A woman’s wedding day is generally the culmination of the hopes and dreams of a lifetime. It is a union not only between two souls, but two families.
On a less exalted note, a wedding also provides the perfect opportunity for people to meet with old acquaintances and relatives and catch up on all the juicy gossip. In the west, a wedding with 500 guests is considered a large one. In India, we usually have 500 guests for the sangeet alone, let alone the wedding.
Given the nature of big, fat Indian weddings, it is not surprise that planning one is a logistical nightmare. In times long past, brides to be could happily leave the whole responsibility on the shoulders of their mothers, various assorted maasis and buas, and all the other married ladies living in a joint family. But the changing demographics of Indian society and the increasing proliferation of the nuclear family amongst Educated India (which I assume you belong to, since you are reading this article online on your computer/ laptop/ smartphone) means that brides to be are now expected to play an active role in planning their own weddings.
To ensure that everything goes off according to plan on D Day, you need to plan your wedding like a pro. In this article, I have listed some tips that only wedding planners know, so that you can pull of your wedding like a professional without too much effort.
Know the area
You need to make sure that you know the locality of the venue where the sangeet/ wedding/ reception will be held like the back of your hand. Invest in a city map (the ones by Oxford are generally pretty good) and mark the location of the nearest ATM, pharmacy, tailor and doctor, so that you are prepared for any eventuality.
Rehearse
If you have ever participated in a school play or any sort of theatrical production, you know just how true the old adage “Practice makes perfect” is. So try to have a rehearsal of the wedding, if at all possible. If not, then at least spend a day brainstorming about different scenarios and ensuring that everyone who is helping you to plan the wedding knows what they are supposed to be doing and when they are supposed to be doing it.
Plan for Emergencies
All brides to be should be familiar with Murphy’s Law: Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. So be prepared for the worst. Make sure that you have a plumber and an electrician do a thorough once over of the venue so that things are in working order. If you are inviting 200 guests to your wedding, then try to plan for 250, since some of the guests will also bring their guests.
Can you think of anything else that I’ve missed out on?