself is a long and stretched out

procedure when almost all the Hindu deities are worshipped
besides asking them to bless the newlywed couple. The bride
along with the bridegroom takes seven steps together around the
fire, vowing love and devotion to each other besides agreeing to
take good care of each other under all circumstances.

The main objective of the Reception Ceremony in India is to get

the bride & Groom introduced to the numerous relatives and
friends. Generally, this ceremony is held either immediately after
the wedding or after some days. In most of the cases, a lavish
spread of delectable dishes is on offer for the invitees who come
to give their blessings to the newlywed couple. Most of the
Reception Ceremony of India bears a festive ambiance. It is like
an extension of the marriage festivities, spilling beyond the
actual ceremony, over to these reception parties.

Now-a-days, some Indian Reception Ceremony also boasts of an

elaborate entertainment element. Music and dance performers are
hired to entertain the guests at these Reception Ceremonies.
Some receptions even have cultural programs to add a dash of
colour to the otherwise festive air. However, whatever be the
sidekick of these reception ceremonies, the main spotlight stays
on the newlywed couple.
 Vidai Ceremony

If you witness the Wedding Ceremonies in India, you will be

overwhelmed by the diverse shades of customs, religion and
beliefs that these ceremonies offer. Called Panigrahana in
Sanskrit and Vivah in Hindi, Indian weddings are a special affair,
to say the least. In Indian culture, marriage is considered to be
a union of two souls.

Indian Vidai Ceremony symbolizes reaching the end of the

marriage. Vidai Ceremony in India is an event where emotions
run high. It is very common to find the bride's family members
become pretty sentimental along with her friends as well as the
relatives. Vidai Ceremony of India symbolizes a new journey for
the bride as she departs from her parents' house to go with her
husband. A new life replete with new hopes and dreams beckons
her. Vidai Ceremony in India is an affair of both joy and sorrow
for the bride. During Indian Vidai Ceremony, the bride's father
formally gives away his daughter to her husband and asks him to
protect and take care of his loving daughter.

In the final stages of the Indian Vidaai Ceremony, the newly wed
couple sits in the car. The brothers and cousins of the brides
give a bit of push to the car. It signifies the fact that they have
given their sister a push ahead in her new life. Once the last car
of the convoy starts, the bride's family and friends throw coins on
the road to thrust aside the evil. In many cases, the younger
sister or brother accompanies the bride to her new house to
provide her moral support.
With this we come to the end of our wedding but there are
few tips specially for our bride & groom

Tips for Bride & Groom

The eyes have it, and they’re all on you & your gestures

We all have a few habits & some are more annoying than others

Some of the habits can be biting nails, putting your hands

in hairs again & again, or any other habit

Try to notice your habits few months early so that you may avoid
those habits on your special day, everybody would b wanting to
click your photos on that day & you want to get as many good
pictures as possible

Dress Rehearsals – It is better to try your clothes before your

wedding day because there might be possibility that it would be
suddenly difficult to wear those heavy clothes directly on your
wedding day

Make sure you try your clothes at least for an hour to better
understand the problems & solutions regarding it

Get ready to smile - Your mouth is going to pain from over

smiling, there’s really nothing you can do about that, but now
you can't say that no one told you!"

Eat before you forget - If there's one essential piece of advice

you wish someone had told you, it's to eat whenever you get
the chance to. "You'll be so busy running around and doing little
things to get ready, and you'll completely forget to eat
anything that day, make sure you keep yourself hydrated.

Get your rest.

"Try to get some rest the night before, it sounds simple enough,
but you don't realize how busy the day is going to be. Try not to
go too crazy the night before so you'll be ready on the morning
of."

Follow the plan.

You've been planning for months, and now is the time to

execute, you absolutely have to stick to the game plan you
came up with. "Now is not the time to try any last-minute ideas
as far as wedding planning goes.

Health Tips

Gym - Avoid crash dieting or aggressive gym schedules 1-2

months before the wedding. It can make you look really tired
and crabby. For a toned figure, consult a dietitian and a personal
trainer. Start working out at least four months prior to the
wedding to achieve effective weight loss, especially in problem
areas like tummy and thighs.

Meditate - An effective way to reduce stress and take some me

time out is by meditating for at least 15 minutes a day. You will
definitely feel calmer.
Diet - You must drink enough water to keep your body toxin-free.
Aim for at least 8-10 glasses of water. Opt for coconut water or
lime water to shed the bloat. Eat a balanced diet consisting of
fruits, green vegetables, and protein.

Avoid munching on junks like chips, chocolates, ice creams, or

sodas. They lead to bloating and skin problems. It’s ok to have a
few cheat days, but keep them in check. Opt for healthy and
nutritious snacks like fruits and sprouts.

It is essential to provide the body with antioxidants and

minerals in order to have healthy and glowing skin. Lack of
vitamins or minerals leads to nail and hair breakage and sallow
appearance of the skin. For flawless skin, consult your doctor or
dietitian to fill any nutritional gaps.

Sleep - Sleep is absolutely must before the wedding. Lack of

sleep can give you dark circles. A polished skin, but with dark
circles under the eyes, will definitely not look good on your
wedding day. So, we advise you to sleep at least for 8-10
hours a day.
Congratulations you are happily married now, I hope this book
have made your life little easier & in case if you feel that there
is something missing you can mail me at
connect@yashsolanki.com & if you feel that this book has helped
you in planning a successful wedding do let us know via E-mail